11 Best PS5 Survival Games for Hardcore Fans in 2025

When it comes to the best PS5 survival games, players are interested not just in fighting hordes of enemies. They want to gather resources, craft weapons from whatever’s at hand, fight off various dangers, and survive at all costs. And modern console games are ready to offer all that. 

Plus, the action can take place in various settings, on hostile planets, in a world after a zombie apocalypse, or on a “deserted” island. Ready to face the challenges? Check out our selection of top survival titles for PS5. They will definitely pull you in for a long time.

Our Top Picks for PS5 Survival Games

Still can’t decide between PS5 or Xbox Series X? If you’re a fan of survival games, maybe today’s lineup will help you make the final choice. Below are the 3 best survival games on PS5 with depth, detail, and realism. Survive, adapt to changing conditions, and fight for your life:

1. The Forest (2018) – the standard for atmosphere and tension. After a plane crash, you find yourself on an island that seems deserted only at first glance. Build shelter, craft weapons, gather resources, and prepare to survive in a hostile world.
2. 7 Days to Die (2016) – a game with a procedurally generated world set during a zombie apocalypse. It features a powerful crafting system and survival under constant threat and the horror of the Blood Moon. Suitable for both solo and cooperative play.
3. ARK: Survival Ascended (2023) – a vast open world for survival, with dinosaurs and modern technology. One of the most ambitious games for PS5 consoles.

These three stand at the top for survival fans, but they’re just the start. Keep scrolling for eight more best PS5 survival games that push the genre further – from icy isolation to all-out horror.

11 Best PS5 Survival Games With Immersive Challenges

If you are just getting acquainted with the survival genre, you will definitely enjoy our selection of the best games for PS5. These projects will be appreciated by both new gamers and experienced players. The collection includes quite a variety of games, from surviving on an island to conquering the endless cosmos. 

1. The Forest [Best Horror Survival Game with Base Building]

One of the best first-person shooter games with elements of crafting, building, and survival. The main character crashes into a plane along with his son. The last thing he sees before passing out is his son being carried away by a native on his shoulders.

This is where it gets really interesting. You, a huge island, angry natives, and many secrets. And at the very start, your only weapon is an axe. Still can’t decide between PS5 or Xbox Series X? If you’re a fan of survival games, maybe today’s The Forest will help you make the final choice.

Your task is to set up a shelter that will help you survive the next night. Over time, you’ll learn to craft weapons, gather water, and hunt animals. But the main focus is exploring the island and searching for your son.

The game will appeal to those looking for the best survival games with horror elements. There’s also an easy mode that disables enemies, letting you explore the island at a relaxed pace.

My Verdict: The Forest masterfully blends survival, horror, and exploration into a gripping experience that keeps you on edge while rewarding your creativity and resilience.

2. 7 Days to Die [Best Zombie Survival Game with Co-op and Defense Mechanics]

An unusual survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. This is a procedurally generated game, which means every new round is different from the previous one. Your main goal is to survive as long as possible.

Although the game was released back in 2016, it still remains relevant today. Mainly thanks to new events, the title can be included in the list of the best co-op games.

The game features a crafting system, destruction, and modification of surrounding objects. There are a large number of infected around you, all trying to kill you. But it’s not just zombies that can take you down; various external factors like temperature, diseases, radiation, and viruses can also kill you.

And as the title suggests, the toughest challenge awaits you on the 7th day of survival,  during the Blood Moon night. I recommend it to all fans of the best PS5 games about zombies.

My Verdict: 7 Days to Die delivers an intense blend of zombie survival, crafting, and base defense that keeps every in-game week thrilling, challenging, and endlessly replayable.

3. ARK: Survival Ascended [Best Dinosaur Survival Game with Sci-Fi Progression]

One of the best PC games, also available on the PS5 console. The setting is quite unusual: survival in a world with dinosaurs and modern technology. The game is a remaster of a classic title released in 2017. The main goal is to survive on one of the maps filled with dinosaurs.

You can play from a first or third-person perspective, with both single-player and multiplayer modes. In the latter, you have to watch out not only for dinosaurs but also for hostile other players. This is a top title among the best fighting games with a huge playable area.

The game world, called Ark, is about 48 square kilometers in size. There are also a large number of living creatures, more than 194, including not only dinosaurs but also wyverns, griffins, golems, and phoenixes.

If you enjoy the best MMORPG games, we recommend trying ARK: Survival Ascended. It features several similar mechanics—leveling up, crafting, and taming.

I would recommend this game to those looking for unusual mechanics in a survival format. It features the ability to tame creatures, which can help you survive in this hostile world.

My Verdict: ARK: Survival Ascended delivers an extraordinary mix of survival, sci-fi, and prehistoric adventure, letting you build, battle, and thrive in a breathtaking world ruled by dinosaurs.

4. RUST [Best PvP Survival Game Focused on Raiding and Player Interaction]

Rust went through a pretty tough journey before making it into the ranking of the best multiplayer games. In 2013, it wasn’t taken seriously and was seen as just another DayZ clone. 

But the developers did everything they could to turn their project into a full-fledged survival simulator. The plot is standard for games like this, as you find yourself on a scenic island without clothes, armed only with a rock and a torch.

The goal is to avoid dying by predators or other players. To do that, you need to gather clothes, food, and weapons. Another key factor for successful survival is developing your own shelter. That could be a modest cabin or a huge skyscraper.

How you survive is up to you. You can be a peaceful hunter or join a gang of thugs who keep other players on the map terrified. Don’t forget to choose the best monitor for PS5 that will provide you with the best immersion into what’s happening on the screen.

My Verdict: RUST offers a relentless and thrilling PvP survival experience where strategy, raiding, and player interaction define every moment of your struggle to survive.

5. Subnautica [Best Underwater Single-Player Survival Exploration Experience]

Subnautica is a first-person adventure survival game set in a vast open world. Before you lies a pristine, unexplored world where you never know how far you’ll be able to go. In the game, you can craft equipment and upgrade your bathyscaphe. This will allow you to discover new territories.

Subnautica takes place in the fictional world of 4546B. It’s the perfect world for sci-fi fans. It’s a huge ocean with islands and its own beaches. Life here is nothing like on Earth. There are a few classic survival elements, but the game will definitely appeal to those who enjoy a laid-back gameplay experience.

And don’t forget to pick one of the best PS5 headsets; with them, the immersion into the world of the cosmic ocean will be even more unforgettable.

My Verdict: Subnautica delivers a mesmerizing underwater survival adventure, blending exploration, crafting, and alien biomes into a captivating single-player experience.

6. Minecraft [Best Creative Sandbox Survival Game for All Ages]

One of the most well-known sandbox games, where the focus is on freedom of action. For exploration and survival, there is an almost limitless open world available. It uses procedural generation, and each new map is unlike the previous one.

The key feature of the game is that every element consists of three-dimensional blocks. They can be recycled and used to craft items, weapons, and tools. Blocks are also used to build structures and various mechanisms.

You decide for yourself what to do in this game: craft objects, gather resources, fight monsters, or compete with other players. Originally, the game was considered an indie project, but now it has become a legendary franchise with several spin-offs: Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Earth, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends.

My Verdict: Minecraft offers an endlessly creative and immersive sandbox survival experience, letting players of all ages explore, build, and shape their own worlds.

7. No Man’s Sky [Best Space Survival Game with Infinite Planetary Exploration]

No Man’s Sky is a first-person adventure survival setting in a futuristic world. It’s a vast universe that you’ll explore in your own spaceship. You’ll have the chance to interact with various forms of alien life.

There’s plenty to do here: resource gathering, space battles, and completing NPC missions.

The game’s events take place in an alternate version of our universe. It consists of 256 galaxies, each with over 20 billion star systems and 80 billion planets. Thanks to procedural generation, the game has one of the largest PS5 video game maps ever made. And even with the combined efforts of all players, fully exploring the universe simply isn’t possible.

You won’t be limited to consoles either. It’s a cross-platform project, so if you have a good gaming laptop, make sure to play No Man’s Sky the first chance you get.

My Verdict: No Man’s Sky offers an endless and awe-inspiring space survival adventure, letting players explore, craft, and thrive across a virtually infinite universe.

8. The Long Dark [Best Realistic Cold-Weather Survival Game]

Post-apocalyptic first-person adventure action game. Some players might call the graphics simple, but on the best TV for PS5, even in this stylized look, everything looks great. Besides, the graphics don’t play a major role here; all the focus during gameplay is on the story.

The game tells the story of pilot Will McKenzie, who got caught in a geomagnetic storm while flying his plane and crashed on Bear Island. He was separated from his companion, Dr. Astrid. 

Now McKenzie has to survive, find shelter, and rescue Astrid. Throughout the story, he will meet the characters and complete various tasks, uncovering the mystery of the strange storm.

Survival here is based on gathering resources as well as enduring the cold. Electricity only works during the northern lights. Wolves and other wild animals also pose a threat.

My Verdict: The Long Dark delivers a tense and immersive cold-weather survival experience, where resourcefulness and careful planning are key to enduring the harsh wilderness.

9. Days Gone [Best Story-Driven Open-World Survival with Zombie Hordes]

A single-player action game in the survival horror genre set in a massive PS5 game open world. It has everything fans of the genre love: stealth, action, hordes of zombies, and resource gathering. A special touch is added by the motorcycle, which you use to explore the post-apocalyptic world.

The game takes place in the USA, but a mysterious virus has infected the entire planet. From the survivors’ memories, it becomes clear that everything collapsed in a single day. Cities turned into graveyards, and planes fell right out of the sky. And the main goal for people became clear: to survive at any cost.

Almost the entire world population was infected by a virus that turns ordinary people into zombies (Freaks). But the danger comes not only from the Freaks but also from other survivors, many of whom have become ruthless marauders.

My Verdict: Days Gone combines gripping storytelling, intense zombie survival, and open-world exploration, offering a thrilling post-apocalyptic experience.

10. Raft [Best Co-op Ocean Survival Game with Crafting Focus]

Another sandbox in survival mode, one of the best indie games. Here, you need to survive on a raft in the middle of the ocean. At the start, you have only a few boards beneath you, a hook, and a rope. And all around – sharks that see you as easy prey.

Besides sharks, the ocean holds many resources. With the hook, you’ll pull them onto the raft and then use them for crafting. Everything that seems like ordinary trash will help you build a real floating fortress.

The world is randomly generated, and while sailing, you can also land on islands. There, you’ll find plenty of useful resources. Don’t forget the classic survival elements – gathering food and water.

Plus – there’s a cooperative mode. You can set out to conquer the ocean and hunt sharks together with a friend.

My Verdict: Raft offers a fun and challenging co-op survival experience, combining ocean exploration, crafting, and teamwork to stay afloat against the elements and predators.

11. Abiotic Factor [Best Co-op Science Survival Crafter]

Abiotic Factor drops you into a huge research facility gone wrong – part Half-Life, part survival sandbox. You’re not even a soldier, but a scientist armed with scrap metal, duct tape, and too much curiosity. The goal is simple: build, survive, and uncover what tore the G.A.T.E. Cascade apart.

The hook is its setting. Instead of chopping trees in a forest, you’re salvaging office chairs, wiring power, and turning old lab gear into weapons and barricades. The crafting feels inventive and grounded in the game’s world, while the co-op flow makes every session a mini research expedition. One player builds, another defends, someone cooks – chaos, but smart chaos.

The 1.0 version adds structure and polish: full story sectors, better raids, and smoother progression. It’s funny too, in a dry scientist way, giving room for slapstick without breaking immersion. Every raid tests how well you’ve planned, and every base feels uniquely yours.

I loved how every discovery pushed me to experiment more. It’s that “aha” loop we all love, only wrapped in fluorescent lights and corporate panic. Abiotic Factor is far from just another craft-and-grind. It’s a sharp, creative spin on the genre that rewards brains as much as brute force.

My Verdict: Abiotic Factor delivers a clever and engaging co-op survival experience, blending inventive crafting, tense defenses, and scientific curiosity into a uniquely immersive world.

My Overall Verdict on the Best PS5 Survival Games

Every survival fan looks for something different, so here’s where I’d start:

• For Story Hunters > The Forest. Tight atmosphere, creepy pacing, and a story that unfolds through exploration instead of cutscenes.
• For Builder Strategists > 7 Days to Die. Deep crafting, endless base upgrades, and a rhythm that keeps you busy between Blood Moons.
• For Open-World Explorers > ARK: Survival Ascended. Massive maps, dinosaurs, and the constant pressure of balancing tech with survival.
• For PvP Thrill-Seekers > RUST. Brutal raids, no safety net, and that rush of surviving when everyone’s out to take your loot.
• For Solo Adventurers > Subnautica. Isolation, discovery, and a world that rewards patience and curiosity over brute force.

Each one hits a different nerve – fear, creativity, chaos, or wonder – but all deliver that raw fight-to-endure feeling that defines the genre.

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