The PlayStation 5 has a massive collection of games of every genre. Survival games, in particular, can be quite fun, and the PS5 has something for everyone. From hardcore survival to a blend of survival and RPG, these games have varying subgenres that pose different challenges depending on which ones you prefer.
If this sounds like fun and you want to get into the genre yourself, these are the 12 best PS5 survival games to try out.
The best survival games on PS5
12) Grounded
Grounded provides a unique perspective to survival games where you play as a human who has been shrunk to the size of an insect. You have to survive the perils of the backyard, including other giant insects and small animals, and discover why you got shrunk down. Grounded allows for up to four-player co-op where you can team up with three other friends and try to survive together.
Make sure to stock up on resources and craft the best armor to survive long enough to reach the truth.
11) Green Hell
Green Hell offers a challenging survival experience where you have to brave the harsh wilderness of the Amazon rainforests. You start without any food or beginner equipment and have to scrounge through the forest to find resources to survive with. Create makeshift tools and either forage or hunt for food while you build up your base and defenses to ward off the unknown threats in the uncharted rainforests.
You can play Green Hell solo or with other players if you so choose.
10) DayZ
DayZ is a post-apocalyptic zombie survival game that will take you through the ruins of humanity after the zombie virus ravages the population. The game offers single-player and multiplayer options, allowing you to survive against the horde alone or with friends if you so choose. DayZ can be played with up to 60 people, taking place across either Chernarus or Livonia.
Can you trust the people you meet to not betray you or will you pull the trigger first? The game’s events will unfold based on your decisions.
9) V Rising
V Rising is the survival game for you if you have ever wanted to play as a vampire. You start off weak and will have to sustain yourself with blood acquired from nearby settlements as you stay out of the scorching rays of the sun. Once you regain enough power, you can create a vampire castle as your base of operations and get stronger in the massive open world of V Rising.
You can also partner with fellow vampires through multiplayer for a more efficient hunting experience.
8) Rust
Rust is a true survival experience as the game will have you manage your basic needs like hunger, thirst, and cold. You start with next to nothing as you create makeshift weapons to find food and survive through the first few days. The dangers will worsen as you gather more resources and explore the island.
Trust no one in Rust since everything, including other players, will try to kill you and scavenge your resources to survive.
7) Conan Exiles
Set in the fabled lands of Conan the Barbarian, Conan Exiles places you in the shoes of a survivor with nothing to their name as they claw their way to success. The dangers of this world include freezing temperatures and dangerous creatures inhabiting the overworld and the dungeons. Level up to progress through the ranks as a deadly barbarian or wield magic as a mighty sorcerer.
Conan Exiles is primarily an online multiplayer sandbox game, but you can choose to play it as a single-player standalone experience.
6) Stranded: Alien Dawn
Stranded: Alien Dawn showcases the fate of a renegade group of settlers stranded on an alien planet. You must gather your fellow settlers and brave the dangers of an unknown world filled with alien lifeforms as you colonize the planet, making it habitable for your species. As the leader, you must ensure that your group survives hardships like starvation, extreme weather, and disease.
Base building is essential to ensure your people’s survival on this foreign planet as the game gets progressively more dangerous.
5) The Forest
The Forest will have you play as the only survivor of a plane crash, struggling to make their way through an unknown forest. The woods are filled with danger like cannibals and rabid animals, threats you will have to fend off with tools and weapons that you make yourself using resources you find. The Forest will test your mental fortitude with scarier encounters as you progress through the story.
Be prepared for everything because the wilderness is unforgiving.
4) Subnautica
Subnautica offers a fresh perspective to the survival genre by showcasing the dangers of the deep sea. You play as a submarine operator traversing the oceans of an alien waterworld planet, where you start with nothing but your submarine. Exploring the oceans will grant you a variety of resources that you can use to create your own home base and improve your submarine,
Prepare for anything because the terrors of the ocean can strike at any time.
3) Silent Hill 2
The original Silent Hill 2 is well-known for being one of the scariest atmospheric horror games of the early 2000s. Now, the remake makes its debut on the PS5 with realistic graphics and fluid gameplay, turning up the survival horror elements to 11. Step into the shoes of James once again 23 years later as he searches for his wife while braving the terrors of Silent Hill.
2) The Long Dark
The Long Dark is a survival game that places you in the shoes of an explorer in the aftermath of a devastating geomagnetic disaster. The world is now a frozen wasteland where you initially seem to be the only human alive amidst the dangers of nature. The wilderness holds untold perils, be it through creatures of the forest or other humans, and all of them are willing to fight for their survival against you.
1) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Probably the most recognizable game on this list, Skyrim has seen several iterations over the years on different generations of consoles. The latest PS5 version, the Skyrim Anniversary Edition, repackages everything that made the original Skyrim great into a modern masterpiece with improved visuals and smoother gameplay. Relive the story of the Dovahkiin once more.
The perfect blend of old-school RPG with realistic survival elements and a compelling story, including unparalleled modding support, keeps Skyrim at the top of our list.
