How 2021 changed the survival genre and why it will get even better in 2022

MeinMMO editor and survival expert Benedict Grothaus had a lot of fun with survival games last year. And that despite the fact that they were completely different from what was previously on the market. But that’s the good thing about it – for gamers and the genre in general.

2021 brought us a number of new survival games, including small pearls like Tribes of Midgard and big surprise hits like Valheim. Both survival games, but they are very different from classics like ARK: Survival Evolved or Rust.

But that’s exactly what makes these games so special: they dare to try new things and still remain survival games. Valheim, for example, even made it straight to my list of the best survival games ever.

However, what I saw in new games in 2021 was very different from classic survival. There was a little revolution and nobody noticed.

3 games set the new tone

Of all the new games from the past year, 3 stuck in my mind in particular. The 3 survival games all brought their own twist to the genre:

• Valheim has elements of survival that are not fatal. You have to eat to get stronger, but you do not die when you fast. You just get very, very weak.
• Icarus is played in sessions, similar to The Forest, but shorter. If you want to craft and build more, there is a kind of free mode.
• Tribes of Midgard is also session-based and an Action-RPG – ideal for anyone who just wants to test survival but is actually into other genres.

Well, actually there are even 4 games. But the fourth GTFO, is an exception. The new co-op game is really tough and is only secondary to the survival genre, even if it still plays great.

All three games make it easier to get started in the genre by being different. Are you short on time? Give Icarus a try. Do you come from another gaming corner? Tribes of Midgard brings you closer to survival. Don’t you want it to be so hard? Valheim forgives you mistakes where other survival games would mercilessly slaughter you.

New ideas are good for the genre

Sure, games like ARK and Rust have a huge player base that has been playing loyally for years. However, this is a blessing and a curse at the same time, because new players are rarely won in this way. Those who are not already interested in the genre will hardly find access.

Conan Exiles already showed that at the time. Although the game was extremely successful, it also picked up more or fewer players from the pool of survival fans. Despite decent numbers and new innovations like a built-in story, it never got as big as the competition.

If new games try to expand the genre, suddenly a lot more players are attracted. If you actually play on Diablo or Path of Exile, you might come across Tribes of Midgard and thus Valheim.

Science fiction fans who normally hang out in EVE Online may find Icarus exciting. From there the interest continues. And whoops! Did DayZ or ARK capture them. And already there is fresh meat among the survival gamers.

Of course, this won’t happen to all players. But fishing in other people’s ponds has always been a reliable means of getting your own fans. More games should dare to do that.

Evolution is perfectly normal, but extremely important

It has always been the case in gaming that a genre evolves if it wants to survive. New features brought a breath of fresh air to the games or even created completely new genres. The popular MOBAs emerged from strategy games, for example, and first-person shooters split into arena and hero shooters as well as battle royale.

Such developments are often a response to player needs and serve a current trend. The trick is to recognize this trend early or even to set it yourself, without idling an idea. The games that are now successful have usually managed to get that big at all.

As Valheim alone shows, it can be worthwhile to try new things. However, such attempts also carry the risk of flopping really hard. The survival game Last Oasis from 2020, for example, failed with its experimental approach, although the premise sounded exciting. A reorientation brought some improvement, but the game never got really big.

Last Oasis made players steadfastly flee an all-devastating catastrophe. Actually an exciting idea, but the connection with hardcore PvP didn’t hold up enough players.

This shows that it is important to take the right dose and then offer the right mix. There are some games coming up in 2022 that could do just that.

Here’s a little glimpse into what 2022 has to offer:

2022 has many new ideas up its sleeve

2022 will be a really good year for all survival fans and those who want to become one. And not because the top dogs are getting bigger, but because tons of new stuff is coming.

I would list 5 new games alone at any time if you want to convince someone of the genre with new games:

Nightingale looks particularly exciting – Here is the trailer:

Probably these games are not yet benefiting from my realization that 2021 has changed the genre. The development certainly started long before the survival games changed. But they definitely contribute to the fact that the development of survival games could shift even further in this direction in the future.

When properly raised, ideas like these can attract a huge number of people and even keep them permanently. Even if it’s just small indie projects:

2 “small” indie games on Steam do one thing a lot better than the big AAA titles

how do you see it? Has the change been felt in the survival genre? Did you find it good or not? Write a comment!