Best Multiplayer Survival Games To Play In 2024 - Gameranx (2024)

Survival games are meant to test players to the limit, but why just go into such a scenario alone, when you can do it with friends? The games we’re about to show you are in no particular order, and more may be added down the line. So, for now, allow us to show you the Best Multiplayer Survival Games To Play In 2024!

#18 Palworld

Continuing a very long tradition on the site, we begin with Palworld. While it’s not as popular as it was at the beginning of 2024, it’s still a game you can play with friends, and it just got a massive update not too long ago.

In this world, you can go around and find monsters named “Pals” that you can capture and do with as you please. Put them to work in factories, train them to be a fighting force, give them guns for extra power, the options you have are plentiful.

However, many Pals in the wild can be quite aggressive, so try not to get killed by them while attempting to catch them all, okay?

#17 7 Days To Die

Here’s a title that’s been building out on Steam for quite some time, and now might be the best time to play it with all the fine-tuning they’ve been doing through that period. 7 Days To Die puts you in a massive area that is full of zombies and other players. The question of “Which is more dangerous” is something you’ll have to answer for yourself and your co-op partner as you wander around.

No matter how you choose to view others, you’ll need to prepare yourself for violent times ahead while also keeping yourself healthy.

You can build up this world to be something better or just try and take out every threat you think you see. The choice is yours.

#16 Conan Exiles

Conan was once asked what was “best in life,” and his answer was simple. However, if you want to survive in Conan Exiles, simple isn’t an option. You are a person or being marked for death until Conan himself saves you.

Free to live the life you want, you’ll head across the land and attempt to build, forge, kill, and take what you feel is best for you. If you play the game with friends, you can build up communities and find strength in numbers. You’ll need those numbers for some of the beasts and gods that still roam the land and aren’t afraid to try and put you in your place!

#15 Scum

There are many dystopian futures where the death/survival of others has been had simply for sport. Scum takes that to a different level by having you play as a prisoner who starts out simply trying to survive but then soon realizes that the more you do, the more you can grow. Then, the more you grow, the more you can take this “game” to where you want it to be.

That doesn’t mean you can be carefree. There are enemies everywhere. The prisoners that want to be free, some mechs that are scattered on the island you’re on, and more! With danger all around, you’ll need to level up your skills to take them on.

#14 State of Decay 2

What does it truly mean to survive? That’s one of many questions that State of Decay 2 will ask you as you attempt to survive in the zombie world you end up in. The twist is that you and your co-op partner will have to look after not only yourselves but also the community you’re attempting to build.

Your decisions will guide the community as you build up shelter, search for supplies and food, and send out others to take on the threats that attack your new home.

When someone dies, they’re gone. That means you have to be careful with each choice that you make.

#13 Rust

So far, we’ve shown you multiple survival games set within multiple landscapes and styles. But in the case of Rust, the game is more of a survival title in that you need to survive the other players who are coming after you.

With nothing to your name at the beginning, you’ll have to scavenge, forge, steal, whatever works to get the weapons, clothes, and food you need to make it to the next day. When another player comes along, it’s up to you to decide what to do. Just remember, they’re trying to survive, too.

How long you last depends on what you get and what you do with it.

#12 ARK: Survival Evolved

Next, we have one of the true classic survival titles of our era. ARK: Survival Evolved, not unlike our last entry, leaves you with nothing as you start the game. Instead, you’ll just wash up on an island and have to scavenge for yourself.

Before you think that sounds too familiar to what came before, you should know that there are many other “threats” on this island outside of other players. You’ll soon notice that there’s advanced tech you can make, and you can use that tech to find and tame dinosaurs!

So, yeah, that’s a bit different from the other games we’ve shown you, huh?

#11 Space Engineers

Many people have dreamed about trying to survive in the depths of space. They want to see what wonders awaits them, and whether we have the tools and capabilities to live out on other worlds. In Space Engineers, you’ll find just how tough that can be, all the while, building all sorts of ships and craft to help you accomplish your goals.

The title lets you dive into two different modes. One of them is a survival mode, where you’ll wander across planets, try to survive there and then move on. There’s also a creative mode, where you’ll put your brain cells to the test to see what you can make.

#10 Green Hell

Multiple locations in the world are known as some of the hardest places to survive in. Green Hell takes you to one of them as you suddenly find yourself within the infamous Amazon Jungle! You don’t know how you got there, but you know you need to get out.

With minimal supplies, you must work your way through the jungle, find what you need to survive, and piece together the truth about why you’re there. Were you sent there on purpose? What awaits you when you get out? Will you even want to get out? Play the game and learn the truth!

#9 Don’t Starve Together

That sounds like the most obvious statement ever, doesn’t it? But Don’t Starve Together isn’t just a funny name; it’s one of the most hardcore survival titles out there. It originally was a single-player experience but soon became a co-op one that people could try to beat as a united front.

The premise is as simple as it can be. You play as someone put into a place, and you have to survive…together.

It’s not easy, and the game doesn’t believe in “guiding you” to do one thing or another. You’ll have to work out everything yourself and see what works and what doesn’t.

#8 Raft

There are many “worst-case scenario” survival situations that we all dread having to endure. In Raft, you’ll get to do one of the worst, being stuck on the ocean with nothing in sight for miles, and having this dingy piece of wood as your only method of getting around and staying out of the water.

The good news, is that if you play with a friend, your “real estate” doubles, but the challenges will remain the same. You’ll start with minimal supplies, and have to fish, look for things like trash in the water to collect, and then if you do see an island, find out what you can take from it.

The more you get, the more you can build up your raft to suit your needs.

#7 Sons of the Forest

We’ll talk about the first game in this series too, but Sons of the Forest was the follow-up that was released not too long ago.

This time, you play someone hired to go find a billionaire. That wouldn’t have been a problem, had he not ended up on an island that is full of all sorts of freaks and monsters. Since you’re now stuck there yourself, you’ll have to endure what they bring while also trying to keep yourself healthy.

The island changes with time, so you’ll need to be careful about what you do and where you go. Whether you survive is entirely up to you.

#6 The Forest

“Oh, trying to survive in a forest isn’t so bad!” you might say ignorantly…

Except, The Forest isn’t just trying to survive in a wooded area. While that would be difficult for some people, it wouldn’t be something that you would necessarily need someone else to help with. However, in this game, that extra person might help save you from what’s within this forest, and there’s a lot within it.

You are the survivor of a mysterious plane crash. You end up in a forest that seems tame during the day, but when nightfall comes, everything changes.

Build a shelter and get weapons so you can fight of the mutants that come for you, and in the day, explore this forest to unlock the mysteries within.

#5 Starbound

Do you love games that truly give you a universe to explore and do what you want? If so, Starbound is a game you must try out. The title is all about freedom in the best way possible. You’re given a universe to traverse through and to do with as you please.

For example, if you want to take the “simple life,” you can find a planet, start farming on it, and see what comes of it. Or, you can try building cities on planets and see how much money you can make from them. If you want something more action-packed, raid planets for treasure, become a bounty hunter, or make the best ship ever!

It’s YOUR universe! So go have fun in it!

#4 Grounded

Have you ever seen that movie about the kids who get shrunk accidentally and have to work their way out of the situation? Yeah, this is the video game version of that. Grounded is about a group of four kids who get shrunk in their backyard, and now they must find a way to fight off the bugs and other creatures within while also finding a way to make them big again.

If that sounds easy, it’s not. The world is a lot bigger when you’re really small. Explore the backyard area and see what clues you can find from the mysterious beings that have tech scattered about the place.

#3 Valheim

If you’re looking for a more “mythical” kind of world in which you can try to survive, Valheim has you covered.

You’ll be part of the Norse mythology as you enter this realm either by yourself or with your friends. Your goal is simply, make a life for yourselves there, and see what wonders this realm holds for you. The good news is that you’ll have plenty of room and options for building your homes and community.

The bad news is that there are plenty of dangers within this place, and that means you’ll have to fight monsters and craft powerful weapons to defeat them. Think you can do that?

#2 Project Zomboid

We’ve shown you all sorts of games where you have to survive against zombies, but Project Zomboid is arguably the most unique of the bunch given its isometric style and how you’re asked to survive.

Here, the zombies are coming, and if you’re not ready for them, you’re going to die. Thus, you have to go around the nearby towns and attempt to get supplies to build up your defenses and get you some weapons so you can fight back more personally.

Every day will be a battle for survival, and you can always count on the zombie horde coming back. The scope of their attacks will vary, but that just makes it all the more important to be ready for whatever comes your way.

#1 Minecraft

Yes, we’re ending this with Minecraft. Why? Eh, why not at this point?

Now, sure, if you look at JUST the main version of the game, you’ll see that it’s not really a survival game, and more about building up the world around you. However, there IS a survival mode, where you have to not only build things to survive, but outlast the zombies and other monsters that fill the place. So, yes, there are survival elements in this game and thus it belongs on this list.

How much you spend in that mode is up to you. So, grab some friends and see how much fun, or damage, you can do.