Survival games have exploded in popularity over the past decade, evolving from a niche genre to a gaming staple. The premise is simple yet compelling: you‘re dropped into a hostile environment with minimal resources and must do whatever it takes to stay alive against the elements, starvation, thirst, and external threats.
PlayStation gamers have a rich selection of survival titles to choose from, ranging from brutal, hardcore sims to more accessible survival-adventure hybrids. As an avid survival game enthusiast who has poured hundreds of hours into the genre across PC and consoles, I‘ve hand-picked the 20 absolute best survival games available on PS4 and PS5.
Whether you‘re a hardened survivalist looking for a punishing challenge, or a newcomer who wants to dip their toes in, these outstanding games offer some of the most immersive, satisfying survival experiences on PlayStation. Grab your trusty backpack and let‘s venture out into the wild and see which ones you need to add to your collection.
Top PlayStation 4 Survival Games
The Last of Us Remastered
Naughty Dog‘s harrowing survival horror masterpiece remains a genre-defining experience on PS4. Set in a bleak, pandemic-ravaged vision of the United States, you play as Joel, a grizzled survivor tasked with escorting 14-year-old Ellie across the country.
The Last of Us seamlessly weaves survival elements into its stealth-action gameplay. Resources like bullets, bandages, and crafting materials are extremely scarce, forcing you to scrounge and often avoid confrontation. The oppressive atmosphere, nuanced characters, and emotional storytelling make it an unforgettable journey. A technical update for PS5 is also available.
Subnautica
Unknown Worlds‘ atmospheric underwater survival gem shines on PS4. You‘re marooned on an alien ocean planet and must explore its vibrant depths to stay alive. Subnautica‘s core loop involves gathering resources, crafting gear, and expanding your submarine base to push further into the uncharted waters.
The real star is the stunning alien marine biome, brimming with exotic fauna and bioluminescent caves. Having to manage your oxygen supply while venturing into the abyss creates constant tension. An expansion, Below Zero, is also available.
The Forest
Endnight Games‘ unsettling first-person survival game strands you in a mysterious forest after a plane crash. By day, you‘ll explore, forage for supplies, and construct a base using a robust building system. By night, you must fight off grotesque cannibal mutants that grow more aggressive as you progress.
The Forest merges survival and horror elements with finesse, using dynamic AI to create unpredictable enemy encounters. You can tackle the campaign solo or in 4-player co-op. It‘s a triumphant example of the survival genre‘s untapped potential.
DayZ
Bohemia Interactive‘s pioneering multiplayer survival game still conjures nail-biting emergent gameplay on PS4. You spawn on a post-Soviet map with nothing but the clothes on your back and must scavenge to survive against zombies, starvation, disease, and other players.
DayZ‘s punishing permadeath, complex health simulation, and scarce loot make every life-or-death decision matter. Tense player interactions are the lifeblood of its gameplay, with uneasy alliances and betrayals unfolding organically. While rough around the edges, it remains one of the purest multiplayer survival experiences out there.
Top PlayStation 5 Survival Games
Resident Evil Village
Capcom‘s latest in its revered survival horror series is an opulent PS5 showcase. You play as Ethan Winters, desperately searching for his kidnapped daughter in a remote European village overrun with gothic monstrosities.
Village maintains Resident Evil‘s signature item management survival, inventory puzzles, and resource-starved combat while cranking the production values to 11. The vibrant art direction, unnerving Ray Tracing lighting, and immersive 3D Audio elevate the tension to new heights. For survival horror fans, it‘s a must-play.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Techland‘s ambitious zombie parkour sequel takes open-world survival to the next level on PS5. Set in a sprawling post-apocalyptic city, you‘ll scavenge by day and fend off the undead by night using a kinetic mix of melee combat and first-person platforming.
Stay Human innovates with meaningful choices that physically transform the city based on your actions. Factions, side missions, and upgrades offer immense depth beyond the story. 4-player co-op makes exploring its dense, vertical world a blast, with slick haptic feedback adding new dimensions to its weighty combat.
Returnal
Housemarque‘s audacious PS5 exclusive blends bullet hell action, Metroidvania exploration, and rogue-lite survival into an adrenaline-pumping cocktail. You play as Selene, an astronaut trapped in a nightmarish time loop on an alien planet.
Each run, you‘ll scavenge resources, discover upgrades, and fight through hordes of eldritch horrors in tense, fast-paced combat. Returnal‘s uncompromising difficulty, randomized structure, and oppressive atmosphere capture the thrill of battling the unknown. The DualSense feedback and 3D Audio make every run tactile and terrifying in the best way.
Survival Game Subgenres
Survival Horror
– Alien: Isolation
– Outlast 1 & 2
– Song in the Smoke
Survival Crafting
– No Man‘s Sky
– Stranded Deep
– Raft
– Conan Exiles
– Among Trees
Survival Adventure
– We Happy Few
– Windbound
– Breathedge
– This War of Mine
Frequently Asked Questions
What‘s the best survival game for beginners on PS4/PS5?
Subnautica offers a great entry point. While it features all the core survival staples, its difficulty is more forgiving than other games. The world is stunning and fun to explore, with a mystery that pulls you through the story.
Are there any survival games with co-op on PlayStation?
Yes, quite a few! The Forest, 7 Days to Die, Don‘t Starve Together, Dying Light, and DayZ all feature co-op multiplayer, to name a few.
What‘s the most hardcore survival game on this list?
DayZ is arguably the most uncompromising. Its punishing permadeath, scarce resources, and cutthroat PvP create intense, unpredictable multiplayer encounters where one wrong move can cost you hours of progress.
Do I need PlayStation Plus to play multiplayer survival games?
In most cases, yes. PlayStation Plus is required for online multiplayer on PS4 and PS5. However, some games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone have made exceptions.
Will more survival games come to PS5?
Absolutely. With the PS5‘s advanced hardware, we‘re excited to see how developers will innovate in the genre. Upcoming titles like Abandoned, The Day Before, and State of Decay 3 aim to push the envelope for immersion and simulated environments.
From mastering the wilderness in The Forest to braving cosmic horrors in Returnal, PlayStation offers a deep well of captivating survival games to overcome. These 20 titles exemplify the best the genre has to offer, providing enthralling adventures that will test your mettle and pull you in for hours on end. Grab your bug-out-bag and dive in – fortune favors the bold in these unforgiving virtual frontiers.
