Spotlight Saturday: Survival Games

Going into October, I wanted to use my Spotlight Saturdays to pick topics that fit the theme that October brings: spooky. On top of that, I’ll also be playing some spooky games this month so stay tuned for those pieces as well. The first topic that came to mind was survival games. Survival horror games also came to mind, but I’ll address those next Saturday as they are somewhat different. This week, I wanted to look at survival games and what makes them so unique.

What Is A Survival Game?

Survival games all differ from each other but remain the same in the fact that you need to stay alive. Whether you are building the base of your dreams while managing hunger in Minecraft, or braving the wilderness in Don’t Starve, survival games challenge the you to keep your character alive. At their core, that is what every survival game can be boiled down to. This is an aspect that continues to keep the player engaged in the game, and gives the player a sense of accomplishment from staying alive.

Of course, each game is different. Whether you want to survive hordes of zombies every night in 7 Days to Die, or brave the ocean in Subnautica is up to you. Whatever you decide, I can guarantee that you’ll feel better about yourself with each day you survive. It is that simple recipe that has always kept me coming back for more when it comes to survival games. Even in death there are lessons to be learned to ensure that you survive longer next time.

Like most roguelikes and roguelites, survival games usually incorporate some sort of permadeath. Whether it is true permadeath or just the lose of something important depends on the game, but you can guarantee that a death will have consequences. Because of this, as the player, you are inclined to stay alive. I think the most important thing that separates a survival game from any other game that has death in it, is the weight that your death will carry. Are you quickly respawned and back in the action, or have you just lost something extremely precious to you? It is a survival game if your death has significant weight to it.

My First Experience With Survival Games

The first survival game that came to mind was Don’t Starve. I talked about Don’t Starve last week in my indie games post as well, but it certainly counts for this week, too. Along with being the first indie title I played, Don’t Starve was actually the first survival game I played as well.

Don’t Starve pits you against the environment, and sometimes even yourself, as you struggle to survive a certain amount of days. The thing about Don’t Starve that always stood out to me was its ability to encourage you to try again. It truly challenges the player to learn from their death and start fresh again to see how long they can survive. I cannot express how many deaths I have experienced in this game, but each one taught me how not to die.

If I died from starvation, I would make food more of a priority. If lack of sanity took my life, I’d figure out ways to keep it from dropping too low. Naturally when the seasons changed would be the most challenging because you would be faced with new obstacles very quickly. The heat in the summer and the cold in the winter took my life more times than I care to admit. However, it only encouraged me to beat my own record and survive more days. I’ll never forget the time I finally made it passed day 100.

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone

Some of my favorite memories with survival games are those shared with friends. My roommate and I have enjoyed countless hours of both Minecraft and 7 Days to Die and will probably end up picking up 7 Days to Die again this October. I enjoy both titles alone as well, but have always favored these titles in co-op.

I adore working together to accomplish a goal. It builds friendship but it also presents its own set of challenges, too. More people playing means more mouths to feed. Finding a balance to work in harmony is always a difficult, but satisfying endeavor. I tend to enjoy managing the food and crops if those options exist in the game I am playing. I’m not sure why I’ve always been drawn to that. It is probably because I enjoy feeling helpful.

Regardless of the game though, the aspect that draws me in remains the same. I am always left feeling like I am working toward something. Building a base and protecting that base just feels so satisfying. Your blood, sweat and tears are in that project and you’ll want to make sure it stays intact. Everyone is different of course, but for me that’s always been the biggest reason I enjoy survival games so much.

Keep Coming Back For More

Even though survival is the goal, often times death is the outcome. However, it never discourages me. Instead I am only that much more inclined to prevail. I believe that is what makes survival games so addicting and successful. Players want to feel accomplished and what better way to do that than to ask them to survive. Of course, it is important to give them the tools necessary to do so. Usually it is just a matter of trial and error though which is the simple beauty in survival games.

This is one of my favorite genres and I am excited to continue exploring it. There are so many games that are either survival games or incorporate certain aspects of the genre that I am still looking forward to exploring. It is definitely a genre that challenges me in ways that other genres don’t.