So, you’re looking for asurvivalgame to play, but this time, instead of sweating to death or accidentally drinking parasite-infested water in a tropical climate, like the jungle environment inGreen Hell, you’d rather take your chances of possibly turning into a human popsicle in a frigid, snowy climate.
This is a respectable endeavor, but be warned, the games you’ll explore below may offer more than just temperature or hunger mechanics; there are many threats lurking in the shadows of the survival game genre, some far more terrifying than failing to maintain homeostasis. Still up for the challenge? Go ahead, make like a snowball and get things rolling.
8Metro Exodus
Platforms
Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date
2019
The year is 2036. Playing as the protagonist, Artyom, you’re tasked with leading a band of Spartan Rangers due East in a post-nuclear, apocalyptic Russia, where mutated beasts, hostile survivors, paranormal events, and irradiated pockets of the environment can be found in abundance.
WhileMetro Exoduswon’t have you exploring winter environments 100 percent of the time, cold climates make up a significant portion of the gameplay. Although, you probably won’t be griping about a lack of snow while a mutated monster is tearing you apart.
2017
The Long Darkrevolves around a survival-exploration experience that doesn’t bother with stereotypical tropes within the genre, like fighting off zombies or hiding from fictional monsters. On the contrary, it’s just you, freezing weather, and how well you can deal with the harsh elements of nature itself.
If you’d like a helping hand,we have a wonderful guide full of beginner tips for players new to the game. Otherwise, you can jump into the experience blind, and see how far you can get in this enthralling survival sandbox gem.
2018
Frostpunkcomfortably sits within the survival genre, full of resource management and critical decisions to be made, but instead of kicking it alone in a first or third-person point of view, you’ll assume responsibility as the ruler of the last city on Earth through a City Builder format.
Made by the same folks behindThis War of Mine, you’ll frequently encounter ethical dilemmas, especially when it comes down to the often reoccurring dichotomy that exists between resource distribution, establishing laws, choosing a mode of governance, and empathetic or thoughtful decision-making.
5Subnautica: Below Zero
Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Subnautica: Below Zerotakes all the original, ocean survival goodness fromSubnautica, but instead of being suddenly stranded on a more temperate, alien world in the first game, thist time you’ve traveled to the arctic region of Planet 4546B on your own will to find your sister.
As you survive cold temperatures, research new technologies, build bases, explore various biomes, and encounter the local wildlife, you’ll also be working towards figuring out what happened to your sister, and piece together the history of this strange planet.
2021
Taking inspiration from CRPG titles like the earlyFalloutgames, ATOM RPG Trudograd puts you in the shoes of an agent of ATOM, an organization tasked with protecting and preserving humanity in a world largely obliterated by nuclear weaponry deployed between the USSR and the Western Bloc.
If you’re looking for a vast, open-world with Survival mechanics, over 300 NPCs with rich dialogue trees, over 200 quests to discover and complete, some of which have multiple potential outcomes, and feel like a badass wearing Soviet-style, armored exoskeletons, you should really give this game a try.
2022
Arctico presents a relaxed, immersive experience where you, your dogs, and at times your kayak and parachute help you explore a beautiful, frigid environment, set up research labs and base camps, and attempt to recover your late mentor’s work.
While the core gameplay experience is solid, especially if you plan on playing solo, it’d be unethical to not warn you about this game’s multiplayer bugs if you plan on playing with a friend. Thankfully, the developers are still updating the game regularly, so depending on if and when you play, these bugs could be fixed by then.
Feel The Snow is a cute, pixel-art style game with survival,RPG, sandbox, and exploration elements. Starting out, you’ll have to choose between playing as either Annie or Willie, adorable little snow creatures native to this cold, enchanting environment.
Delve into the story, build a cozy home, meet friends or foes, solve puzzles, and figure out your preferred method of combat by exploring the world and testing out a variety of weapons, skills, and magical abilities. Oh, and if you’d like to, you may invite three other friends to play with you.
2016
Conventional wisdom tells us that sometimes your best move when stranded is to stay put, conserve your energy, and hope that help finds you. The thing is, what if you crash-land in Antarctica, where you’re completely alone, isolated, and stuck in a nighttime blizzard where temperatures have plunged to 100 degrees below zero?
Near Death places you in that exact scenario, forcing you to explore and use any tool at your disposal to survive, lest you succumb to the elements, which can cause you to freeze to death in mere minutes. Thank goodness you can experience this from the warmth of your own home.
Looking for a new and exciting survival game to try?Nightingale is available on Steamin Early Access starting Jun 20, 2025!
Survival Week
Welcome to the home of TheGamer’s Survival Week, a celebration of all things, well, survival. Here you’ll find features, interviews, and more dedicated to this popular genre, brought to you by Inflexion Games' upcoming open-world survival crafter, Nightingale.
