If you were to consider the top-performing games of our age, you might notice that many of them share a common theme. From Minecraft to ARK: Survival Evolved, these much-loved games see players going head-to-head with harsh conditions to survive. And, it’s those very survival roots that are often what we love best about their gameplay.
Of course, so-called ‘survival games’ aren’t exactly new to our screens, but recent years have definitely seen an uptake in the number of players turning to these outlets. Community, resourcefulness, and hours of gaming enjoyment have followed.
If you’re new to the scene, then you might be keen to find out what players love so much about survival gaming before getting started. So, keep on reading to find out why survival games have us in such a chokehold!
# 1 - Loving That Goal-Oriented Life
Many Americans now work up to 45-50 hours a week, meaning that we have far less time for the slow-growing games that used to top the charts. Now, we want clear goals, simple achievements, and the ability to see our progress first-hand. And, all of that is possible with survival games.
Without needing to read confusing manuals or follow complex storylines, survival games allow players to dive right in with requirements that are easy to understand, such as the need to build shelter or gather resources. The vast majority of survival games are also open-ended, allowing time-stretched players to easily sign in, achieve small goals, and sign out again at a moment’s notice.
# 2 - Player Agency at its Best
Many gamers struggle to get along with the restrictions of set storylines and clear gaming paths. Luckily, sandbox survival games like Palworld enable far higher levels of player autonomy. In these games, there is no ‘right’ way to play. Instead, gamers can create the story they want to see onscreen, including which resources they gather, the community they create, and even the creatures that they introduce into their gaming world. That agency goes even further if players choose high-quality Palworld server hosting, which will enable them to easily implement their own mods and maps.
This same level of freedom is possible across pretty much every sandbox survival game you can think of, and, in a world where we’re often surrounded by rules, it can be a great opportunity to have things your way for once.
# 3 - Rewards That are Even Sweeter
Survival games also provide some of the best rewards imaginable. For one thing, they lean on our base instincts, meaning that sustaining our characters taps right into our real-world existing drive to survive. The results in survival games are also easy to track. If your character is thriving, then your sense of accomplishment is also going to be high! And you needn’t even reach a certain level or defeat a difficult boss to feel it.
Whether you’ve grown up being intrigued by Minecraft or you're just considering giving survival games a go, these benefits are guaranteed to be within easy reach once you get going.
