Raft is the best survival game 2022 on Steam because it does 3 things completely different from the competition

Raft is a small indie game in the survival genre that you can get on Steam for just €20. You drift across the sea, tinker with your raft and experience a maritime adventure with your friends. MeinMMO author Maik Schneider is blown away – for him the best survival game 2022.

2022 is not exactly blessed with big game releases. So the perfect time to keep an eye on the little pearls.

And then Raft maneuvers in sight. One of my favorite gems in the survival genre and as of June 20, 2022, Raft is no longer in Early Access.

Together with MeinMMO colleague Benedict Grothaus and my friend Alicia, I plunged into the sea adventure again and have to say: With the full release, Raft has made another big step forward.

The number of players has increased enormously and it was one of the top sellers on Steam for several weeks. I would like to show you 3 mechanics that make Raft so fascinating and explain why you should definitely take a look.

We embed the trailer for the “Finale Chapter” by Raft here:

About the author: Maik plays almost all genres and is particularly into shooters and survival games – both together if you like. He has already spent thousands of hours in games of this type. However, Raft doesn’t need submachine guns to convince him. A cool breeze in the direction of travel makes him happy enough.

Number 1: The lonely sea

It starts with the setting and the first few seconds in the game. I only see blue – sea and sky, that’s it. Survival games often shine in the first few moments of the game, providing motivation with a sense of freedom. The urge to explore is there.

Raft does it a little differently and feels refreshingly unfamiliar from the very first moment.

Survival veterans in particular will be grateful for the unusual start. And as soon as the stressful start is done, you’re already in the middle of the adventure and can’t stop.

As the game progresses, the maritime setting keeps creating small, unusual scenarios. Really refreshing, like jumping into cold water on an overly hot summer’s day.

Number 2: The focus on story

When you slowly calm down and the boxes are generously filled with fish, you discover the research table and with it the first step back to civilization – or what is left of it.

Collected resources and some carfting items can be analyzed and bring you new items to craft.

For each new part you need new resources and you have to figure out how to get them. This in turn leads you to Story Islands where you can experience a story and get more recipes for even more items.

As a result, a common thread runs through the otherwise rather loose stories of the survival competition. The advantage: You always have something to do, always one goal in mind. The downside: the game ends at some point.

I already liked this aspect of the story in the survival crash “The Forest” and it works at least as well in Raft.

Number 3: The base building

For me, a good survival game needs base building and how awesome does the raft solve?

We fish leaves, wood and plastic out of the sea with a hook, build the foundation, our raft and place workbenches and boxes. With each new recipe learned, our need for space increases, which in the end leads to huge constructions.

Even automation is possible – but instead of creating complicated assembly line processes, we build collecting foundations that automatically collect flotsam. I walk around the raft and have a good load of materials in my inventory again.

In addition, all placed objects can be taken back into the inventory at any time – a blessing for every base builder. Resources are only lost with the raft building blocks that I create with the construction hammer.

The concept of building a raft also creates a dynamic all of its own. The base is constantly in motion, with strong waves there is really something going on. The connection to your own base is completely different than that of genre competitors.

Conclusion: Special survival adventure for every genre fan

Raft is a well-rounded survival adventure with a clear goal. The mechanics mesh brilliantly, the resource grind feels rewarding on “Normal” difficulty, and yet there’s always something to do.

Rarely have I seen story and survival work so well together. The concept is innovative, drives forward and ensures that the hours of play just blur.

For me, Raft in its finished release version is the best survival game of 2022.

There’s going to be a few more survival hits this year, but Raft is such a loving, complete, and great game that the others will have a hard time getting past it.

Let me know your opinion on the subject of rafting – do we agree, do you see it differently? If you have any questions about the game, I’m happy to answer them as well.