Summary
Survival games are already quite a challenge, as players are usuallyplaced into stressful situationswhere they must collect resources in order to keep themselves stable. Many survival games understand that some players need a helping hand at the start to give them a better chance at survival. These games tend to supply a starting chest or spawn the player in with some food.
However, the games on this list are some of the best survival titles that leave the player to start with nothing, forcing them to quickly get to work collecting food, water, and much more — if they want any chance of even making it past the first day.
Before players encounter the prehistoric wildlife ofArk: Survival Evolved, players will need to get their survival in check. Starting in this survival title, players wake up with literally nothing to their name other than their bare hands.
Although it can be overwhelming for some players, those looking for a challenge will quicklyget to work collecting resourcesto craft basic tools and weaponry in the hopes of surviving their first day in Ark. Spawning may not be as much of a threat when playing alone, butArk: Survival Evolvedis better enjoyed on public servers, which means the second a player appears, they are already in danger if they don’t move quickly.
WhileArkmay have players starting with nothing whileunder the threat of other playersalready being situated, players are thankfully surviving solo inAncestors: The Humankind Odyssey. The player’s limits are tested inAncestorsas players don’t only physically start with nothing, but also have no knowledge of their surroundings.
Exploring the open world of this survival title as an ape that possesses no way of defending itself at first, the player must use trial and error to test what foods are safe to eat and combine various resources to create tools that future generations can use. With enough discoveries inAncestors: The Humankind Odyssey, the player can evolve their ape to mimic how humanity evolved in the past.
Rustis another multiplayer survival title where players will be forced to quickly adapt if they hope to survive against other players. When spawning inRust, the player will likely start on a beach with nothing on them.
While there are a few resources to be found on the sand, it is incredibly limited, and the player will want to make a move to not be spotted by others that may be watching the beach, hoping to pick off weak prey. Even years after its original release,Rustis still bustling with life. With everyone in the game — along with the wildlife — wishing to see the player die, only the strongest will survive.
Another great survival game where players start with nothing isSons of the Forest. As the second game to be released sinceThe Forest, this survival title improves upon the original in every way while still leaving the player with the challenge of surviving on an island filled with both cannibals and mutant creatures.
Players are likely to die even before they encounter either of these foes throughforgetting to eat or drink, as well as needing shelter from the weather. Unlike the original title,Sons of the Forestalso includes seasons that change things around the forest — from salmon being prominent in spring and summer to winter feeling extra deadly.
Survival games come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with the player encountering various threats, from some survival games only focusing on environmental dangers to others, likeProject Zomboid, challenging the player to survive in a zombie apocalypse.
InProject Zomboid, players can choose different starting locations that will determine how hard of a start the player will have. Those looking for a real challenge may wish to start the game in a burning building with little time to collect the surrounding resources before they are pushed out into the urban environment looking for more resources to protect themselves from the zombies.
Most survival games have the players on solid ground as theybuild wooden basesfor themselves to live within while hiding from the elements. However, some games likeSubnauticamix up the survival genre by testing the survivability of players when they must live underwater.
Alongside needing to find food, players also must pay attention to the amount of oxygen they have left, as even in a game that is mostly underwater, the player can’t stay down there forever. Thrown into the water with nothing, the player’s own equipment that is on hand is broken and must be fixed before they can even attempt to branch out inSubnautica.
Minecraftmay not be one of the most challenging experiences in the world, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the best survival games where the player starts with nothing — especially with how successful it has been over the years with plenty of new content added to it.
If a player decides to pursue the survival mode ofMinecraft, then they will spawn with an empty inventory, and they must quickly get to work collecting wood to make their first set of tools. Players can decide to start the game with certain advantages, such as a starting chest, but those hoping to go hardcore inMinecraftshould opt to skip these features.
Out of all the survival games available, the best for starting with nothing isDon’t Starve. This game not only has an incredible art style that sets it apart from other survival games, but it is also arguably one of the hardest as well.
Spawning into this eerie world as one of many characters inDon’t Starvewill leave players already racing against the clock to have some sort of camp set up before the night arrives. Standing in thedark with no light sourcewill see the player die, though this is only one of many dangers inDon’t Starvethe player must prepare for.
