Survival games hit differently, don’t they? Whether it’s the thrill of scraping by with just a rock and sheer willpower or the satisfaction of building a fortress, the genre keeps us coming back. Here are the 10 best survival games you can dive into right now on your PS5.
ARK: Survival Ascended throws you into a prehistoric world filled with towering dinosaurs, strange creatures, and other players who may or may not want to eat you – or your pet raptor.
Survival isn’t just about fighting off the T-Rex trying to turn you into a snack. You’ll be gathering resources, crafting tools, and taming dinosaurs (yes, you can ride them, too). Each dinosaur has a purpose and helps you progress in the game. If you want to farm wood faster, get Castoroides, need more metal, an ankylosaurus can help you, want to travel easier tame an Argentavis.
Lastly, the best part of ARK is that it doesn’t hold your hand. There isn’t even a tutorial to begin with. You’ll freeze, starve, and probably die, a lot. But each death teaches you something new – like don’t punch a triceratops or carry some water when you are out exploring.
Multiplayer adds another layer of chaos. You won’t be alone running away from T-Rexs, this time your friends will be screaming alongside you. It’s one of the best survival games you can play on the PS5, and it has cross-play.
In No Man’s Sky, you’re tossed into a procedurally generated universe with over 18 quintillion planets. That’s not an exaggeration. You’ll never run out of new worlds to explore. While the game had a bumpy launch, it has since been updated and patched to perfection. It’s one of the best survival games to play on the PS5, and if you have a 4K TV, the experience is even better.
Survival in interstellar space means managing oxygen, mining resources, and upgrading your ship so you don’t die from toxic storms or space pirates. But it’s not all doom and gloom – you can build bases, befriend aliens, and even tame alien pets. However, the best part about the game is the beautiful and breathtaking environments you get to explore.
Welcome to planet 4546B. Population: you… and a whole bunch of terrifying sea creatures. Subnautica drops you into an alien ocean after a crash landing and your job is simple: survive. And maybe figure out why your ship exploded. No pressure.
Every dive feels like an expedition. You’ll uncover ancient alien tech and scary shipwrecks and maybe even question your fear of the deep sea.
Ever wondered what it’d be like to be shrunk down to the size of an ant? Well, Grounded is here to give you that experience. Picture surviving in your backyard, except everything wants to kill you. Spiders, ants, and even droplets of water are out to ruin your day.
You’ll craft weapons from twigs, build fortresses out of grass, and battle bugs. The survival mechanics are simple but addictive – find food, stay hydrated, and don’t get eaten.
Co-op makes it even better. Team up with friends, scream in unison when a giant spider jumps out, or argue over who gets to build the coolest base. It’s like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, but with more trauma.
Stranded: Alien Dawn puts you in charge of a small group of survivors crash-landed on a hostile alien planet. Your mission? Keep everyone alive.
You’ll juggle farming alien crops, building shelters, and fending off attacks from creatures that look like they crawled straight out of a sci-fi nightmare. Each survivor has unique skills, so managing their needs adds a layer of strategy. Starvation, mental breakdowns, and alien invasions are all on the menu.
Related: 10 Best Scary Games for the PS5
You’re dumped into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where the undead aren’t your only problem. Hunger, thirst, and the occasional pack of feral dogs are also waiting to ruin your day. The name isn’t just catchy – every seventh day, a massive zombie horde shows up to see if your base can withstand their not-so-friendly housewarming party.
7 Days to Die mixes survival with tower defense. During the day, you scavenge for supplies, craft weapons, and fortify your base. When the sun goes down, the zombies get faster, meaner, and a lot more bitey. You’ll be slapping together walls with scrap metal, praying it holds while a zombie tries to destroy your front door.
This War of Mine isn’t your typical PS5 survival game. There are no zombies, no mutant bears, and no alien planets. Just regular people trying to survive in the middle of a brutal civil war. You’re not a soldier – you’re a civilian, stuck in a bombed-out shelter, scavenging for food, medicine, and any shred of hope.
Its art style is grim and beautiful, perfectly matching the bleak atmosphere. And while it’s emotionally draining, it’s also incredibly powerful. It’s a survival game that doesn’t just test your skills – it tests your conscience.
Survival in Pacific Drive isn’t just about keeping yourself alive – it’s about keeping your car running. You’ll scavenge for parts, slap together makeshift repairs, and bolt weird tech to your ride to deal with… whatever’s out there. Think of it as survival with a mechanic’s twist. It’s the perfect survival game for a car enthusiast on the PS5.
The vibe is pure road trip horror. You’re not just driving – you’re navigating a living, breathing ecosystem that doesn’t want you there. Every trip feels like a gamble: will you make it back to your garage or will your car become an expensive lawn ornament in the middle of the void? Either way, buckle up. It’s going to be a weird ride.
Dying Light 2 throws you into a post-apocalyptic city where the infected rule the streets. But the real danger is the other survivors who’ve decided the apocalypse is the perfect time to be the worst version of themselves.
The parkour system is slick. You’ll be vaulting over rooftops, scaling buildings, and drop-kicking zombies off ledges like it’s an Olympic sport. Daytime is manageable, but at night, the real horrors come out. The infected get faster, scarier, and way more aggressive.
Welcome to the Amazon rainforest, filled with things that want to kill you in increasingly creative ways. Green Hell is hardcore survival at its finest, focusing on realism and psychological horror.
You’ll manage hunger, thirst, and sanity. Go too long without food or sleep, and you’ll start hallucinating. The crafting system is detailed – you’ll learn how to make everything from stone axes to elaborate shelters.
It’s brutal, unforgiving, and weirdly addictive. Nothing beats the satisfaction of surviving your first week without dying from, say, eating the wrong mushroom.
And those are the best survival games on PS5.
