Survival games have become one of the most enduring and beloved genres in modern gaming. Whether you are gathering resources to build a fortress, taming dinosaurs, surviving a zombie apocalypse, or managing a colony through a brutal ice age, survival games share a common thread: they reward persistence, creativity, and community.
This guide covers 25 of the best survival games available, evaluating each for its dedicated server capabilities and providing full system requirements so you know exactly what hardware you need to play and host. From the lightest budget-friendly titles to the most demanding next-generation experiences, there is something here for every type of survival gaming community.
The legendary sandbox survival game, Minecraft, has defined the genre for over a decade. With near-limitless possibilities across survival, creative, and adventure modes, it remains the most-played game in history and one of the most versatile titles you can host on a dedicated server.
Minecraft offers arguably the richest dedicated server ecosystem of any game. Flexible server software options — including Vanilla, Spigot, Paper, Forge, and Fabric — allow server admins to tailor performance, functionality, and mod support to any group size. The game’s enduring popularity ensures a constant influx of new players and a thriving community.
Official server tools with excellent documentation, support for hundreds of thousands of mods and plugins via Modrinth and CurseForge, cross-platform compatibility, and deep admin controls make Minecraft one of the most complete dedicated server experiences available.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3 or equivalent. | Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5. |
| RAM | 2 GB (4–8 GB for modded). | 8 GB+ |
| Storage | 1 GB (grows over time). | 4 GB+ SSD. |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 4000 / NVIDIA GTX 400 Series. | NVIDIA GTX 700 Series / AMD RX 200 Series. |
| OS | Windows 7+, macOS, Linux. | Windows 10+, macOS, Linux. |
All group sizes, modded communities, long-term persistent worlds, and educational servers
Unturned is a free-to-play zombie survival game with a distinctive blocky art style that belies surprisingly deep survival, crafting, and multiplayer mechanics. Developed by Nelson Sexton, it punches far above its weight for a free title.
Being completely free makes Unturned one of the most accessible games to build a server community around. Its lightweight nature means low hosting costs, and its active modding scene via Steam Workshop ensures constant fresh content. It is an ideal entry point for administrators new to dedicated server management.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 2.0 GHz | Quad-core 3.0 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 4 GB | 8 GB SSD |
| GPU | 512 MB VRAM, DirectX 11 | 1 GB VRAM, DirectX 11 |
| OS | Windows 7+ | Windows 10+ |
Budget hosting, beginner server admins, casual zombie survival communities
DayZ is the original hardcore open-world zombie survival experience, set in the fictional post-Soviet country of Chernarus. The game pioneered the survival genre’s multiplayer possibilities and continues to maintain a dedicated player base thanks to its unforgiving, tension-filled gameplay.
DayZ’s official dedicated server tools, combined with a thriving modding ecosystem built around DayZ Expansion and other community tools, make it a powerhouse for custom server experiences. Whether running a pure vanilla survival server or a heavily modded role-play environment, DayZ offers extraordinary flexibility for administrators.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD FX-6300 | Intel Core i7-4770 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB | 25 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 760 / AMD R9 270X (2 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit / Linux | Windows 10 64-bit |
Hardcore survival communities, role-play servers, large player populations, and PvP enthusiasts.
Terraria is a beloved 2D side-scrolling sandbox survival and adventure game with immense depth across crafting, exploration, and boss encounters. Despite its simple appearance, it offers hundreds of hours of content and an incredibly active community after over a decade of development.
Terraria’s minimal server resource requirements make it one of the most affordable games to host. The TShock mod provides powerful server management tools, and the game’s support for cross-platform play expands the potential player pool significantly. It is perfect for groups looking for a deep adventure without heavy hardware demands.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 2.0 GHz | Dual-core 3.0 GHz |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 200 MB | 1 GB SSD |
| GPU | 128 MB VRAM, DirectX 9 | 512 MB VRAM |
| OS | Windows XP+ | Windows 7+ |
Small to medium groups, casual co-op play, adventure-focused communities, and budget hosting.
Rust is one of the most popular and brutally competitive multiplayer survival games available today. Developed by Facepunch Studios, it places players in a harsh open world where resource gathering, base building, and player interaction — both cooperative and hostile — define the experience.
Rust supports enormous player counts and boasts a rich modding ecosystem through uMod and Oxide. The game’s strong competitive community ensures healthy server populations, and official server tools backed by active developer support keep the platform stable and well-maintained.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD FX-9590 | Intel Core i7-4690K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 20 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 670 / AMD R9 280 (2 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 980 / AMD R9 Fury (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 8.1 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Large competitive communities, PvP-focused servers, and experienced server administrators.
ARK: Survival Ascended is the stunning Unreal Engine 5 remake of the beloved ARK: Survival Evolved. Featuring dinosaur taming, complex base building, tribal warfare, and an expansive lore-driven story, it represents the cutting edge of survival game visuals and mechanics.
ARK’s persistent tribe and ecosystem mechanics make dedicated servers essential for the full experience. Official server tools, cross-platform mod support through CurseForge, and a massive established community provide a rock-solid foundation for long-running server projects. Tribes thrive on servers that are always online.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 70 GB SSD | 70 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 2080 / AMD RX 6800 XT (8 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 7900 XT (10 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
Large dedicated communities, tribe-based gameplay, long-term persistent worlds, and dinosaur survival fans.
Valheim is a Norse-themed survival and exploration game set in a procedurally generated world inspired by Viking mythology. Developed by just five people at Iron Gate AB, it became a cultural phenomenon and continues to attract players with regular content updates.
Valheim’s relatively lightweight server requirements make it one of the most cost-effective mid-tier survival games to host. Its official dedicated server tools are straightforward to configure, and the growing modding scene via Thunderstore/Nexus Mods expands gameplay considerably. It is ideal for groups of friends seeking a shared adventure.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2.6 GHz quad-core | 3.4 GHz quad-core i7 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB | 2 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD RX 480 (2 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7+ | Windows 10+ |
Small friend groups, casual co-op communities, Norse mythology fans, and budget-conscious admins.
Grounded 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Obsidian Entertainment’s beloved backyard survival game, shrinking players down to insect size in an expanded world filled with new creatures, deeper survival mechanics, and enhanced cooperative play options.
Built from the ground up with co-op at its core, Grounded 2 is designed for groups of players to experience together. Official dedicated server support from Obsidian and Xbox Game Studios ensures a stable platform for friend groups to build, explore, and survive in the backyard together across extended sessions.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB SSD | 20 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 5500 XT (6 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD RX 6700 XT (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
Co-op survival fans, small friend groups, casual communities, and Grounded fans.
Sons of the Forest is the terrifying sequel to The Forest, placing players on a mysterious island overrun by cannibals and horrifying mutant creatures. With enhanced graphics, a deeper story, and improved AI companions, it elevates the survival horror co-op experience significantly.
The game’s official dedicated server tools via Steam make hosting accessible for anyone wanting a persistent horror survival world for friends. With co-op gameplay at its heart, Sons of the Forest is best experienced with others — and a dedicated server ensures the world is always ready when your group wants to play.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 20 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD RX 5600 XT | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6800 XT (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
Small horror-survival groups, co-op exploration communities, and fans of immersive narrative survival.
Subnautica drops players into the ocean of an alien planet with nothing but a damaged escape pod and their wits. Through exploration, resource gathering, and base construction in the deep sea, it delivers one of the most unique and immersive survival experiences in gaming.
While Subnautica does not offer official multiplayer, the community-developed Nitrox mod brings robust co-op functionality to the game. For groups interested in a unique underwater survival experience far removed from the typical forest or open-world setting, Subnautica on a community server offers something truly special.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Haswell 4-core / AMD equivalent | Intel Haswell i7 4-core / AMD equivalent |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 20 GB SSD |
| GPU | Intel HD 4600 / NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti (1 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows Vista SP2 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Exploration-focused communities, sci-fi survival fans, and players seeking a unique non-standard survival setting.
Raft is a charming ocean survival game where players begin adrift on a small wooden raft and must gather resources, fend off a persistent shark, and expand their floating home while sailing toward distant islands and uncovering a mysterious global narrative.
Raft’s official dedicated server support makes it easy to run a persistent ocean world for a group of friends. Its relaxed pace and cooperative mechanics make it one of the more welcoming survival games for casual players, while its crafting depth and story content provide enough substance for dedicated server communities.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 2.6 GHz | Intel Core i5 2.6 GHz+ |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 10 GB | 10 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 700 Series (2 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD equivalent (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Casual co-op groups, friends seeking a relaxed survival experience, and ocean exploration fans.
The Long Dark is a meditative, atmospheric first-person survival experience set in the frozen Canadian wilderness following a geomagnetic disaster that has knocked out all technology. With no zombies or supernatural enemies, human fragility against nature itself is the central challenge.
While The Long Dark is primarily a solo experience, its challenge modes and community events create shared experiences among players. Its deep survival simulation mechanics and atmospheric world make it a notable title in the genre, though it does not support traditional dedicated server hosting.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core Intel or AMD, 2.4 GHz | Quad-core Intel or AMD, 3.2 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 7 GB | 7 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 560 / AMD Radeon 7870 (1 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 480 (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Solo survival enthusiasts, atmospheric survival fans, and players seeking a challenge-focused experience.
Enshrouded is an ambitious voxel-based action survival RPG set in a sprawling open world blanketed by a deadly magical fog called the Shroud. With deep base building, crafting, and RPG progression, it represents a new generation of survival game design.
Enshrouded launched with official dedicated server support for up to sixteen players, making it immediately viable for small-to-medium communities. Its blend of survival mechanics with genuine RPG depth — skill trees, ancient crafting stations, and a rich lore — makes it compelling for groups who want more than pure resource grinding. It has an active development roadmap from Keen Games.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | Intel Core i9-9900K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 60 GB SSD | 60 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 5500 XT (6 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 3070 / AMD RX 6800 XT (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
RPG-survival hybrid communities, base building enthusiasts, and players seeking narrative depth.
Palworld burst onto the scene as one of the fastest-selling games in history, combining Pokémon-style creature collecting with survival mechanics, base building, crafting, and combat in a vibrant open world. Its irreverent blend of cute creatures and industrial exploitation captured massive global attention.
With official dedicated server software available through Steam and support for up to thirty-two players, Palworld is tailor-made for community servers. Its explosive player base ensures healthy server populations, and a rapidly growing modding community adds new content and customization options regularly. It has Pocketpair’s commitment to continued updates and new content.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i9-9900K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | Intel Core i9-9900K / AMD Ryzen 9 3900X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 40 GB SSD | 40 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1070 (8 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 2070 (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
Large communities, creature-collecting fans, base-building enthusiasts, and players seeking a social survival experience.
Don’t Starve Together is the multiplayer expansion of Klei Entertainment’s darkly charming survival game. Set in a Tim Burton-esque world of nightmare fuel and peculiar science, it challenges players to gather resources, manage sanity, and survive increasingly dangerous seasonal events.
Klei’s commitment to the dedicated server experience is exceptional. Server tools are available for free, the configuration options are extensive, and the Steam Workshop mod ecosystem is among the richest in survival gaming. Seasonal events and constant updates keep server communities engaged long-term.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 | Intel Core i5 / AMD equivalent |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 3 GB | 5 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 650 / AMD equivalent (1 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows Vista+ | Windows 10+ |
Co-op survival fans, casual and hardcore communities alike, and fans of darkly whimsical aesthetics.
Project Zomboid is perhaps the most simulation-deep zombie survival experience available. Developed by The Indie Stone, it models everything from character psychology and physical fitness to disease, nutrition, and carpentry skill in its relentless quest for hardcore survival authenticity.
Project Zomboid’s multiplayer server support is exceptional, with official tools that allow administrators to configure virtually every aspect of the simulation. The enormous mod library — spanning map expansions, vehicle packs, profession overhauls, and more — makes every server feel unique. Role-play servers in particular flourish here.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel 2.77 GHz quad-core | Intel i7 3.4 GHz quad-core |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 5 GB | 5 GB SSD |
| GPU | Dedicated GPU with 2 GB VRAM, OpenGL 2.1 | Dedicated GPU with 4 GB VRAM |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Hardcore zombie survival communities, role-playing servers, and simulation enthusiasts.
7 Days to Die is a unique hybrid that blends open-world zombie survival with tower defense strategy and deep RPG progression. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it tasks players with surviving increasingly terrifying zombie hordes that arrive in waves every seventh night.
The game’s highly customizable server settings allow administrators to tune virtually every aspect of the experience — zombie difficulty, loot abundance, day length, and Blood Moon intensity. A strong long-term community and excellent modding scene ensure servers remain populated and fresh.
Dedicated server tool available via Steam, robust admin control panel, extensive server configuration options, active modding community, and regular updates from The Fun Pimps.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2.8 GHz quad-core | 3.2 GHz quad-core or faster |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 15 GB | 15 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 780 Ti / AMD R9 285 (3 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Tower defense survival fans, long-term community servers, and players who enjoy structured progression.
Conan Exiles drops players into the brutal, savage lands of Robert E. Howard’s iconic Conan the Barbarian universe. From enslaved exile to ruler of a mighty fortress, the game offers deep crafting, building, combat, and a thriving role-play ecosystem.
Funcom has built Conan Exiles around the server community. Full admin control, extensive modding via Steam Workshop, built-in role-play features, and private server options create a platform beloved by role-playing communities worldwide. The game’s age and maturity mean its server ecosystem is exceptionally polished.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-2300 / AMD FX-6300 | Intel Core i7-4930K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 70 GB | 70 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 560 / AMD HD 7770 (1 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1080 / AMD RX 5700 (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Role-playing communities, large tribe-based servers, and fans of brutal open-world survival.
Dune: Awakening is an ambitious open-world survival MMO set in Frank Herbert’s iconic science fiction universe on the desert planet Arrakis. Featuring spice harvesting, faction warfare, massive multiplayer interaction, and a rich lore-driven world, it represents survival gaming at an MMO scale.
Dune: Awakening’s MMO architecture and faction-based gameplay make dedicated servers essential for delivering the full experience. Large-scale multiplayer, persistent factions, and the constant threat of sandworms and rival players create a living world that thrives on always-on server infrastructure.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | Intel Core i9-12900K / AMD Ryzen 9 5900X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage | 70 GB SSD | 70 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti / AMD RX 5700 XT (8 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6900 XT (10 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
MMO survival communities, Dune franchise fans, large-scale faction and PvP servers
Abiotic Factor is a fresh and inventive co-op sci-fi survival game set in a massive underground research facility overrun by dimensional anomalies and bizarre entities. Players take on the roles of scientists trying to survive, craft, and escape a catastrophically failed experiment.
Abiotic Factor offers official dedicated server support and a genuinely unique survival setting that stands apart from the crowded open-world genre. Its co-op-focused progression and growing Steam Workshop community make it an excellent choice for friend groups seeking something different. It has an active development from Deep Field Games.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 15 GB | 15 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD RX 6700 XT (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
Sci-fi survival fans, co-op-focused friend groups, and players seeking a fresh setting.
Frostpunk is a city-building survival strategy game where players manage humanity’s last city in a world consumed by a catastrophic ice age. Every decision — from resource allocation to moral law — shapes the survival of your civilization.
While Frostpunk is primarily a single-player experience, its deep survival strategy mechanics, scenario replayability, and the expanded multiplayer features in Frostpunk 2 make it a compelling choice for communities interested in collaborative survival strategy. Shared scenario runs and community challenges foster engagement.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-8350 | Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 8 GB | 8 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 660 / AMD R9 280 (2 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Strategy-survival fans, city management communities, and players who enjoy moral complexity.
RimWorld is a science fiction colony management and survival simulation game where an AI Storyteller crafts unpredictable narratives as you guide colonists stranded on a rim planet. With procedural storytelling, deep social simulation, and extraordinary mod support, it is endlessly replayable.
While RimWorld does not have official multiplayer, the community-developed Zetrith’s Multiplayer Mod brings robust co-op and competitive colony play to the game. Its massive mod ecosystem on Steam Workshop and its deeply strategic survival mechanics make it a unique and rewarding community experience.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core 2 Duo | Intel Core i5 / AMD equivalent |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 500 MB | 1 GB SSD |
| GPU | Any 512 MB VRAM | 1 GB VRAM dedicated |
| OS | Windows XP+ | Windows 10+ |
Strategy-survival communities, long-term colony builders, and heavy modding enthusiasts.
This War of Mine is a harrowing survival game inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo, placing players in the shoes of civilian survivors of an urban warzone. Focused on the human cost of conflict rather than combat heroics, it is one of gaming’s most emotionally powerful survival experiences.
This War of Mine is primarily a solo experience focused on narrative and emotional impact. While it does not support dedicated server hosting, its unique perspective on survival — scavenging, moral decisions, and psychological endurance — makes it an important title in any survey of the genre.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 2.4 GHz | Quad-core 3.0 GHz |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 3 GB | 3 GB SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 260 / AMD 4870 (512 MB VRAM) | 1 GB VRAM |
| OS | Windows 7+ | Windows 10+ |
Solo narrative survival experiences, mature-themed communities, and educational contexts.
Pacific Drive is a surreal run-based survival driving game set in a post-catastrophe exclusion zone in the Pacific Northwest. Your station wagon becomes your lifeline as you scavenge resources, upgrade your vehicle, and navigate an increasingly strange and hostile environment.
Pacific Drive offers a genuinely novel survival experience centered on vehicular exploration and the bond between driver and car. While primarily single-player, its run-based structure and active community of challenge runners make it compelling for communities that enjoy sharing strategies and competing on runs.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-6700 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 30 GB SSD | 30 GB NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1070 / AMD RX 5700 (8 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 2080 / AMD RX 6800 (8 GB VRAM) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10/11 64-bit |
Solo atmospheric survival fans, vehicle game enthusiasts, and players seeking unique genre experiences.
Factorio is an engineering and automation survival game in which players crash-land on an alien planet and must build increasingly complex industrial factories to research technology, launch a rocket, and escape. What begins as simple mining quickly evolves into sprawling automated mega-factories.
Factorio boasts some of the finest dedicated server support of any game on this list. Official headless server tools are exceptionally well-documented, the mod ecosystem is vast, and multiplayer factories can support large numbers of simultaneous engineers. It is a server administrator’s dream from a technical standpoint.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core 3.0 GHz+ | Quad-core 3.0 GHz+ |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 3 GB | 3 GB SSD |
| GPU | DirectX 11 compatible, 256 MB VRAM | 1 GB VRAM dedicated |
| OS | Windows 7 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
Engineering and automation communities, large multiplayer factory builders, and technical players.
Choosing the right hosting solution depends heavily on the game you want to run and the size of your community.
These titles run efficiently on budget VPS instances. A 2-4 core virtual server with 4–8 GB RAM and a standard SSD is typically sufficient for small to medium communities. Monthly hosting costs can be as low as $5–$15, making these ideal entry points for new server administrators.
These games perform well on standard dedicated hosting with 4–8 cores and 8–16 GB RAM. SSD storage is recommended for responsive world loading. Expect monthly costs of $20–$50 for a quality hosted solution.
These titles require high-performance dedicated servers with modern multi-core processors, 16–32 GB RAM, and fast NVMe SSD storage. Self-hosting on quality hardware or investing in a premium managed hosting provider is strongly recommended. Budget $50–$150 per month for a good experience.
When selecting a hosting provider, look for providers that offer game-specific management panels, DDoS protection, automated backups, and one-click mod installation tools. Popular options in the gaming server space include Nitrado, G-Portal, GTX Gaming, and Shockbyte, among many others.
The survival genre has never been richer, more diverse, or more welcoming to dedicated server communities than it is today. From the timeless sandbox creativity of Minecraft to the brutal competitive intensity of Rust, from the meditative wilderness of The Long Dark to the MMO-scale ambitions of Dune: Awakening, there is a survival game — and a server experience — perfectly suited to every type of community.
The 25 games reviewed in this guide represent the best the genre has to offer for dedicated server hosting. Some are lightweight and accessible, perfect for budget hosting and beginner administrators. Others demand significant hardware investment but reward that investment with experiences that can sustain vibrant communities for years.
When choosing the right game for your server, consider your community size and commitment level, your available hardware and budget, the type of gameplay your group enjoys most, and the long-term support and mod ecosystem around the title. A well-chosen survival game running on a well-maintained dedicated server is more than just a gaming platform — it is a home for a community, a place where friendships are forged, legends are built, and stories worth telling are made.
Start your server, gather your community, and survive together.
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