The Best Survival Games for Xbox Series X

Update : Grounded 2 added at rank #30.
1

Palworld (2024)

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89
Review score
Logo of Palworld Screenshot of Palworld Screenshot of Palworld Screenshot of Palworld

Playstation 5 Mac OS Xbox Series X Xbox One PC Windows

Embark on a thrilling adventure in Palworld, a game that fuses the fun of creature-collecting with hardcore survival challenges! Build, battle, and bond with your Pals in a vast, dynamic world. Whether you're crafting the perfect base or exploring uncharted territories with friends, every decision carves your path to survival. Are you ready to conquer this wild, whimsical world?


What we like:
  • Unique blend of creature-collecting and survival
  • Engaging base-building with the help of Pals
  • Wide variety of Pals for strategic gameplay
  • Multiplayer mode to share the adventure
  • Expansive world full of exploration and challenges
What could be improved:
  • Combat mechanics and base management need refinement
  • Some themes and humor may not appeal to all

  • survival
  • crafting
  • open-world
  • farming
  • collector
  • creature
  • pokemon

2

Subnautica: Below Zero (2021)

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90
Review score
Logo of Subnautica: Below Zero Screenshot of Subnautica: Below Zero Screenshot of Subnautica: Below Zero Screenshot of Subnautica: Below Zero

Nintendo Switch PC Windows Playstation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X Mac OS Playstation 4

Plunge into the icy depths of Subnautica: Below Zero! Unravel the mystery of your sister's disappearance while braving the alien arctic. Craft, explore, and survive in a world teeming with otherworldly wonders. Each discovery propels you through a story rich with adventure and intrigue. Are you ready to uncover the secrets beneath the ice?


What we like:
  • Stunning alien underwater environments
  • Engaging narrative with a personal quest
  • Diverse biomes filled with unique creatures
  • Streamlined survival mechanics
  • Inviting to both series veterans and newcomers
What could be improved:
  • Some resources can be challenging to locate
  • Exploration may be hindered by confusing terrain

  • underwater
  • survival
  • crafting
  • exploration
  • open-world

3

Grounded (2022)

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86
Review score
Logo of Grounded Screenshot of Grounded Screenshot of Grounded Screenshot of Grounded

Nintendo Switch Android Playstation 4 Playstation 5 Xbox Series X Xbox One PC Windows

Grounded is an exciting survival game that sees you playing as one of four teenagers who find themselves miniaturized and exploring the backyard of Dr.Tully, the inventor of the SPAC.R shrinking device. You'll need to hunt for resources, craft tools and armor and build shelters in order to survive the hostile creatures that inhabit this new world. With a great variety of biomes to explore, landmarks to discover and surprises around every corner, Grounded provides an epic adventure in a surprisingly small space!


What we like:
  • Unique setting
  • Varied biomes to explore
  • Visually impressive sights
  • Great character development and story telling
  • Challenging yet accessible difficulty levels and accessibility options
What could be improved:
  • Occasional glitches and bugs
  • Lacklustre quest design at times
  • Quests requiring backtracking

  • survival
  • crafting
  • sandbox
  • cooperative

4

Valheim (2022)

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87
Review score
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early access Xbox Series X PC Windows Xbox One Mac OS Linux

Valheim is an epic, Viking-tinged survival-creation game with blocky graphics and a modern twist. You are dropped in a wild forest with runes to guide you on your mission to conjure and defeat supernatural beasts. Players must craft weapons and armor, puzzle out how to summon the beasts, and build structures for shelter along the way.


What we like:
  • Simple default building system
  • Instant rebuilding/repairing
  • Randomly generated 3D universe
  • Easy-to-read color highlights for structural integrity
  • Level up abilities by repeating actions
  • Robust physics engine underlies all actions
What could be improved:
  • Wonky battling system
  • Limited traversal over rivers and oceans at this point

  • survival
  • crafting
  • open-world
  • cooperative

5

Abiotic Factor (2025)

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92
Review score
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PC Windows Xbox Series X j Playstation 5 Xbox Series X/s

Abiotic Factor is a survival crafting experience for 1-6 players set in the depths of an underground research facility. Caught between paranormal containment failure, a military crusade, and chaos from a dozen realms, the world’s greatest minds must survive against the universe’s biggest threats.


  • survival
  • crafting
  • cooperative
  • sci-fi

6

Stranded: Alien Dawn (2022)

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86
Review score
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PC Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X Playstation 5 Playstation 4

Stranded: Alien Dawn drops you into an unknown alien world, where you'll lead survivors, build a high-tech outpost, and make tough decisions to survive. With engaging gameplay, a variety of planets, and a peaceful non-combat option, you'll experience a unique, unpredictable journey. But beware, time may slow and crafting can get repetitive in this thrilling survival sim.


What we like:
  • Engaging gameplay
  • Variety of planets and moons
  • Non-combat peaceful option
  • Customizable difficulty settings
  • Beautiful graphics
What could be improved:
  • Time can feel slow
  • Crafting becomes repetitive
  • Lack of depth in some systems
  • Requires internet connection to play

  • survival
  • simulation
  • base-building
  • management
  • crafting
  • colony
  • hunting
  • destruction
  • cooking

7

The Riftbreaker (2021)

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86
Review score
Logo of The Riftbreaker Screenshot of The Riftbreaker Screenshot of The Riftbreaker Screenshot of The Riftbreaker

Xbox Series X PC Windows Xbox One Playstation 4 Playstation 5

The Riftbreaker is a base building, survival game with action RPG elements that borrows from a lot of other games. Play as Ashley S. Nowak and enter the hostile planet Galatea 37 in your powerful Mecha-suit to build a base and defend yourself against thousands of creatures trying to eliminate you. The Riftbreaker offers high-quality graphics, great sound and music, flexible custom difficulty settings, varied biomes, and hours of gameplay that provides endless replayability.


What we like:
  • Good storyline and rewarding gaming experience
  • Customizable gameplay options
  • Hours of gameplay with almost endless replayability
  • Exciting and balanced base building, resource gathering, and combat
  • High-quality graphics, great sound and music
What could be improved:
  • Fairly demanding on PC
  • Lacks gameplay depth in research and weaponry
  • Cumbersome weapon and armor upgrades

  • survival
  • base-building
  • strategy
  • real-time
  • tower-defense
  • mech
  • resource-management
  • resource
  • rpg
  • cooperative
  • aliens
  • action
  • economy
  • building
  • shooter

8

Raft (2022)

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88
Review score
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PC Windows Playstation 5 Xbox Series X IOS iPhone Xbox One

Raft™ throws you and your friends into an epic oceanic adventure! Alone or together, players battle to survive a perilous voyage across a vast sea! Gather debris, scavenge reefs and build your own floating home, but be wary of the man-eating sharks!

Buy

  • survival
  • crafting
  • open-world
  • cooperative
  • survival-sandbox

9

Atomfall (2025)

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75
Review score
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Xbox Series X IOS iPhone Playstation 5 Playstation 4 PC Windows Xbox One

A nuclear disaster has left an area of Britain in tatters. Atomfall, a new survival-action game, will see you explore, scavenge, craft, barter and fight your way through beautifully recreated scenery in search of answers.


  • survival
  • stealth
  • open-world
  • survival-action
  • exploration
  • crafting
  • rpg
  • combat
  • first-person
  • mystery
  • action-survival
  • open-ended
  • shooter
  • robots
  • inventory

10

ARK: Survival Evolved (2017)

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91
Review score
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Android Playstation 4 PC Windows Xbox One Xbox Series X Nintendo Switch Mac OS Linux IOS iPhone stadia

ARK: Survival Evolved is an action-adventure game that throws you into a mysterious world filled with dinosaurs, where you must learn to survive and craft your own weapons, clothing, and tools in order to thrive. You must explore the land, build bases and enlist the help of creatures in order to defend against predators. With beautiful water animations, lush forests and varied creatures ARK will keep you engaged and entertained for hours.


What we like:
  • Varied creatures to explore & tame
  • Combat is incredibly satisfying
  • Crafted weapons can be used to threaten or destroy enemies
  • Trading items with other players
  • Stunning visuals & water animations
What could be improved:
  • Awful character customisation
  • Long taming process can test patience

  • survival
  • dinosaurs
  • crafting
  • open-world

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