There are many different open-world games out there, but many gamers seek ones that’ll be not just open, but challenging in the content the world has. Here are a few that fit that mold.
#34 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Platform: PC XSX|S
Release Date: November 20, 2024
Steam | Xbox
In today’s gaming age, if you want to make an open-world title, it’s not that hard. However, if you want to make one that people actually want to play, you need to make it worth their time. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl attempts to do that by not just giving you a big area to explore but also giving you nonlinear storylines to follow as you work your way through it.
In this case, you’re in the infamous “Exclusion Zone,” and you’re either trying to make money off it or attempting to find out the truth about what really happened here. Your choices will affect the game’s ending, so go see where your path takes you.
#33 Enshrouded
Platform: PC
Release Date: January 24, 2024 (early access)
Steam
When you’re dealing with RPGs nowadays, you’ll get vast realms to explore by default. However, the trick is whether the worlds are worth exploring. In the case of Enshrouded, it might catch your eye for the right reasons.
The game puts you in a land that has been cursed thanks to man’s greed. Isn’t that always the way? You’re merely trying to survive in it and will need to scour the land for resources to build you up into something special.
The more you travel, the more you’ll learn about the realm, how it came to be, and whether it can be saved from “The Shroud” that covers it.
#32 Palworld
Platform: PC Xbox One XSX|S
Release Date: January 19, 2024 (early access)
Steam | Xbox
When it comes to a certain OTHER “monster-catching franchise,” you rarely, if ever, had to worry about your avatar’s survival. After all, the whole point of that game was simply to battle monsters and not have to worry about what they might do to you.
But in Palworld, survival is something that should absolutely be on your mind. Why? Because these monsters won’t be afraid to come after you and potentially kill you!
That’s why you need to see out and use the power of the “Pals” to stay alive. Train them to be strong so they can fight off everything you come across! Or, if you face an unstoppable foe, use the Pals to sacrifice themselves so you can get away!
#31 Sons Of The Forest
Platform: PC
Release Date: February 23, 2023
Steam
If you’re ready for your next big survival experience, prepare for Sons Of The Forest.
In the game, you’re tasked with going to an island to retrieve a billionaire who has gone missing. But the moment you arrive, you’ll see just how bad things will get.
There are mutants and monsters all over the island, and you’ll need to survive long enough to get off this tortured place! But how will you survive? That’s entirely up to you. You’ll have various resources you can use to build shelter, craft weapons, and more.
Use everything you have on you and whatever you find on the island. It may be the difference between life and death.
#30 Minecraft
Why is Minecraft at the bottom of this list? Because while there is a survival mode in this game, it’s not the reason that people play it. Not really. They prefer to harvest all matter of materials and then build things that come to their minds. Such as making recreations of things like castles or even the starship Enterprise. We try not to judge.
But if you were to go and try out the survival mode you would find a challenge. We’d also bet though that are a little bit you’d get out of it because there are better survival games out there.
#29 Rust
There are a few games on this list that have the theme of being dropped onto a random island and being forced to survive. Rust is one of them, and you’ll find it’s a very layered survival title.
In the game, you’ll indeed be naked as you arrive on the island. But make no mistake, you are not alone here. You’ll need to think fast and get resources and items to use to grow and survive. With other players and creatures all around you, you’ll have to fight them off to be the last one standing.
The title has been updated over 300 times throughout its life, so you’ll get to reap the benefits of that if you start playing now.
#28 Grounded
When you’re the average size of a human, things like bugs aren’t an immediate threat. However, in the world of Grounded, you’re shrunk to the size of an ant. As a result, everything is going to be a threat to you because you’re literally on their turf now.
Trapped in your backyard, you and your friends will have to team up to fend off the insect threat, build bases, and figure out what happened to you!
The world you’ll be in adapts to what you do. So be mindful of your actions, and see just what everything is like when you’re the size of a bug.
#27 SCUM
Welcome to the insane future of reality television! In SCUM, you’ll be a prisoner put on a private island owned by an entertainment company. The goal of the “game” is simple, you must go out and kill all the other prisoners/contestants to ensure your survival!
But remember, this is a reality show, so you’ll need to endear yourself to the fans and producers, that way you can get special treatment and perks that might tip the balance of power in your favor!
With a large island to play on, you’ll need to think smart about how you go about doing things. Such as how you move in the open, and how you use resources and survive in general.
#26 Project Zomboid
How long do you think you could reasonably survive against a zombie horde? If you think you can last, then check out Project Zomboid. The title puts you within two towns that have been overrun by zombies. You and your fellow survivors will have to go from house to house to not just get items, but set up defenses to fight off the hordes.
There will be no “rescue” for you should you get overwhelmed. Use whatever you have in the best possible ways to stave off death. Then, after you get your fill, go into the other modes of the game to see how well you can survive there too!
#25 V Rising
In V Rising, you’ll play as a vampire lord that has been asleep for centuries. Now, you have returned, and you seek to rebuild your kingdom and restore your power!
To do that, you must venture into the open world and seek out not just natural resources, but blood by which you’ll regain your strength. You can turn nearby humans into your loyal subjects, and use all sorts of magic to rebuild your castle to its former glory.
But be warned, you’ll have to fight off those who wish to put you back into the ground. So build your power and defenses and ensure that nothing stands a chance against your unholy might!
#24 DayZ
If you seek a true challenge in survival games, then DayZ might be one to look into. Here, you’ll be in the massive area known as Chernarus, which was hit by a virus and turned into a zombified wasteland.
Your goal is simple: survive for as long as you can! The reason for this goes beyond skill, but rather, when you die in this game, everything you have on you is lost.
Plus, you’ll have 59 other players at times to deal with. You can make alliances with them or kill them to ensure that none of them get to you first. The choice is yours. So jump in and see how long you can last.
#23 Vigor
With Vigor, you have a shoot-and-loot experience that awaits you. You’ll be set in a “post-War Norway” and survive the apocalypse that has come upon it. Naturally, how you do so is up to you.
You’ll need to scavenge for supplies and do your best to overcome the challenges from other players and nature itself. You can build a home to survive in, and ensure your safety, or just wander from spot to spot to try and take out any threats before they find you.
If the main mode isn’t to your liking, the game offers others that you can directly challenge other players in. So check out this title and see just how well you can survive in it.
#22 Outward
Set in the world of Aurai, Outward puts you on the path of exploration and adventure. All the while, asking you to survive out in the dangerous world you are in because there are dangers aplenty. You’ll have no special abilities or skills to help you to start, you must earn everything in this place.
Start small as you travel from spot to spot, making your mark on the land as you seek out its wonders.
You can play the game alone and just wander around at your leisure, or, you can play games in co-op mode and work with others to rebuild the world from the ground up!
There is much to do here, so go forth, and see what is out there!
#21 Days Gone
In the mind of Deacon St. John, life just isn’t worth living anymore. Yet, this former outlaw trudges on in a world gone mad, and you’ll have to guide him on his journey.
In this new world, groups try to survive through any means available. Even if that means being the scum of the Earth and taking it from other people. You’ll have to decide what kind of many you want Deacon to be. Will you have him try and save others and bring groups what they need to survive? Or will he become a renegade who plows through everything in his way just to feel something?
The world will change as you do, so be ready for that.
#20 STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
In 1986, the Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster happened and the world would never be the same. But in the world of STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, you’ll see a slightly more fantastical version of the game.
Mainly because in their version of 2006, another explosion in the reactor happened, turning the Exclusion Zone into an even more dangerous place. To the…