Summary
The rise ofindie gaminghas helped several genres explode in popularity, with many developers with small budgets making the most of genres where game design isn’t too resource-intensive. Such is the case with thesurvival genre, which has progressed by leaps and bounds over the past two decades.
Fans love the gameplay loop of gathering materials, constructing bases, hunting for food, and crafting weapons to survive in a hostile world.Some survival games made by indie developerscan be especially challenging for players who aren’t patient enough to learn the ropes. These next games fit that bill. They are some ofthe hardest indie survival gameson the market.
Survival games are usually set in hostile environments where players must fight against the elements to survive, andGreen Hellis no exception. The player character is stuck in the Amazon Rainforest and must figure out how to survive by any means necessary.
Building a base, gathering resources, crafting weapons, and dealing with hostile wildlife is easier said than done. Most people will die a few times early on beforeGreen Hellfinally clicks with them.
Most survival games utilize the zombie apocalypse as a convenient setting for players to struggle in.7 Days to Dieis no exception, with players navigating hordes of the undead to gather resources and buff their base.
The latter is a must, sincethe zombies initiate a massive assault on the player’s base at the end of every week. It’s overbearing and will cause the player’s death several times over, but those who anticipate the threat and prepare accordingly will understand why so many people go gaga over this hardcore survival title.
After finding themselves stranded in the frigid Canadian wilderness,the player character must struggle to surviveby any means necessary inThe Long Dark.This is easier said than done, as there are various ways players can become casualties of this hostile environment in record time.
From freezing to death to being hunted down and eaten by carnivores, there’s no shortage of intense gameplay scenarios inThe Long Darkthat can end a player’s run. Being smart about upgrading skills and exploring the world cautiously is a must for players who want to survive for multiple days in this intense title.
The gritty realism ofThis War of Minecan make it more uncomfortable to play than most other indie survival games. Players control a group of survivors in a war-torn region who struggle to survive in a city where looters and marauders run rampant.
Players must sacrifice their humanity to feel their loved ones, usually leading to them exploiting and killing innocents to prevent the same fate from befalling them. It’s a tough game that forces players to make horrible choices if they want to save their group of survivors. Otherwise, they’ll be left unprotected to deal with external attacks from well-prepared raiders.
Frostpunkis one of the greatest city-building games ever made, combining with the survival genre to great effect. In the aftermath of a volcanic winter, a fledgling city must remain operational and keep its residents warm while trying to improve its processes by any means necessary.
Along with the rigorous survival gameplay that takes no prisoners,Frostpunkwill also force players to make tough choices where pragmatism must be at the forefront of their decision-making. It may hurt to sacrifice the few, but saving the many is the main goal of this title.
Don’t Starvewas already a tough game that took a while for fans to wrap their heads around. This difficulty is multiplied many times over inDon’t Starve Together, especially if players are teamed up with beginners.
The world is more hostile, and it assumes that both players are at the same skill level, which isn’t always the case.Trying to educate someone on how the game workswhile dealing with the horrors of the night is easier said than done and will lead to several game overs before newcomers are finally up to speed.
Those who want to enjoy an unforgiving survival game with RPG elements will get a kick out ofNEO Scavenger.Players are unceremoniously dumped into a worldfull of raiders and other hostiles as they must explore and scavenge to acquire resources.
Death is a learning experience that fans will encounter several times inNEO Scavenger. They will eventually figure out the optimal way to get stronger early on, but this takes a lot of time and effort that most people aren’t willing to invest in this game.
The idea of a zombie ending a player’s run by biting them just once may be unfair, but this rule is precisely why most zombie-focused media end up being so riveting. This is whyevery playthrough ofProject Zomboidis as tense as they come, forcing players to bolster their defenses and not take unnecessary risks.
Sometimes, a single mistake is all it takes for players to have to start from Day 1 all over again. Even something as simple as going through a window becomes risky if players aren’t aware that the broken glass can cut their character and cause an infection to spread, drastically reducing their chances of survival.
