Not every RPG has you traversing the lands without a care in the world, with many dialing up the difficulty directly from the get-go. By limiting your resources, your access to progress, and forcing you to live off the land, suddenly, each step forward becomes more difficult but more rewarding at the same time.
These games may not be the most difficult in terms of combat difficulty or mechanical skill, but they represent a level of challenge that can only be overcome by those willing to dive into trenches and dig their way out piece by piece. No matter if you're struggling to make it across a treacherous desert, or pushing through an overgrown city, the journey will never be easy.
For variety, we don't just cover traditional survival games.
Kenshi
Survival is progress
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Food, shelter and safety come first
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The world does not offer any support to new players
Kenshi Throws you into the most rugged open world ever created. You start out as little more than just another survivor trying to make it to the next day, and in order to do so, you must overcome everything from starvation to slavery to wildlife that is happy to make you another meal.
There are no scripted heroes or generous tutorials, just a brutal world where every piece of food and equipment must be earned. I'm still amazed at how steep the curve is, and even after you feel like you've got the basics down, there's still a lot to learn before you're fully independent.
external
Preparation is essential
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Survival is a constant threat
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Every trip needs a plan
external Rejects the traditional RPG formula where leveling solves every problem. Before leaving town, you need to pack up your resources and get ready to scavenge, because a single forgotten item can be the difference between a routine adventure and a gruesome death.
The wilderness becomes your biggest obstacle, and most of your gear comes from gathering materials and searching for valuable materials that can only be found by taking the hard way. It feels like a constant cycle of risk-reward, and a real standout for those tired of the same old RPG loops.
Kingdom Come: Redemption
Everyday difficulties
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Hunting and foraging helps you survive
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Medieval life is authentically recreated
Kingdom Come: Redemption Grounds each of its systems in realism, pushing you to think about combat as well as everyday needs. Henry is a man, and as such, he gets hungry, tired, and wounded, and like traditional medieval life, you need to satisfy all of these needs using nothing but the world around you.
Instead of handing you endless features, the game encourages you to live like a simple medieval traveler, and the more fantasy you indulge in, the better the game gets. I had a hard time at first, because I was trying to play it like every other RPG, but once I accepted the ancient way of life, I was treated to an extraordinary adventure that I still think about to this day.
Gothic II
The forest is the greatest teacher
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Threatened wildlife dominates protected areas
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Every resource is invaluable
Like many other early 2000s RPGs, Gothic II Refuses to make life easier. Powerful creatures roam the countryside from the start, and you're placed at the bottom of the food chain, with no choice but to gradually build up enough power to get away from civilization.
Exploration is naturally linked to resource gathering, and you'll find that small materials like herbs and ores play a significant role in deciding how far you can progress through the world, as do all herbs. Instead of constantly flooding you with loot and satisfaction, Gothic II Ensures that nature proves itself as your most precious resource.
Alex
Danger in nature
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Sources from all over the world must be carefully mined
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Exploration is more about caution than anything else
let's support Gothic IIThe developer of, Piranha Bites, for now.
of ELEX The post-apocalyptic world is full of valuable supplies, but getting to them is rarely straightforward. You must fight both powerful factions and a whole host of dangerous creatures that can be seen roaming around the second you are born.
The grind for security is long and, at times, tiring, but as harsh as it sounds, there are no shortcuts to a comfortable life. If you want to survive, you have to pick your fights, stay in the shadows, and engage only when necessary, otherwise, all that patience will be for naught.
covered up
Building a future
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Image via Keen Games -
Image via Keen Games -
Image via Keen Games
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Resources drive each progress system
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Better opportunities are found through inventions
covered up Combines traditional open-world exploration with strong survival mechanics, meaning you'll spend as much time building and crafting as exploring. Building a foundation is a fundamental aspect of the game's progression loop, and the only way to get a stronger house is to lay the foundation brick by brick.
I think the Shroud gives the game a unique edge and ensures that each campaign carries meaningful risk, and in order to travel deeper into the corrupt realms, you need to take the necessary steps to level up and prepare for the battle ahead. I really like the back-and-forth loop of the hunt in the build, and I recommend any survivalist to try it out, especially given how much content the game has to offer.
Aline
The purpose behind the smallest content
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Notoriously high entry point
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Self-reliance is essential from the start
Aline Expands on its predecessor's sandbox vision by giving you an extraordinary amount of freedom to survive however you choose. Farming, fishing, hunting, gathering, crafting, and settlement building all become viable ways to establish a sustainable life within the wider world, and I think most people fall at the first hurdle purely because of how much choice is on offer.
These survival systems are central to the experience, and there's never a feeling when you think you have everything perfect, because there's always another area to plant or explore. That gradual path to a thriving home will inspire you to do better, and not be as brutal as it may have been ElonaIt is still very difficult.
Project Zomboid
It's called the Apocalypse for a reason
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Behind every step is a risk
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Constantly forces you to make tough decisions
Project Zomboid Begins with a simple promise: “Thus you die.” Everything that follows revolves around delaying that inevitable outcome as long as possible, whether that means eating spoiled food or sacrificing a teammate, just to make it to the wasteland the next day.
Because of how hostile the world is, you'll need to constantly adapt and change your playstyle, and with an entire army of other players aiming for the same goal, you'll soon realize that zombies are the least of your problems. The simplistic visuals may be a turnoff for some, but I'd argue that no other game captures the desperation and inevitability of the zombie apocalypse. Project Zomboid,
