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The Best Survival Games PS4 / PS5: Our Favorites

Explore a world, collect, build, fight and stay alive. Many games contain exactly this game principle, which fascinates us so much. But there are many differences that make up the quality in the end.

Felix Rauhut
By Felix Rauhut
Last updated:
In this picture, we can see the cover of the game Rust, which can be considered one of the best survival games for PS4 and PS5. The cover shows a game character in a red and yellow combat outfit including a full helmet in the lower half of the picture, holding a rifle in his hand and looking at the viewer. He stands in front of a black-and-white background, in which the landscape and parts of buildings can be seen. Above the figure is the logo and the title of the game
Rust (Source: Facepunch Studios)
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Numerous survival games are available on the Playstation and challenge many Gamers day to day. We asked ourselves which of the many available titles are the best survival games on PS4 / PS5 we played so far.

We share your fascination for survival games and would like to make the search for a suitable title for you easier. Et voilà – here comes our top ranking for you.

 

10. The Last Stand: Aftermath

This title is an isometric survival shooter in which you’ll find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world and have to fight against zombies. Already bitten, you play an infected who gradually also turns into an undead. The more you transform, the more you get different abilities that can boost your survival and extend your life. This is an extremely exciting game, where every small step has consequences and affects the infection process. You’ll learn to appreciate your items, especially single bullets, and use them wisely in this addictive zombie world.

In this screenshot from The Last Stand: Aftermath the player is shown here in a long shot in the center of the image from an isometric perspective. He is in an urban environment during the day and is standing next to a red car in a courtyard, which is very atmospherically illuminated by the morning sun. The sun's rays come from the upper right and shine impressively through the branches of a tall tree, which we see in the upper right of the image. The player is currently aiming his rifle and carries a large brown backpack. Around him is a lot of green grass along with disturbed different cars and dirty white wooden fences.
Screenshot of The Last Stand: Aftermath (Source: 11 bit studios)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Get a copy for PS4 and PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

 

9. This War of Mine

Many associate survival with zombies or bloodthirsty action. This War of Mine deals with that topic in an even more profound and serious way: In this side-scroller, it’s your job to take care of your family and gather enough resources and materials to survive another day during the war. The game belongs to the genre of the so-called serious games and is meant to make you, as a player, think and relentlessly experience the horrors and consequences of war. Make important decisions and even kill if necessary to protect your loved ones. This makes it one of the most touching survival games for the PS4 and PS5.

From the side-scroller perspective, we see one of the playable characters in a long shot at night in an abandoned house. The building, which can be seen on the right, is very black due to the darkness and appears almost only as a silhouette with its floors and a staircase. The player is currently on the second floor. He looks behind him and above him appears the text in white letters: "I hope there are no soldiers here tonight...". In front of him is a shopping cart that he is about to inspect. Part of the roof has collapsed and is sticking out diagonally downwards. Next to the shopping cart, two other areas are marked with a white hand symbol for the player to inspect. At the bottom right, we glimpse the player's avatar along with information identifying him. At the top right of the image, important information regarding the game's mechanics is displayed, such as what time it is and how many nights the player has already survived. This War of Mine is one of the more serious survival horror games for PS4 and PS5.
Stay alive in This War of Mine (Source: 11 bit studios)

 

This War of Mine is available on Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Linux, and PC. You can purchase it for PS4/PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

 

8. Tribes of Midgard

A good alternative to Valheim is Tribes of Midgard for PlayStation. In this Viking game, you can also go on exciting adventures with your friends. Together with up to 10 players, build a village to your liking while protecting and defending your resources and loot from nasty creatures. You and your fellows can expect fast-paced gameplay in a procedurally generated environment. It’s a very recommendable survival game for the PlayStation that you can quickly get into.

From an isometric perspective, we see two playable Viking characters during the day on a yellow path coming from below and going up to an open wooden gate that belongs to a Viking camp. One player can be seen at the bottom of the screen in the center. He is wearing blue armor and has black hair, and red pants. He is armed with a sword and a round shield. The second Viking is standing just in front of the gate in the center of the picture. His large blue round shield is mounted on his back and covers his entire upper body. In his hands, he holds a huge fiery glowing hammer. Two blue banners are attached to the gate on the left and right, and palisade walls extend from the gate to the sides. To the left and right are gray rocks and off the path, we see grass and bushes.
Tribes of Midgard screenshot (Source: Norsfell/Gearbox Publishing)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S,  Nintendo Switch, and PC. Grab a copy for PS4/PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

 

7. Fallout 76

A fictional nuclear war has taken place that almost completely destroyed the entire Earth. In a so-called “Vault”, a huge bunker, you’ll take on the role of a survivor. The Vault 76 will be the first to open and will cause you to restore destroyed America. You’ll start in West Virginia, located in the Appalachia region. Expect a very detailed, impressively implemented game world that invites you to explore and investigate. The very quirky humor and extensive character settings and modifications make it a very unique survival experience for the PlayStation.

In this screenshot, we see three soldiers from the front in the half-total in a staggered triangular formation. They stand in the foreground and look at us ready to fight, while at the same time, they take up almost the entire frame. They are in the middle of a devastated reddish landscape, atmospherically illuminated by the evening sun. The sun is shown at the top center of the frame in the background behind a partially destroyed metal bridge and is reflected in the very powerful-looking metallic combat suits of the soldiers. The man in the center wears a gray metal suit and holds a futuristic Rifle in his hand. The two soldiers behind him are wearing reddish metal suits, the one on the left is holding an Iron Hammer, and the one on the right is holding an Assault Rifle. All the soldiers are wearing gas masks with oxygen tubes.
Three soldiers in Fallout 76 (Source: Bethesda)

 

Fallout 76 is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and PC and can be purchased for PS4 and PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

 

6. Vigor

Europe is completely devastated by nuclear war. What remains in this post-apocalyptic world is a small area in Norway. As an outlander, you’ll fight in this section to gather the necessary resources for your shelter. Roam the area alone or team up with friends to search through areas together for valuable items and weapons. This relentless and, at the same time, very exciting fight for survival makes this fresh title from Bohemia Interactive one of the best survival games for PS4 and PS5.

Exciting combat and the sheer fight for survival make Vigor one of the best survival games for PS4 and PS5, as illustrated in this screenshot: The player can be seen in the left foreground in the semi-close-up. He is wearing a yellow-brown colored camouflage combat suit and a gasmask over which he has pulled his hood. In his right hand, he holds a Kalashnikov upwards and has a homemade dynamite bomb in his hand. He leans hidden against a brown car and has spotted an enemy player, whom we see in the background on the right of the picture, blurred in the long shot, as he kneels in front of something. This player is wearing a yellow jacket and beige pants. The players are in a destroyed urban environment in the middle of the day and there is a lot of fog in the air.
Screenshot from Vigor (Source: Bohemia Interactive)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. You can get a free copy for PS4 and PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

 

5. The Forest

In this survival horror simulator, the goal is to survive as long as possible in a creepy forest after a plane crash. The island you are on is populated by native cannibals, from which you must beware and build a safe shelter as soon as possible. You’ll explore caves together with friends or on your own, cut down trees, build a settlement and equip yourself with all the necessary resources to gear up against the tribe. There is also the option to enjoy the title at your leisure without monsters. In February 2023, the sequel “Sons Of The Forest” is scheduled to be released for PC and very likely later on PS4 / PS5.

In The Forest, you fight against native cannibals for bare survival, as you can see in this screenshot: The player can be seen in first-person perspective. In his left hand he holds a blue lighter, in his right hand, he holds a burning object. He is standing in the middle of a green forest flooded with daylight. In the background, we see two bizarre-looking cannibals that have discovered the player and are running toward him.
The Forest (Source: Endnight Games)

 

The Forest is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, and PC and can be purchased for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.

 

4. DayZ

Old but gold. As one of the first survival games on PS4, DayZ has made a name for itself and corresponds to a classic zombie-defending game with a high degree of realism, which is also reflected in the pretty graphics. A virus has turned humanity into zombies. You must defend yourself, either alone or together with other survivors, against the numerous infected and fight for bare survival. How you stay alive is up to you: Search empty buildings for resources, fight your way through the wilderness, or rob other players. A huge open world is waiting for you to explore and conquer, including crafting and vehicles. DayZ is really hard but also extremely satisfying and exciting!

In this image, which is a screenshot from the game DayZ, a player armed with a Kalashnikov is walking straight down an abandoned street in daylight, where there are many destroyed cars. The player is shown in a slight bottom view from behind in the wide shot and on the right side of the image. The road runs from the foreground of the picture into the background. The dense forest is shown next to the road on both sides. The wrecked cars are seen staggered on the left side of the road, pointing in the direction of the viewer.
DayZ (Source: Bohemia Interactive)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and PC and can be purchased for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.

 

3. 7 Days To Die

This survival game can be considered a much fancier Minecraft, but with gravity, so the blocks don’t float in the air. In addition, the title features a few RPG elements, such as abilities and experience points. In the game, you’ll traverse different biomes alone or with friends, which are designed very diversely, and you’ll encounter a wide variety of buildings and even small cities. But beware, there might be zombies hiding everywhere! Together with friends, you can build all sorts of things or equip existing buildings with numerous defense mechanisms to defend yourselves against the many roaming zombies, which become very active, especially at night.

Here we see a screenshot from the game 7 Days To Die, where two zombies are running towards the player, who is armed with a revolver in a desert area by daylight. The player is seen in first-person perspective and aims his gun at the opponent's head, which is directly in front of him. The environment resembles that of the Wild West. A road runs from left to right and several wooden buildings and a destroyed carriage can be seen. In the background, an orange mountain range stretches out, and above it the sky with clouds. This game is considered one of the best survival games for PS4 and PS5.
7 Days To Die (Source: The Fun Pimps)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, PC, Linux and macOS and can be purchased for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.

 

2. ARK: Survival Evolved

This title is certainly one of the crazier sandbox games. Here you are transported to a solitary island without any tools or clothing. But lonely? Not really! Because on this piece of land, numerous dinosaurs might give you trouble. Play alone or with friends, learn many new technologies/skills and create futuristic equipment. Tame dinos to be able to ride or fly on them! The goal of the game is to complete many different boss battles in order to defeat the final enemy on the volcano. Breathtaking combat moments await you, an extensive skill system, and overall pure fun. A must for all Jurassic Park fans!

You can see the cover of the game ARK: Survival Evolved, which is currently very popular among survival games for PS4 and PS5. In the picture, we can see four different characters riding different tamed dinosaurs and fighting each other, in a slight under-view and in daylight. One of the four players is riding a giant T-Rex. Above the players, several pterosaurs are flying on the right side of the image. In the background, you can see the blue sky with clouds and a smoking volcano. In the foreground tufts of grass rise up and trees on the left and right are shown.
ARK: Survival Evolved (Source: Studio Wildcard)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PC, Linux, macOS, and Google Stadia and can be purchased for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.

 

1. Rust

This multiplayer survival hit is available for PS4 since 2020 and is also playable on the PS5. Fight your thirst, kill animals to satisfy your hunger, and build a shelter to survive against the cold. Join forces with other players and build a settlement together. But be careful; this game can also be very brutal! Players can also turn against you, steal your supplies or even kill you to get food or gear. A particularly challenging but also extremely rewarding survival game for PS4 and PS5.

In this screenshot from The Last Stand: Aftermath the player is shown here in a long shot in the center of the image from an isometric perspective. He is in an urban environment during the day and is standing next to a red car in a courtyard, which is very atmospherically illuminated by the morning sun. The sun's rays come from the upper right and shine impressively through the branches of a tall tree, which we see in the upper right of the image. The player is currently aiming his rifle and carries a large brown backpack. Around him is a lot of green grass along with disturbed different cars and dirty white wooden fences.
Rust (Source: Facepunch Studios)

 

The game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PC, Linux, and macOS
and can be purchased for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.

 

There are not only good survival games on PS4

We hope that our list is helpful in your search for the next adventure! Good luck with survival! In case other genres appeal to you more, feel free to check out our lists for the best city-building games,  the best free RPG games, the best free FPS games, and games like It Takes Two.

 

Is an important title missing in this ranking? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.


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