Survival and crafting games: 28 projects about resources, bases and co-op
The survival genre grew out of a handful of mechanics: gathering resources, hunger and threats, crafting tools, building a base and, in many projects, playing together. Under that umbrella sit hardcore online survival games, calm underwater adventures, management simulators and dinosaur survival sims alike. Below are twenty-eight titles collected from marketplace sellers, grouped by sub-genre. Each has its own delivery format: some are licensed Steam keys, some are Steam gifts; the difference between the two is covered in detail in our guide on software from Steam and how to accept a gift. Everything below follows the product listings — regions and editions are described exactly as the seller states them.
Open-world survival
The most demanding sub-genre: you scavenge in hostile territory and the main threat is other players. These are online projects, so each participant needs their own copy to play together — how to split a purchase across a group is covered in our guide on co-op games and keys for a group.
DayZ is online survival in a world after an outbreak: the infected, hunger, disease and the choice between cooperation and going it alone. Per the listing it is a Steam gift (not a key): a bot adds you as a friend and delivers the game to your library automatically, with the account region (RU, UA, KZ, BY and others) chosen in the options.
Arma II + Operation Arrowhead + DayZ Mod is Bohemia’s military simulator with the legendary DayZ modification. Per the listing it is a Steam gift link activating in Russia and CIS countries; note that the DayZ Mod here is a modification for Arma II, not the standalone DayZ.
Rust is Facepunch’s multiplayer survival game where hunger, wildlife and other players are all out to get you. Per the listing it is a Steam gift delivered by a bot to RU, UA, BY, KZ and several other accounts (region chosen in the options).
Conan Exiles is open-world survival set in the Conan the Barbarian universe: build from a shack to a city, fight battles and sieges, with single-player, co-op and multiplayer modes. Per the listing it is a licensed Steam key (base edition without DLC) activating in Russia, Ukraine and CIS countries.
V Rising is survival as an awakened vampire: hunt for blood, hide from the sun, raise a castle and play online. Per the listing it is a Steam gift; the account region (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and several other countries) is chosen in the options.
Crafting and exploration
Here the focus shifts from PvP to exploring the world, gathering resources and building a shelter — solo or in co-op.
Subnautica 2 has two regional offers on the marketplace with different country lists — a neutral activation restriction, so pick the one matching your account’s store region. Subnautica 2 (Russia and CIS) is a gift for Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and CIS accounts. Subnautica 2 (CN/KZ/UA and more) is a gift for China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Argentina, Belarus and CIS accounts; Russia is not on this list. Both, per their listings, are the sequel to Unknown Worlds’ underwater survival game with ocean exploration, base building and co-op play.
Subnautica: Below Zero is a standalone adventure in the frozen waters of planet 4546B, two years after the original; the original Subnautica is not required. Per the listing it is a licensed Steam key activating in Russia, Ukraine and CIS countries.
Raft is ocean survival solo or in co-op: drift on a raft, hook floating debris, expand your floating home and fend off a shark. Per the listing it is a Steam gift, with the account region chosen in the options.
Grounded 2 is Obsidian’s survival adventure where ant-sized players brave a world of giant insects, solo or in co-op. Per the listing it is a Steam gift; the region (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and CIS) is chosen in the options.
Core Keeper is an adventure sandbox about exploring endless underground caverns: mine resources, fight, grow food and uncover the secret of an ancient Core, alone or with up to eight players. Per the listing it is a Steam Gift for Russia-region accounts; for co-op of up to eight, each participant needs their own copy.
Necesse is a top-down sandbox adventure: build a settlement, explore a procedural world and its dungeons, fight monsters and craft gear solo or with friends. Per the listing it is a Steam gift for a Russia-region account; for co-op each participant needs their own copy.
Valheim also has two offers, this time with different delivery formats. Valheim — Steam key (Russia and all countries), per the listing, is a licensed key e-mailed to you; the activation region is Russia and all countries. Valheim — gift (Russia), per the listing, is a Steam gift delivered by a bot, for Russia-region accounts only. The gameplay is the same: co-op Viking survival in a Norse-mythology world with building and bosses; what differs is the delivery mechanic and the region list.
Management and base building
A less “outdoors” sub-genre: survival here means planning production and running a colony.
Satisfactory is a first-person factory-building game on an alien planet: mining, conveyor networks and automation solo or in co-op. Per the listing it is a licensed Steam key with a global activation region (per the seller), which also works on Russian accounts.
Oxygen Not Included is Klei’s space colony simulator: manage duplicants inside an asteroid and set up oxygen, food, water and power. Per the listing it is a Steam gift for Russia-region accounts.
Kenshi is a squad-based open-world RPG sandbox with no linear story: trade, build, fight and farm. Per the listing it is a licensed Steam key activating in Russia and CIS countries; the final price may depend on the payment method, so check the total on the payment page.
Stranded: Alien Dawn is a colony survival sim: you shape the fate of a small group of people stranded on a distant planet, building a base, gathering resources and making strategic decisions to protect the settlement. Per the listing it is a Steam gift auto-delivered by bot for Russia-region accounts.
Scrap Mechanic is a creative engineering sandbox: build machines from parts with advanced physics, explore the world with friends and fend off waves of Farmbots in survival mode. Per the listing it is a Steam gift (not a key) for Russia-region accounts; for co-op each participant needs their own copy.
Space, terraforming and automation
A distinct layer of survival — on alien planets and in open space: terraforming, mining and automated production solo or in co-op.
Astroneer is a space sandbox about reshaping planets: mold the terrain like clay, build bases and automate production lines alone or with friends. Per the listing it is a Steam gift auto-delivered by bot for Russia-region accounts; for co-op each participant needs their own copy.
Avorion is a space sandbox with a procedural galaxy and co-op: build ships from scalable blocks, mine ore, trade and fight. Per the listing it is a Steam gift for Russia-region accounts; for co-op each participant needs their own copy.
The Planet Crafter is an open-world survival and terraforming sim: make a lifeless planet habitable by building up oxygen, heat and pressure, raising a base and growing a biosphere solo or in co-op. Per the listing it is a Steam gift; the account region (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and several CIS countries) is chosen in the options.
Dinosaur survival
A sub-genre of online survival where you play not a human but a creature: you grow from a hatchling into an adult and fight for a place in the ecosystem. These are online projects — each participant needs their own copy to play together.
The Isle is a multiplayer survival simulator where you play as a dinosaur on a dangerous island: hunt, hide from predators and fight for a place in the ecosystem. Per the listing it is a Steam gift (not a key) for Russia-region accounts.
Beasts of Bermuda is a multiplayer game where you control a dinosaur in a living ecosystem: ride out storms, fight rivals and grow to enormous size. Per the listing it is a Steam gift for Russia-region accounts.
Day of Dragons is online survival in an open sandbox world as one of several dragon species or an elemental: grow from hatchling to adult, hunt and fight for dominance. Per the listing it is a Steam gift for Russia-region accounts.
Online war and tactics
Team-based online survival where resources and squad coordination matter more than solo skill. These are online projects — each participant needs their own copy.
Foxhole is a large-scale massively multiplayer tactical strategy about a persistent online war, where hundreds of players jointly shape the course of a single conflict. Per the listing it is a Steam gift auto-delivered by bot for Russia-region accounts.
Zero Hour is a tactical team-based online first-person shooter with resource management: close-quarters operations in realistic interiors where teamwork and planning decide the fight. Per the listing it is a Steam gift; the account region (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and CIS) is chosen in the options.
Solo survival
No PvP, no co-op here — just you and the environment.
The Long Dark Survival Edition is an atmospheric solo survival sim by Hinterland: after a geomagnetic disaster you are left alone against the cold, hunger and wildlife of a frozen north. Per the listing it is a licensed Region Free Steam key shown in the browser and e-mailed to you right after payment.
Format and region per the listings
| Game | Format | Activation region |
|---|---|---|
| DayZ | Steam gift | RU, UA, KZ, BY and others (option) |
| Arma II + DayZ Mod | Steam gift | Russia and CIS |
| Rust | Steam gift | RU, UA, BY, KZ and others (option) |
| Conan Exiles | Steam key | Russia, Ukraine, CIS |
| V Rising | Steam gift | RU, UA, BY, KZ and others (option) |
| Subnautica 2 (RU and CIS) | Steam gift | Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, CIS |
| Subnautica 2 (CN/KZ/UA…) | Steam gift | China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Argentina, CIS (no Russia) |
| Subnautica: Below Zero | Steam key | Russia, Ukraine, CIS |
| Raft | Steam gift | RU, UA, BY, KZ and others (option) |
| Grounded 2 | Steam gift | Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, CIS |
| Valheim (key) | Steam key | Russia and all countries |
| Valheim (gift) | Steam gift | Russia |
| Satisfactory | Steam key | Global, incl. Russia (per the seller) |
| Oxygen Not Included | Steam gift | Russia |
| Kenshi | Steam key | Russia and CIS |
| Stranded: Alien Dawn | Steam gift | Russia |
| Scrap Mechanic | Steam gift | Russia |
| Astroneer | Steam gift | Russia |
| Avorion | Steam gift | Russia |
| The Planet Crafter | Steam gift | Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, CIS (option) |
| Core Keeper | Steam gift | Russia |
| Necesse | Steam gift | Russia |
| The Isle | Steam gift | Russia |
| Beasts of Bermuda | Steam gift | Russia |
| Day of Dragons | Steam gift | Russia |
| Foxhole | Steam gift | Russia |
| Zero Hour | Steam gift | Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, CIS (option) |
| The Long Dark Survival Edition | Steam key | Region Free (any country) |
What to check before paying
- Activation region. Each offer targets its own country list — a neutral restriction of the item. Match your Steam account’s store region (in the settings) with the region in the listing or option; for Subnautica 2, choose the right one of the two offers.
- Format: key or gift. You redeem a key yourself; a gift arrives on your account from a bot after you provide your profile link and accept the friend request. Details are in our guide on software from Steam.
- Co-op play. For online and co-op projects (Rust, DayZ, Valheim, V Rising, Foxhole, Zero Hour, The Isle, Beasts of Bermuda, Day of Dragons, Core Keeper, Avorion, Scrap Mechanic) each participant needs their own copy — factor that in when buying for a group.
- Edition and status. Conan Exiles is the base edition without DLC per its listing; for titles in active development (such as Subnautica 2) it is worth checking the current status and system requirements on the game’s Steam page.
- Seller’s terms. Delivery and refund rules differ per offer and are described on the listing and by the seller. How a storefront differs from buying directly is in our guide on marketplace versus the developer’s store; what to do with the account after a purchase is in our guide on account security after purchase.
Bazelio is a storefront: payment is taken by the seller on the payment platform, and the seller handles delivery of the key or gift and support. Other games are in the PC Games section.
