Safe zones without open-world games

We've all been there: you're playing a game, and suddenly get overwhelmed by enemies. Your health drops, and you realize you could die here and lose your progress, maybe even your loot, depending on the title. So you escape, and you find a safe zone and pull yourself back together. These are more iconic examples Resident Evil Safe rooms. Enchanting music, impossible to hide monsters, you have a moment of respite to collect yourself.

Another one is Grace Inn Alden Ring. How many times have you rushed past enemies to reach another grace and touched it to rest, resetting all enemies? Be honest, now. So, you have games where wherever you go, there's a constant sense of danger that doesn't let up. Sure, there may be places where you're less likely to get jumped by anything, but overall, you're in a constant state of survival. Let's take a look at these hardcore experiences that offer some quality challenges.

the forest

The locals aren't exactly friendly

Aside from the fact that you need to meet your needs the forest By keeping hunger and thirst at bay, cannibals are a true stressor in the game. These guys adapt and react to your actions in part due to the rather interesting AI that keeps you on your toes. There are some pretty funny and hilarious videos of players showing how they've managed to “tame” the cannibals in this game, which goes to show. the forest Does not play with immersion.

Not knowing exactly what each type does, when they attack, and so on, not to mention whether you've just built your shelter directly in their patrol path, are some of the ways the game constantly makes you feel unsafe. The longer you live, the braver they become. At night, things get even scarier, with some cannibals choosing to attack your safe zone. Oh, did I say safe zone? No, because your small shelter is not immortal, if you have the Allow Building Destruction setting on (which you should for full immersion). It's not MinecraftWhere you can stop yourself in a hole in the ground every night. You are never completely immune, and you never feel completely comfortable within your base.

Don't starve together

You will never be comfortable

Don't starve together It is described as a constant uphill battle against a world that wants you to go mad and struggle to survive. Everything in this deceptively charming world is out to get you, and if it's not random predator attacks that pop up to terrorize you, then it will be Deerclops during winter. And even if you manage to defeat that boss, maybe the cold winter will freeze you.

Waiting for summer to come? Even that is not safe, because of wildfires. If you manage to build yourself a semi-secure base through luck and hard work, sanity can still get you if you don't lean into it, and you can spawn in shadow creatures when you're unstable enough. Living in this world is so scary that every moment feels nail-bitingly stressful. Best (or worst) of all things? Your friends are only shallow comfort in co-op mode.

green hell

Oh, no – did you fall asleep on the floor by accident?

green hell It's a game that's essentially a giant, obscene gesture directed at the player's face. Don't get too comfortable in the tutorial phase when you're hanging out with your girlfriend at camp, with plenty of shelter and resources at your disposal, because things are about to get wild. as with the forestThere are certain areas that are much less dangerous of the green hell The world is more stressful than others, however, managing your needs, ensuring proper shelter from wildlife and local tribes, and being aware of your surroundings.

Touching a poisonous frog can compromise your life. Drinking dirty water can cause parasites. Even sleeping on the floor can get parasites. Eating uncooked food, or heaven forbid, human flesh disturbs your conscience and confuses you. A simple but stressful thing is that you have to manage specific nutritional values ​​rather than hunger in general, which means you need to make sure you're not only taking in protein, but also carbohydrates and enough fats to keep you going, to stay hydrated. These are threats that are always with you. It is not the enemy; It's a necessity for survival, and follows you wherever you go in the game, making you constantly on edge and incredibly stressed. And can we talk about the fact that you should check every quadrant of your body for injuries? The psychology of that simple act wears you out quickly.

Catastrophe: Dark Days Ahead

The world is in motion, and it doesn't wait for you

If you are familiar Project ZomboidWhich we'll talk about next, then systems Catastrophe: Dark Days Ahead You will be recognizable. In a post-apocalyptic world full of undead, you are one of the few surviving characters. You need to build a shelter, find resources, all the while avoiding the ever-changing zombie threat. But this is not just any zombie game. The undead here are clever and cunning, and they'll give you a run for your money.

If you clear a specific area in the game, zombies are always on the move and can actually migrate to that area. So, every time you return to a place, you have to clear it again and be on your guard. All your actions, of course, make noise, so you should prioritize stealth and avoid attracting attention by shooting guns all willy-nilly. A simple boarded up window isn't the ultimate solution to your base, either, despite all the hard work you put into fortifying it, because enemies can break it and negate all your efforts. It really is a constant rush to stay alive.

Project Zomboid

As time goes by, hope diminishes if you are not smart

Project Zomboid It sets the tone nicely when you start a new game: this is a story about your death, not survival. One thing is for sure: everyone dies all the time. Always, finally. It is only a matter of time. as in CDDA Above, the zombies on the default difficulty Zomboid Ability to migrate. The population will also peak at some point in the game, meaning there are a lot of them in the early part of your existence. Months later, it is nature that begins to take over the world, and within a few weeks, water and electricity are cut off, complicating your chances of survival.

Loot doesn't regenerate in the world, so you should come up with a long-term plan to find a safe house, but no house is ever truly safe. Having high fences is a very solid way to provide some protection, but if you don't have that, be aware that any boarded-up building can still be accessed by zombies who decide to break through. Even if you stay underground for weeks, you run the risk of running out of supplies, getting depressed, starving or dying of thirst. So, it's not just zombies that create a lack of security, but also your own needs and limited resources.

Kenshi

The politics of raiding and factionalism

Let's make one thing clear: Who are you at the mercy of? Kensi's The world the moment you step into it. It's a world ruled by the strong, and warring factions fighting against each other don't care who you are, as long as they can kill you or imprison you.

Even if you try to find a nice, quiet little corner that doesn't belong to anyone, you'll attract invaders to your base at some point (which, I should add, is an endgame feature anyway, and early on, you don't build your own bases). Walking into a city is risky because of who controls it and what they think of you, and these cities can also be attacked by other factions, even if you manage to keep to yourself. So, never let your guard down KenshiBecause nowhere is completely safe.