The Best Survival Games for PS5

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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

The best survival games for PS5 let us experience what it might be like to live through end of the world scenarios with only our wits and limited resources by our side. From alien worlds to wartime story lines, these 15 survival games for PS5 blend elements from other genres without losing sight of the crafting, scavenging, building, and looting that make the survival game experience so unique. 

Top 15 PS5 Survival Games, Ranked Good to Amazing

Grab your go-bag, because the time has come. Here are the 15 best survival games for PS5 we reviewed, ranked from good to amazing.

15/15

Metro Exodus

• Mature 17+
• Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
• Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Up first in our list of the best survival games for PS5 to play is Metro Exodus. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus, the sequel to Metro: Last Night begins in a post-apocalyptic Moscow. Blending aspects of FPS and survival strategy, players make their way across Russia as the epic storyline unfolds in an open-world setting. The main character is Artyom, and surrounding characters are his friends and family. You’ll invest yourself in each character and their survival in a post-nuclear landscape, reports say. 

The eerie soundtrack and rendering of all four seasons are both well-reviewed aspects of the game. You really will begin with nothing as you struggle to survive, but soon enough you’ll gather supplies and master the weapons you need for both combat and survival purposes. The missions are varied, gear and weapons are easily modified, and there’s always something new to explore.

14/15

Medieval Dynasty

• Teen
• Blood, Mild Language
• Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Transposing the survival game formula into the world of medieval Europe, Medieval Dynasty is the next survival game for PS5 we reviewed. It’s the age of feudalism. From simple farming, you’ll develop your family legacy over the generations. Relying only on what’s available to you, you’ll endure the elements, experience all four seasons, develop your character and interact with NPCs. In doing so, you’ll grow your small village into a bustling medieval city, all in an engaging open world and interactive environment. 

Survival aspects of gameplay include the construction of buildings and the crafting of weapons. When your character begins to age, the next generation takes over where you left off. Fans of Medieval Dynasty call it stellar, a bit grindy at times, but soon enough, you’ll be addicted.

13/15

Chernobylite

• Mature 17+
• Base building and resource management
• Non-linear storytelling and strategy

The next survival game for PS5 we reviewed is Chernobylite. Blending aspects of survival with horror, sci-fi, and RPG, the game takes place in the exclusion zone, post 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in Ukraine. You’ll play Igor, a physicist, searching for clues regarding the disappearance of his fiancee, some three decades earlier. Add to that, a military threat, human survivors, and mysterious, deadly creatures. Gameplay otherwise involves aspects of survival, base building, and strategy. For anyone seeking a survival game alongside strong storytelling, Chernobylite could be a great choice for you. 

One player looking for a survival game with a post-apocalyptic mood said Chernobylite checked all their boxes. Crafting supplies and weapons is another well-reviewed part of gameplay. The day-to-day cycle and leveling system are also both unique, we found out. However, some say that the combat is a bit clunky.

12/15

Conan: Exiles

• Mature 17+
• Up to 40 online players with PS Plus
• Intense Violence, Language, Nudity, Use of Alcohol

Deviating from the based-on-history Chernobylite, we turn now to one of fantasy’s greatest characters, Conan the Barbarian. In Conan: Exiles — played solo, online multiplayer, or in co-op mode — you’ll survive and explore a barren wasteland, scavenging what you need and crafting the rest. Otherwise, there’s an open world setting with game updates offering different ages of gameplay to keep things fresh. One major decision point for players is whether or not to succumb to dark sorcery. Advantages are offered by the choice, but it all comes at a price. 

There’s a steep learning curve to the game, some say, without much tutorial to help you get started. That said, for survival with crafting, building, and fighting and a good amount of adult content, Conan: Exiles is quite a game, based on feedback. Able to be played with up to 40 people online, it might also be the best survival game to play with friends

11/15

Rust: Console Edition 

• Mature 17+
• Blood, Violence
• Supports up to 99 online players with PS Plus

In the next survival game we reviewed, Rust: Console Edition, you’ll wake up on an island with nothing but a rock and a torch. From there, you’ll craft, build a base, and explore. The game takes place in a procedurally generated world with map editor support. Through gameplay, you’ll find friends and allies and build a town of your own, while solving the mystery of the ruined monuments that dot the landscape. Everything you need in Rust: Console Edition you make, from shelter to weaponry. 

From nothing but that rock and a torch, you establish farms, trade, raid other players, and survive. Fans call it an amazing, all-consuming game. It’s also a great survival game to play with friends. You really will have the experience of waking up with nothing, forced to survive all on your own, with other players sometimes interested in cooperation, while others act aggressively. Be sure to find the server that suits your style of play best, some reports caution.

10/15

Vigor

• Teen
• Only play required, 12 online players
• Blood, Violence

From a deserted island, we turn now to a free-to-play survival game, available only online for up to 12 players. Vigor takes place in a post-apocalyptic Norway, in a landscape made barren by nuclear war. From there, you’ll go head-to-head with other survivors for what you need, from shelter and gear to weapons and armor. What can’t be found, fought for, or scavenged must otherwise be built or crafted, with aspects of both a survival game experience and a FPS. 

A variety of game modes help keep things interesting, as you can choose to go on your own or form alliances with other players. Fans call Vigor beautifully done and everything you can ask for from an apocalyptic survival game. There’s a good amount of strategy required to be successful, which many players liked. Teamwork is also necessary for success.

9/15

Tribes of Midgard

• Teen
• Supports up to 10 online players with PS Plus
• Violence, In-game purchases, Users interact

Adding a dose of fantasy to the survival game experience, Tribes of Midgard is the next survival game in our list. Set in the milieu of viking folklore, you’ll play a villager defending the Seed of Yggdrasil. The seed being the last line of defense against the Gods from the other Realms, as giants draw closer on the eve of Ragnarök. Through gameplay, supporting up to 10 players online, you’ll choose from character classes, explore dungeons, craft weapons and armor, and build village defenses in a mix of survival and RPG. 

Fans call the game an amazing, fresh take on both those genres. There’s a steep learning curve, some add, and there were reports of confused players when they were just getting started. Others commented on the mix of Fortnite and Minecraft-like mechanics. We like how the game offers survival mode with 90 skills to master.

8/15

Breathedge

• Teen
• Blood, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Violence
• Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Tobacco 

Interested in outer space survival — with an immortal chicken? That’s just what the next survival game for PS5, Breathadge, allows you to do. As mentioned, Breathedge takes place in space. Your spaceship — a hearse — has crashed, leaving the area where you’ve landed covered in debris and dead bodies, and of course, your pet chicken. From the wreckage you craft, build, and scavenge. Most important of all, you have electrical tape — what else do you need? 

A conspiracy involving a princess emerges through gameplay. All the while, you’ll rely on your wits and skill. Fans call Breathedge fun, and add that it parodies other well known games in a good way. It’s heavy on dialogue at some points, but there are enough twists to keep things interesting. It starts out as a survival/crafting game but turns into a walking simulator, some say. Meanwhile, the cheesy comedy is a popular aspect for many players. 

7/15

Dysmantle

• Teen
• Blood, Violence
• Huge map, tons of blueprints for crafting and upgrades

In Dysmantle, you emerge from a shelter after many years. The island you’re on is now covered in mutated monsters. From there, almost everything in the game can be broken in half, the pieces of which you’ll then use to craft what you need on the island. Building and hunting are also part of the survival experience Dysmantle offers. You’ll cook, farm, fish, and fight, with puzzles both on the surface and in the Tombs of the Old Ones, with just enough mystery to keep things interesting. 

Fans call Dysmantle an open-world survival and crafting game for both serious and casual fans of the genre. It offers lengthy gameplay with multiple biomes to explore, quests to complete, and mini-games. Some found the end frustrating, and the tower defense aspects of the game could be better done, according to reports. Some add survival sometimes takes a backseat to RPG and adventure. 

6/15

Ark: Survival Evolved

• Teen
• Blood, Crude Humor, Alcohol, Violence
• Game Experience May Change During Online Play

In Ark: Survival Evolved, the next survival game for PS5 we reviewed, you’ve been stranded on an island called Ark, filled with a number of enormous dinosaur and dinosaur-like creatures that live both in the water and on land. From there, you must find a way to survive, taming these creatures for your purposes, while crafting, growing, or discovering everything else you may need. In addition to survival, you’ll match wits with other players in this massively multiplayer experience. 

In the game, there are more than 100 creatures to be tamed for your purposes. You’ll manage alliances through the tribe system, and accumulate a sufficient number of sacrificial items and a number of even more fantastic creatures will do your bidding. Fans call this one of the best games they have ever played. The open-world setting feels huge, the controls and objectives are straightforward and easy to understand, and you’ll start crafting items in no time. 

5/15

The Callisto Protocol

• Mature 17+
• Blood and gore
• Intense violence, Strong language

Breaking the top 5, the next survival game for PS5 we reviewed is The Callisto Protocol. In this blend of survival and horror, you play a character named Jacob Lee. It’s 300 years in the future. You’re in a high-security prison on Callisto, Jupiter’s moon. Mysteriously, fellow inmates have transformed into monsters. Your job is to survive, escape, and solve the mystery. In doing so, you’ll craft weapons and gear, and otherwise, fight for your life. 

Fans call The Callisto Protocol an amazing game, and add that the graphics are great — you’ll feel the creatures creep up behind you, according to one report. Though the melee combat system could be improved, some say, the story, sound, and pace of the game are all strong. It’s definitely among the best horror-survival games out there, based on feedback — be sure and stay for the twist at the end. 

4/15

The Last Stand: Aftermath

• Mature 17+
• Blood and Gore
• Strong language, Violence

In a zombie/survival game hybrid, The Last Stand: Aftermath is the next game in our ranking. Aftermath is the most recent in The Last Stand series. In it, you’ll select a character among all zombie apocalypse survivors. One twist being, you’ve been infected, so you’re racing against the clock. Something we liked – each time you die you get upgrades based on your progress, and you will die a lot, experienced players warn. 

That said, there’s an accessible learning curve, according to reports, with elements of survival/building and hack and slash. The Last Stand: Aftermath is also a great choice for beginners, we found out. Overall the game is super fun with great replayability. Some did find the story a bit lacking, though. There’s also no co-op mode. Rest assured, though, this game is awesome with tons of exploration, crafting, collecting supplies, and looting, fans say. 

3/15

No Man’s Sky

• Teen
• Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
• Up to 4 online players with PS Plus

Third in our ranking of the best survival is No Man’s Sky. In this game, you’re a space explorer, traveling through a procedurally generated galaxy in search of a new place to call home. In doing so, you discover new valuable minerals and other natural resources and encounter alien forms of life with which to trade. You’ll build bases, gather and upgrade your weapons, and when the situation calls for it, engage in combat. The ultimate goal, to lead an armada of exploration spacecraft all your own. 

This game is highly recommended for any player that likes exploration, base building, and crafting games. There are also aspects of third-person shooters, flight combat, and puzzles. Some base loading issues were reported in multiplayer mode, but that seemed like an isolated incident. Otherwise, the game is realistic, with lots to do, and if you tried an earlier version and were disappointed, try again, users say. The most recent version is a vast improvement.

2/15

This War of Mine: Final Cut

• Mature 17+
• Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language
• Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

Nearing the top of our list, This War of Mine: Final Cut is up next in our ranking. Like other This War Of Mine games, Final Cut is a survival game focused on the civilian war experience. Rather than struggling to live in the natural world, you and others exist in a war-torn besieged city. You’ll scavenge, loot, build, and earn all that you need from the limited supplies available to you and your fellow survivors. In a realistic setting based on direct-from-the-headlines international conflict, tough choices will be made about who makes it and who doesn’t.

In the game, there’s limited availability of everything from medicine to food, and danger lurks around every corner. This Final Cut of the game includes a new character, all locations now in one spot, and new quests, among other updates. Fans enjoy getting to know each character’s backstory, with nighttime scenes an especially tense and engaging aspect of gameplay. The combat system gets mixed reviews, though. 

1/15

Subnautica: Below Zero

• Everyone 10+
• Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
• Mild language

And in the top spot, the best survival game for PS5 we reviewed is Subnautica: Below Zero, the latest in the Subnautica series. In this edition of the game, you’re stranded on an alien ocean world, Planet 4546B, with nothing but the bare minimum to survive. As fans of Subnautica are aware, the mystery of what happened to the main character’s sister continues. 

Players explore all-new biomes, follow clues, encounter new lifeforms, and construct or discover whatever else might be necessary to live in the inhospitable environment. 

In this version of the game, that’s made even more challenging in a frozen, water world. If you’re a Subnautica fan, you won’t be disappointed by this edition of the game, we found out. Some do say the original Subnautica can’t be beat, though. Otherwise, this open world survival game offers an opportunity to explore with base-building elements. Playing in “hardcore mode” comes highly recommended. 

Join the High Ground

And that’s it for our list of the best survival games for the PS5! Let us know if you agree with our list in the comments below. Especially if you think another game deserves to be on this list! Make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more gaming content.

Good luck surviving out in a brand new world!