Among the countless video game genres available today, there is one that’s gaining a lot of momentum and a dedicated fan base today: survival games. Not survival horror games, mind you, or survival modes in other video games, but titles that were built with the sole purpose of putting the player in a survival situation and leaving them to their own devices. These survival games range from the fantastic to the painfully realistic, giving each player what they are looking for. But they have some things in common that you should know about before diving in.

Choose your game wisely

No two survival games are created equal. Aside from the obvious differences between them, there are some games that were not made with inexperienced players in mind.

For example, you can spend hours meandering through the small islands in Stranded Deep without ever getting in trouble. In turn, The Forest or Green Hell will put you to death in an instant if you’re not careful.

If you’re at the beginning of your survival journey, find a game that is reasonably easy (even if it has a hard mode), one with no permadeath, preferably, and with an extensive tutorial.

Never skip the tutorial

Even if you have a basic idea about what you should do in a survival situation, you may not know exactly how you can do it in a survival simulation – so, never skip the tutorials. While the basics of these games are certainly similar – you need an axe to chop down trees and build a shelter – there are always peculiarities that you must know if you want to succeed.

Then again, there are games where the tutorials are short or even non-existent (like The Long Dark: Survival Edition”, for example) – avoid these if you are at the beginning of your journey.

Fast forward time by sleeping

There’s no survival game without a day-night cycle. At night, you may have nothing to do but wait, grab your phone, and play a few spins on your favorite online slot machine. Slot machines are a great pastime, even when you have an entire world to explore – especially when it’s dark in your in-game world. Besides, they don’t require too much attention, and you can learn their rules very fast. You can click here to read more on the slots, a perfect way to kill time while you wait.

But if gaming while you game is not your thing, you can always sleep – in-game, that is. Some gamers prefer not to sleep in survival games because this usually translates into hunger and dehydration, even in the game modes designed to reduce the ill effects of these things. But consider the things you can do in daylight that you couldn’t do – or you could do much less efficiently – when it’s dark in a survival game.

Sleeping in the game will help you fast-forward time, in case you have to wait for a resource to grow or certain recipes to be ready.

Always stockpile basic resources

In most survival games, you may find yourself ignoring basics like sticks, stones, or fronds because “there’s plenty of them lying around”. But in time, you’ll find yourself scrambling around the forest or the beach ferret around for basic materials when you start building something or making a recipe. It’s simply annoying and can break your flow.

Don’t forget to save the game

Do you know what’s way more annoying than dying in a survival game? Well, it’s dying with an old savegame. When you explore the jungle or the desert, find lots of useful items, or reach an important point in the story, always try to save so you won’t lose your progress when the inevitable comes.

In most survival games you need to build a shelter to be able to save your game. The most basic shelters that allow you to save are usually built from very basic materials, so you won’t have trouble quickly cropping up a tent and saving when the need arises. Trust me, it’s worth it.

In conclusion

Survival games can be a lot of fun. At the same time, they can be incredibly frustrating because of a few instances of twisted logic, realistic time, and unexpected dangers jumping at you at all times. Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid a few pitfalls and enjoy the best survival gaming experience possible.