Who says surviving has to mean shooting everything in sight? These games prove you can have edge-of-your-seat tension without ever throwing a punch. Combat is possible, but sometimes it is better to use your head, and strategy, and make the right choices when the world is against you.

The tension comes not from the barrel of a gun, but from the ticking clock, the lack of resources, and the relentless environment that challenges you. Whether you’re dealing with a nuclear apocalypse, managing limited supplies, or just trying not to freeze, here are some games that show that you don’t need combat to keep the tension high.

Screenshot from game 60 Seconds! showing the family inside their fallout shelter, with some supplies.

860 Seconds!

Survival Starts In A Minute

In 60 Seconds! you’ve got exactly that - a single minute to grab everything (and everyone) you need before the nukes drop. In those frantic 60 seconds, you’ll rush through your house, grabbing food, water, and family members, but you may’t take everything. Do you prioritize survival gear or your loved ones? Once in the bunker, the real survival begins.

Every playthrough offers new scenarios and darkly funny writing. The diary becomes your voice, guiding you through the tough choice that could keep you alive… or not.

Two people sit on chairs with a table between them, gazing at the vast ocean as the sun sets on the horizon in Raft.

7Raft

Build, Float, Survive

In Raft, you find yourself stranded on a tiny raft in the middle of a seemingly endless ocean with nothing but a raft and your wit. As you drift along, you must collect debris and materials to expand your floating home,turning it into a survival fortress.

Sharks are a constant threat, but combat isn’t the main focus here. The real battle lies in resource management: gathering food, purifying water, and crafting everything from fishing rods to entire structures. It’s a constant struggle to build, survive, and stay afloat, quite literally.

A screenshot from The Long Dark, featuring the protagonist holding a torch while walking along railway track at night, with the aurora broealis glowing in the distance.

In The Long Dark, your enemy isn’t a monster, it’s the brutal, uncaring force of Mother Nature itself. Set in the frozen wilderness of Canada after a mysterious geomagnetic disaster, the game puts you against brutal cold, starvation, wild animals, and isolation.

You’re up against freezing temperatures, wild animals, and isolation. Forget about fighting here, because survival means building fires, hunting for food, and trying not to freeze to death. This world doesn’t care about you, and you must choose how to survive, where you’ll be either predator…or prey.

Scientist Wilson, the main character, running away from evil spiders in Don’t Starve.

In Don’t Starve, everything wants to kill you: shadows, monsters, and… penguins. This roguelike survival game takes the sandbox genre and adds a dark, twisted edge, with a visual style that feels straight out of aTim Burton movie.

Surviving here isn’t easy, but it’s all about using what you find wisely, crafting tools, and trying not to lose your mind while navigating an unforgiving environment. The world is hostile, and dying? It’s part of learning to survive a little longer each time.

Claire standing at the edge of a cliff in A Short Hike.

A Short Hike may seem like a brief adventure, but it’s packed with meditative exploration and surprises. While not a traditional survival game, it offers a different kind of challenge: exploring nature at your own pace.

In this world of anthropomorphic animals, you play as a young bird named Claire, and your goal is to reach the top of a mountain, but the journey is yours to choose. It’s the perfect game for those who like survival with a side of relaxation… because who said survival games have to be stressful?

A small city is nestled in the middle of a vast frozen landscape, surrounded by ice and slow in Frostpunk.

The 11 Bit Studios guys know how to make a survival game without relying on combat, and with Frostpunk, they’ve put survival on a grand scale by tasking you to manage an entire community.

Set in an alternate 1800s where Earth is consumed by ice, you’ll need to lead your people through the cold, make tough decisions, and rebuild from the ashes, or rather… the ice. There is no combat, just the challenge of managing your resources and people’s morale. Can you balance hope and survival in a world where the cold is your enemy?

A screenshot from This War Of Mine (The Last Broadcast DLC), showing a destroyed street filled with debris, wrecked cars, and small fires burning amidst the ruins.

This War of Mine: Final Cut

In This War of Mine, you can fight, it’s true, but it makes you question whether violence is the answer. This isn’t your typical “hero versus the world” scenario, where you are not invincible like John Wick.

It’s a gritty, emotionally charged survival game where you play as a group of civilians just trying to make it through the horrors of war. Combat can leave you injured or worse, so the real survival lies in using stealth, intelligence, and careful planning to avoid conflict whenever possible.

A diver in a mechanical suit observes a giant skeletal remains of a massive creature underwater, with bioluminescent fish swimming nearby in Subnautica.

Subnautica takes survival underwater, where every dive brings new dangers and discoveries. On this water-covered planet, you’ll gather materials to craft equipment, build underwater bases, and most importantly, stay alive.

Oxygen, your greatest ally, and biggest threat, is always running low, forcing you to carefully manage your air supply. And let’s not forget thedeep-sea creatures, which make your survival even trickier. While you can defend yourself with tools like Survival Knife, combat takes a backseat to exploration and gathering resources. Exploring this world is risky, but it’s the only way to uncover the truth and find your way out.