The best open world survival RPG

In recent years, open world survival games have seen a big rise. Overall, many titles across genres seem to mix elements from other game types in an attempt to reinvent the wheel. One area in which it has succeeded quite well is the survival genre. We have seen huge games like Minecraft years dominate, but what happens if we add RPG elements as well? Well, there are a few titles that qualify.

The games I've included here have to meet several criteria. First, it must be open world, no buts and ifs. Second, they need to have survival, which involves managing needs such as hunger and thirst or building shelters and bases. Second, they should have some degree of RPG elements implemented, and at a minimum that means stats and skill progression. Of course, having all three of these perfectly filled out won't always be possible, so for the sake of argument, we'll allow some flexibility in the RPG department. I'll rank these games by their overall reception on Steam.

Early access games are included.

External

Don't forget to stay hydrated in Aurai

External is a really interesting combination of something similar to a Soulslike RPG Elden Ringa survival game as grueling as Kenshiwith a good dose of magic and myths. It's a dream come true for fantasy fans who want more of a challenge from their traditional fantasy RPG experiences, where drinking water and sleeping aren't usually a major concern. Here they exist in impressive harmony.

No two games look the same, and if you're jumping into a game with your friends, you better be prepared for some kinks if you go unprepared or jump into fights you can't handle too soon. This gives you bonus points for having a pretty interesting magic system as well, and the lack of fast travel options is sure to eat you up, for better or for worse.

Conan's Exiles

Learn to thrive in a wild world

A fan of brutal settings? Conan's Exiles he is a master at this. Enter the world of Hyboria where you start with nothing but your birthday suit and grow into a force to be reckoned with. From building a base to crafting weapons and equipment and even enslaving slaves to fulfill your wishes, it's quite an extreme survival experience with a feel for a brutal and robust building system. And of course there are RPG elements too as you can choose your race and level up.

The world itself is also impressive in size, and some of the best gameplay comes from connecting with other players and exploring it together. You'll find plenty of variety in it, from different biomes to dungeons to conquer to help you level up. Even better, you can get on one of the multiplayer servers and get into some pretty intense roleplaying.

Dune: The Awakening

Arrakis gives you freedom, but not without a cost

The doctrine of Dune was one that felt ripe for something like an open-world RPG, and I'm glad to see that Dune: The Awakening it was largely managed. While there have been some complaints about the ending being incredibly difficult and the multiplayer being quite difficult due to the griefers and tax system, there is a lot that this game still managed to get right.

You can build whatever kind of survivor you want. Is blade path your jam? Go for it. Are you more fascinated by the Bene Gesserit and their arcane powers? You have access to them too. Not only that, but you'll have to find the perfect spot for your desert hideout while avoiding the destructive sandworms that made the books and movies famous. With all the exploring and questing you can do as well, I hope the game changes things up and makes it more casual solo player friendly.

Veiled

Enter the shroud if you dare

While Veiled is still in early access, I feel like not including any EA games would wipe out a lot of the awesome stuff that can conquer the trifecta of open world, survival, and RPG. Veiled is a masterclass in this, and while it's still a bit rough, it really has the potential to be something special.

It shares some similarities with Externaland what shines above some of the more sandbox games on the list is the fact that it also has some questing. You can build beautiful houses, meet NPCs, and find your unique specialty in a diverse skill tree that includes many familiar RPG archetypes, and of course, being a survival game, you'll need to do all of this while gathering all the necessary resources and keeping your hunger and thirst at bay.

Grounded

Baby, I shrunk the kids

Obsidian Entertainment is known for their amazing RPGs, and there are plenty of them Grounded too, which puts you in the shoes of tiny survivors trying to figure out how they ended up the way they are.

In a vast open world that's basically a backyard, you'll need to specialize and build your skills, get good gear, and build a shelter and some decent defenses against the wild animals and insects that have taken a keen interest in you. The best way to experience it? Definitely in the group. The sequel improves a lot on the first game, although I recommend waiting a while for any performance fixes to be implemented.

Kenshi

You will die and enjoy it

No game on this list is as unique as Kenshi. Although its player base is not nearly as large as the other games we see here, it has more than earned its place for entertaining a large group of players who are not afraid of grueling games. You see, in Kenshi you're not some demigod hero saving the world because the world doesn't care about you.

You can appear and immediately be wiped out or enslaved, and that's the start of your story. From there, it's a hard road to survival rather than godhood. Yes, you'll be able to build bases and maybe hold your own in combat, but don't expect to do any of that in the beginning because you're just trying to build your skills and scavenge for items to stay alive and feed yourself. It may sound like a nightmare to many, but no other game does sandbox and simulation as well as Kenshi. Here's to hoping we make it Kenshi 2 in the next five years.

7 Days To Die

An incredibly deep zombie survival experience

The zombie survival genre is a huge thing on its own, but one that combines open world, survival, and RPG? 7 Days To Die is definitely the way to go as it comes with some RPG-style customization and questing. The game has a lot of moving parts, from customizable vehicles to a wide variety of weapons to loot, craft and customize, as well as a huge open world to find resources.

Somewhat similar to the skill systems in Project Zomboidyou can gain skills by reading books to define what type of apocalypse survivor you are. Make sure you're prepared (and stay well fed and hydrated) because in seven days the horde is coming to your door whether you like it or not.

Project Zomboid

The Sims Meets Zombie Apocalypse

Another excellent zombie-themed survival game is the story of how you died, otherwise known as Project Zomboid. As of Build 42, you can choose between five different starting areas on the open world map (which is huge, by the way), and you can choose some positive and negative perks when creating your character to tailor your experience to make it easier or more challenging. It also adds a bit of RPG flavor knowing you're playing as a veteran or a cop, and then watching TV and reading books to develop those skills. It's worth noting that NPCs are said to be coming into the game at some point, so that could mean some quests are on the horizon.

Something unexpected The Sims Fans might enjoy this game for its isometric style and moods that pop up every once in a while. You will have to manage your thirst, hunger and even boredom because if you don't you will get depressed. There are houses and buildings to loot, animals to farm, and forests to forage, and since it's very much a sandbox game, you have to decide how you're going to prepare for the city's water and power going out. The level of realism and detail in this game, as well as the huge customization options of the sandbox, are undoubtedly what made it so popular.

Ark: Survival Evolved

Naked And Fear Among The Dinos

Top of the list and undoubtedly the most popular survival, open-world game with RPG elements on Steam is Ark: Survival Evolved. This game offers something a little different: no zombies, no magic – dinosaurs. And yes, you can tame them. Yes, you can fly on the ones that have wings. That said, there are some pretty tough survival elements beyond just drinking water and eating food: your items aren't completely safe even when you log out, and everything you use and craft wears out as expected.

So where does the RPG element come from? Well, there's the whole leveling up process you take part in, along with all the dinosaurs you've managed to tame. By completing any of the game's tasks, such as crafting or hunting, you will gain some experience and spend the earned points on your attributes. The game also has a bit of lore in its huge open world, so get out there and explore and become a dino whisperer.