Best Survival Games Where You Truly Start With Nothing, Ranked

Survival games are already quite a challenge, as players are usually placed into stressful situations where 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.

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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.

8

Ark: Survival Evolved

Entering A World Of Dinosaurs With Only Fists

Before players encounter the prehistoric wildlife of Ark: 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 quickly get to work collecting resources to 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, but Ark: Survival Evolved is better enjoyed on public servers, which means the second a player appears, they are already in danger if they don’t move quickly.

7

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

An Unknowing Ape In The Jungle

Released

August 27, 2020

Developer(s)

Panache Digital Games

While Ark may have players starting with nothing while under the threat of other players already being situated, players are thankfully surviving solo in Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. The player’s limits are tested in Ancestors as 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 in Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, the player can evolve their ape to mimic how humanity evolved in the past.

6

Rust

Spawning On The Beach With Nothing Around

Released

February 8, 2018

Rust is another multiplayer survival title where players will be forced to quickly adapt if they hope to survive against other players. When spawning in Rust, the player will likely start on a beach with nothing on them.

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These low-stakes survival games offer engaging gameplay paired with fairly relaxing objectives, making for low-stress playthroughs.

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, Rust is still bustling with life. With everyone in the game — along with the wildlife — wishing to see the player die, only the strongest will survive.

5

Sons Of The Forest

Surviving Against Mutants And Cannibals

Survival

Open-World

Survival Horror

Systems

Released

February 22, 2024

Developer(s)

Endnight Games

Publisher(s)

Newnight

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Another great survival game where players start with nothing is Sons of the Forest. As the second game to be released since The 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 through forgetting to eat or drink, as well as needing shelter from the weather. Unlike the original title, Sons of the Forest also includes seasons that change things around the forest — from salmon being prominent in spring and summer to winter feeling extra deadly.

4

Project Zomboid

A Hardcore Zombie Survival

Systems

Released

November 8, 2013

Developer(s)

The Indie Stone

Publisher(s)

The Indie Stone

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, like Project Zomboid, challenging the player to survive in a zombie apocalypse.

In Project 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.

3

Subnautica

Survive Underwater On An Alien Planet

Survival

Horror

Open-World

Science Fiction

Released

January 23, 2018

Publisher(s)

Gearbox Publishing

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Most survival games have the players on solid ground as they build wooden bases for themselves to live within while hiding from the elements. However, some games like Subnautica mix up the survival genre by testing the survivability of players when they must live underwater.

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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 in Subnautica.

2

Minecraft

The Player Chooses The Difficulty In This Survival Sandbox

Released

November 18, 2011

Platform(s)

3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Minecraft may 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 of Minecraft, 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 in Minecraft should opt to skip these features.

1

Don’t Starve

Enter A Strange World With One Goal

Out of all the survival games available, the best for starting with nothing is Don’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 in Don’t Starve will leave players already racing against the clock to have some sort of camp set up before the night arrives. Standing in the dark with no light source will see the player die, though this is only one of many dangers in Don’t Starve the player must prepare for.

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Best Free Survival Games On Steam

Fans of survival games can check out these titles for free on Steam.