Sharpen your axe, fill your canteen, and be sure you pack some emergency rations: 2024 is shaping as much as be a wonderful yr for survival video games. Not solely are there quite a lot of them coming within the close to future, all of them look considerably completely different from each other.
Do you wish to discover a fantasy realm shrouded by a life-sapping mist, hunt for artifacts in an irradiated exclusion zone, or struggle creatures which were twisted by an alien virus? If cell bases are your factor, how about driving a station wagon via a forest stuffed with lethal anomalies or piloting a rolling base over an alien planet whereas surrounded by duplicates of your self? Decide your poison, as a result of 2024 has the survival sport you are on the lookout for.
That is nice as a result of 2023 wasn’t a very stellar yr for the survival style. There have been some large hits like Sons of the Forest and Lego Fortnite, and no less than one main catastrophe: The Day Earlier than. To not point out a bunch of delays pushed a half-dozen large survival video games from final yr into this yr.
However similar to in a survival sport, let’s maintain our eyes on the horizon. Listed here are the survival video games in 2024 I am most enthusiastic about.
The Alters
Developer: 11 bit studios
Launch date: TBA 2024
Along with metropolis builder Frostpunk 2, 11 bit studios has one other survival sport launching this yr and it appears to be like downright fascinating. In The Alters you are Jan, the lone survivor of a crash on an alien planet, and you could summon duplicates of your self if you wish to survive. However these aren’t mere clones—every model of Jan has completely different traits and backgrounds, suggesting a multiverse or probably even time journey. Did I point out Jan’s base is a big wheel that rolls throughout the planet making an attempt to keep away from the solar’s radiation? I am unable to wait to be taught extra about this sport.
Pacific Drive
Developer: Ironwood Studios
Launch date: Feb 22, 2024
I bought entry to a demo with a couple of story missions that solely took about three hours to finish, however I nonetheless wound up enjoying Pacific Drive for over 12 hours. Trapped in a nightmarish exclusion zone stuffed with harmful environmental and mechanical anomalies, hunt for sources and soup up your rusty previous station wagon with sci-fi gizmos. The demo had nice driving, glorious tinkering, and loads of scares and mysteries. I am longing for the total sport in February.
Abiotic Issue
Developer: Deep Discipline Video games
Launch date: TBA 2024
You have been via Black Mesa as hero Gordon Freeman, however what about the remainder of these science nerds you left behind? Abiotic Issue is survival crafting sport for 1-6 gamers set in a large science facility overrun by aliens, monsters, and bloodthirsty troopers. Your job: do sufficient science to outlive. It appears to be like hilarious and good.
Enshrouded
Developer: Eager Video games
Launch date: January 24, 2024 (early entry)
With a versatile voxel-based constructing system, an expansive and mysterious world, and assist for as much as 16 gamers in co-op, Enshrouded appears to be like prefer it may scratch the identical itch as Valheim. It additionally goes fairly mild on some conventional survival programs: cooking meals is to give you buffs, however you will not starve for those who do not eat. The demo was the most-played at Steam Subsequent Fest final yr, so I will not be stunned if Enshrouded is the primary large hit of 2024.
Stalker 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl
Developer: GSC Recreation World
Launch date: Q1 2024
It has been an extended wait and there have been various delays, however we could lastly be getting near enjoying Stalker 2, for actual this time. From what we have seen to this point the world appears to be like bleak and beautiful within the Unreal Engine, and there are many acquainted buddies returning (like these hideous blooduckers). I am unable to wait to return to the exclusion zone for extra gripping, punishing first-person survival.
As soon as Human
Developer: Starry Studio
Launch date: Q3 2024
The Earth has been reworked by an apocalyptic occasion, and now individuals, vegetation, and animals are all twisted and mutated by some form of alien entity. Discover the freakish world, construct bases, and struggle monsters—a few of them look terribly large—in survival motion sport As soon as Human, which appears to be like like Rust meets Stalker with a little bit of The Division thrown in for good measure.
Nightingale
Developer: Inflexion Video games
Launch date: February 22, 2024
Regardless of a number of delays, gaslamp fantasy Nightingale continues to look unusual and promising. Trapped in a fae realm you will must craft gear, construct bases, take care of unbelievable creatures (not all the time violently) and journey to different dimensions to gather uncommon sources. Because it’s Victorian instances you will not be surviving in soiled leather-based rags like another survival video games: your wardrobe and hats are on level in Nightingale.
Additionally coming in 2024 & past
There are extra promising survival video games popping out this yr, and some we do not but know the dates for.