Survival

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What are Survival Online Games?

Survival online games are a genre of video games that challenge players to stay alive in harsh, often hostile environments. These games emphasize resource management, environmental hazards, and player ingenuity. The core gameplay typically involves gathering resources, crafting tools, building shelters, and defending against threats, whether from the environment, wildlife, or other players.

In survival games, the goal is to survive for as long as possible, often with no clear end, and players must adapt to changing conditions, be it hunger, weather, or enemy attacks. Many survival games are open-world or sandbox experiences, offering players freedom to explore, create, and face challenges in a dynamic, immersive world.

Survival games have grown in popularity over the years, attracting a wide audience due to their tension-filled gameplay, the sense of accomplishment in overcoming difficulties, and the thrill of exploring unknown worlds. These games can either be played solo or in multiplayer environments, where cooperation or competition with other players often adds an additional layer of complexity.

Types of Survival Online Games

1. Single-Player Survival Games

In single-player survival games, players are tasked with surviving in isolated, dangerous environments, often relying on their wits and resourcefulness to thrive. These games provide an immersive, solitary experience, where every decision can mean life or death.

Example: The Long Dark – In The Long Dark, players are stranded in the wilderness after a geomagnetic disaster. The game features a rich survival simulation where players must manage hunger, thirst, fatigue, and body temperature while navigating treacherous weather conditions, wildlife, and limited resources. Its open-world structure allows players to explore different regions, gather supplies, and craft items to survive.
Example: Don’t Starve – In this quirky, darkly atmospheric survival game, players control a scientist named Wilson who is trapped in a strange world full of monsters, strange plants, and bizarre creatures. The primary goal is to stay alive as long as possible by managing food, building shelters, and crafting tools while avoiding dangerous enemies and environmental threats.

2. Multiplayer Survival Games

Multiplayer survival games bring together groups of players who must collaborate to survive in dangerous, often hostile environments. These games can range from cooperative experiences to competitive ones, where players battle both the environment and each other for survival.

Example: Rust – A hugely popular multiplayer survival game, Rust places players in a harsh, open-world environment where they must gather resources, build shelters, and defend themselves from both wildlife and other players. Players can form alliances, but the game’s survival mechanics are unforgiving, and betrayals are common, making it a thrilling yet brutal experience.
Example: ARK: Survival Evolved – ARK throws players into a prehistoric world full of dinosaurs and other wild creatures. Players must gather resources, build bases, and tame dinosaurs to help with survival. The game features both PvE (player vs. environment) and PvP (player vs. player) modes, offering a variety of playstyles where cooperation or combat with other players is key.

3. Survival Crafting Games

Crafting games are a subset of survival games where players focus heavily on crafting and building. These games offer intricate crafting systems, where players can create tools, weapons, and shelters using raw materials found in the environment.

Example: Minecraft – One of the most iconic survival crafting games, Minecraft lets players explore an open world made entirely of blocks. Players can gather resources, mine, and craft a variety of tools, weapons, and structures to protect themselves from enemies like zombies, skeletons, and Creepers. The game also has a creative mode where players can build without the survival constraints, but the survival mode presents an enduring challenge to stay alive.
Example: 7 Days to Die – A hybrid of survival and crafting mechanics set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Players must scavenge for food, water, and materials while building and fortifying their base. The game features a day-night cycle, where zombies become more aggressive at night, requiring careful planning and construction to survive.

4. Survival Horror Games

Survival horror games combine survival gameplay with elements of horror and suspense. These games usually focus on a tense atmosphere, with the player constantly under threat from terrifying creatures or psychological horror. Survival mechanics in these games often include managing health, avoiding enemies, and scrounging for limited resources.

Example: The Forest – A survival horror game set on a remote island where players must survive after a plane crash. The island is inhabited by cannibalistic mutants, and players must gather resources, craft weapons, and build shelter to survive while fending off terrifying enemies. The game has both single-player and multiplayer modes, adding a layer of tension and fear when playing with others.
Example: State of Decay 2 – Set in a zombie-infested world, State of Decay 2 combines survival gameplay with horror elements. Players manage a community of survivors, scavenging for resources, fortifying bases, and defending against zombie hordes. The game’s permadeath feature means losing a character can have a significant emotional impact on players, adding to the horror aspect of the survival experience.

5. Battle Royale Survival Games

Battle Royale games take the survival genre and incorporate a competitive, multiplayer aspect. Players are dropped into a large, shrinking play area, and they must fight other players to be the last one standing. The core of these games involves scavenging for weapons, armor, and other resources while fighting off other players in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.

Example: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) – One of the pioneers of the battle royale genre, PUBG places players on a large map where they must scavenge for weapons, vehicles, and supplies while fighting other players. As the game progresses, the play area shrinks, forcing players into closer proximity and intensifying the combat until only one player or team remains.
Example: Fortnite – Fortnite is a well-known battle royale game with a unique twist: players can build structures to defend themselves or gain an advantage over enemies. The game features vibrant, cartoony graphics and incorporates frequent updates, events, and collaborations that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. Like PUBG, players must scavenge for resources while battling to be the last one standing.

6. Survival Simulation Games

Survival simulation games focus on the more realistic aspects of survival. These games often emphasize factors such as hunger, thirst, temperature, and fatigue, requiring players to make strategic decisions to stay alive. The gameplay often simulates real-world survival scenarios.

Example: Banished – A city-building survival simulation game where players are tasked with managing a group of exiled travelers who must build a new life in a harsh environment. The game emphasizes resource management, climate conditions, and the sustainability of a growing town, forcing players to balance food, shelter, and labor.
Example: Farming Simulator – While not strictly a “survival” game, Farming Simulator incorporates elements of survival in managing a farm. Players must manage crops, livestock, and finances while coping with changing seasons and market demands. It’s a more relaxed, yet still challenging, survival experience focused on resource management.

Features of Survival Online Games

Resource Management: A major aspect of survival games is the need to gather, manage, and use resources wisely. Whether it’s food, water, or building materials, players must constantly scavenge, collect, and craft items to maintain their health and stay alive.
Crafting and Building: Crafting and building mechanics are central to many survival games. Players can use resources to create tools, weapons, and structures that are essential for survival. Crafting systems vary from basic to highly complex, depending on the game.
Exploration: Survival games often feature open-world environments that encourage exploration. Players can discover new areas, gather resources, and uncover secrets while navigating a dangerous world.
Combat and Threats: Survival games feature a variety of threats, ranging from hostile animals and monsters to other players. Combat often plays a role in defending oneself or in competing for resources.
Dynamic Environments: Many survival games feature changing weather, day-night cycles, and environmental conditions that impact gameplay. Players may need to adapt to extreme temperatures, storms, or other challenges to stay alive.
Permadeath: In some survival games, death can be permanent, meaning that losing a character or progress can have serious consequences, adding intensity and tension to the experience.

Conclusion

Survival online games provide players with intense, immersive experiences where strategy, resourcefulness, and adaptability are key to success. Whether playing solo or with friends, these games offer a thrilling challenge, often forcing players to manage hunger, defend against enemies, and craft tools while exploring dangerous environments. From the brutal realism of games like The Long Dark to the exciting, fast-paced combat of PUBG or Rust, survival games offer a broad range of experiences to suit different playstyles.

Survival games thrive on their sense of uncertainty, offering unique challenges that require players to think critically and creatively. The feeling of accomplishment from overcoming the odds and surviving in these games is a major part of their enduring appeal.

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