So, I’m definitely that game that likes to really get sucked into a game and become a little bit obsessive. Maybe not obsessive like my partner who can start playing a game and that ONE little session turns into youtube videos and guides kind of obsessed, but the kind that gets you invested DURING the game. And I think that’s where the survival/crafter games really shine.

And do I have a list of those types of games for you and your player number two (or three or four, maybe you definitely got that gamer group going and there’s room for all of them here!) So let’s name some fun, co-op survival crafter games for you and your friends!

So this game is an oldie, but a goodie. Don’t starve started off as a single player survival game, but the creators have since maybe Don’t Starve Together (a co-op version!) and it started off with me and my best friend playing this game for HOURS, over many days, a week. 

You wake up in a randomly generated, huge world that is just ripe for exploration. Your main goal? (Is to blow up…just kidding, iykyk). It’s in the title. Don’t starve… together cause it’s a co-op game. 

You start from scratch with nothing to your name (except if your character comes with any unique items like Woody and his axe) picking food, crafting a pickaxe and axe, and gathering resources to build a new home to shelter you from the world’s monsters and elements. Different seasons bring on different world changes that affect both you and the animals and monsters around you sometimes negatively or positively. Slowly, you unlock interesting gadgets and recipes that help you further survive in this chaotic world.

This game is actually very cute and has a unique art style with characters that each have their own perks, abilities, items and even their own pros and cons. 

For example, the character Webber is a spider boy who grows his own web beard, meaning you don’t have to venture into dangerous spider territory to find some yourself, all you have to do is shave your facial hair off! And spider monsters don’t attack you because you look like them, but unfortunately, the silly pig men hate spiders and go out of their way to try to kill you. 

Though if that part scares you as a new player, don’t worry, you can play as the main character and face of Don’t Starve, Wilson, who literally has no pros or cons to his kit, allowing you to try out the game without any complications or confusion. 

The best part? The devs are active in this game’s development despite the years that’s gone by so there are updates, DLCs, new skins are dropped and you get gifts (yes, even skins and outfits), just for PLAYING the game whether you die in the very first season of fall, or make it all the way through a year and die in the summer.

But wait there’s more.

The community drops lots of mods that go from adding a new twist on the game itself to quality of life things as little as backpacks that allow you to pick up furniture again after you dropped it. There’s lots to this game and I recommend surviving through all the seasons and picking up a mod or two when you try it out!

And if you like being a bit more casual with your survival games, don’t starve together also allows for you to build your own randomly generated world and you can toggle off pretty much ANY thing you don’t like, including end of the season bosses or just that annoying monster that you just never want to see again because its SUCH a nuisance. 

If there’s any game I’m biased on, it’s this one. Try it out.

This game is available on: PC/Steam, Xbox and PlayStation 

Ah, The Forest, a first person survival horror. Picture this, you’re a character on the very first episode of Lost (no please, hear me out, I’m setting the mood) first, a scenic plane ride, a dozing seatmate, maybe some light turbulence. 

And then BAM, your plane crashes, but don’t worry because you’re the main character so of course you survive this horrible accident that has a super low chance of survivability! Go, you! You wake up on some remote island with, hopefully, a bunch of your friends (up to seven, if you have that many friends). 

And I know what you’re thinking-

This could be so much fun! It’s like a big, unplanned camping trip. With cannibals and mysterious underground labs (but that’s for you to uncover!). Wait.

Alright so unlike Don’t Starve Together, this game is a little more serious. It’s not as quirky and unique in its survival take, but you start from scratch with some friends, are in need of building a camp and finding resources to stay alive and there are indeed still monsters. But those monsters are other human beings… and they would totally love to take a chunk out of your arm.

I don’t know which one is scarier, cannibals or the don’t starve together creatures. 

All you start off with is the dead bodies of your fellow plane peers, and you raid their suitcases for anything you can use to survive. And the rest of it is up to you and your team of fellow survivors.

This one is a little more on the realistic side which I think is great for anyone who wants less of a whimsical version of survivor crafters and a more realistic take on it. Like most survival crafters, you unlock more tools to help you survive as you go, night time is a little more dangerous (though, the cannibals have no problem trying to snack on you in the daytime), and you need to keep up with food and water.

This game leans HEAVY into the survival aspect and the time I played this game with about 5 other people, it definitely felt like we were a community all just trying to do our part. Some of us were setting up traps to catch wildlife, others collecting berries, gathering wood for the base, making rabbit farms, growing food… the list goes on and on.

And if that is something that makes your little gamer fingers start twitching, you should probably get on this game, and bring your friends, too!

Grab your axe, hold hands as the plane crashes and make sure everyone loads in before entering caves… It’s a lot less scarier that way, trust me.

This game is available on: PC/steam

Raft is a first-person survival crafting game where you and your co-op buddy start on a tiny raft and slowly build your floating empire. You’ll gather drifting resources, purify water, plant crops, and fend off the occasional shark attack, all while exploring islands and uncovering the story of a flooded world.

It’s like the ultimate ocean road trip… if your car was made out of scrap wood and plastic bottles that you literally fish out of the water.

In comparison to the first two on this list, I would say that Raft is the chilliest and coziest survival experience out of the three. While yes, you’ll definitely scream the first time you turn around and see a shark attempting to take a chunk out of you, this game is one of the more calmer survival crafters out there. You could definitely play some lo-fi in the background if you wanted, too.

If you want a game that blends teamwork, creativity, and just enough danger to keep you on your toes, Raft is a perfect pick as a survival crafter. It’s equal parts relaxing and chaotic because one moment you’re enjoying the starry night sky as you float along with your latest fish catch as supper, the next you’re diving for resources only to see a shark is looking at you like its next snack. 

You get to go from being on one little piece of floating wood to building and extending it out until it’s a three-story tall house with fishing nets deployed at the bottom to passively catch resources while you cook your next meal.

And by the time you’ve built a floating mansion together and locked plenty of shark kills underneath your belt, you’ll feel like the ultimate survival duo.

Grab your fishing rod, raise the anchor, and prepare for the coziest ocean apocalypse you’ll ever experience.

This game is available on: PC/Steam, Xbox and Playstation

State of Decay 2 is an open-world zombie survival game where you and your co-op partner lead a community of survivors through the apocalypse. You’ll scavenge for supplies, gas and food while you build and upgrade your base, and make the tough calls about who stays, who goes, and who’s getting the last can of beans.

It’s not just about surviving the undead, it’s about managing the living. And trust us, dealing with zombies is sometimes easier than keeping your survivors happy.

This game is very much less run and gun, and more about the mundane day-to-day survival of a zombie apocalypse. I feel like zombie games, especially co-op ones can sometimes just blend together, but I think a great thing about State of Decay 2 is the mundane being blended together with a co-op survival experience because who doesn’t like a zombie infested world in the gaming sphere? 

Together you and your player two can divide and conquer. One of you can hit the grocery store while the other fortifies the base. There is shared decision-making. Every choice matters, and making them together keeps the drama spicy (and who doesn’t like drama in GAMES, it’s ONLY ever fun in anything but real life, duh!).

 And the best part is getting to watch your little community thrive thanks to your team effort.

If you and your co-op partner want a mix of strategy, resource management, and heart-pounding zombie encounters, State of Decay 2 delivers. It’s a game that rewards teamwork, quick thinking, and a sense of humor when everything inevitably goes wrong. Or if a zombie happens to start clipping through the walls, but I find joy in those little things. We love a little charm in our tense survival games!

So grab your weapons, stock up on snacks, and get ready to find out if your relationship can survive the apocalypse. And remember venturing out alone is how horror movies start.

So maybe don’t do it in this game!

This game is available on: PC/Steam, Xbox

And you know, sometimes survival and zombie genres go hand in hand. Want a bit more risk with some flesh eating zombies? Check out this post about fun co-op ZOMBIE titles for you and your player two!