Best procedurally generated survival games on PC
The best procedurally generated survival games build a new world each time you start. What you learned about one map does not solve the next one. Don't Starve, Valheim, and RimWorld are strong places to start. Each entry below says what the game generates and who it suits.
What "procedurally generated" means in this list
A procedurally generated game builds its world from rules and random numbers, not by hand. Many games use a seed, a start value for the generator. The same seed with the same rules gives the same world. For a full explanation, read procedural generation in games, explained.
In this list, the generator must make the map or the main play area. Random loot alone is not enough. The world must also be dangerous, with needs such as food, health, or fuel.
| Game | What the generator makes | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Route 48 | Roads, towns, forests, loot, encounters | Solo |
| Don't Starve | The wilderness map | Solo |
| Valheim | A world of biomes, from a map seed | 1 to 10 |
| Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead | The overworld map | Solo |
| The Long Drive | An almost endless desert | Solo |
| RimWorld | A planet, from a seed | Solo |
| No Man's Sky | One huge shared universe | Solo or online |
| Terraria | A 2D world in one of three sizes | Solo or multiplayer |
| Core Keeper | An underground world, from a seed | 1 to 8 |
| Minecraft | Terrain as you explore, from a seed | Solo or multiplayer |
Route 48 (our game)
Full disclosure: we made Route 48, so we put it first.
Every new game of Route 48 generates a new world with different roads, towns, forests, loot locations, and encounters. You drive through it in first person, scavenge for fuel and parts, and fight zombies and armed survivors. Route 48 is in Early Access, and player feedback will shape the procedural generation. You can find it on Steam.
Don't Starve
Developer: Klei Entertainment. Released: 2013. Players: Single-player.
Each game starts in a randomly generated wilderness. Three gauges track your health, hunger, and sanity. When the screen goes dark, an invisible threat called Charlie attacks you, so you need a light at night. Seasons change how long the days and nights are.
Death is permanent, except for a few rare or expensive items. So each new world is a fresh test of what you know. It suits solo players who learn from each loss.
Valheim
Developer: Iron Gate Studio. Released: 2026 (Early Access from 2021). Players: Single-player or co-op for up to 10 players.
Valheim generates its world from a map seed. The world has different biomes, and each biome has its own resources and enemies. You sail between lands, build halls, and fight large bosses called the Forsaken.
Food raises your maximum health and stamina, so each meal matters before a fight. Valheim left Early Access in September 2026. It works for solo players and for groups of friends.
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
Developer: CleverRaven and community contributors. Released: 2013 (on Steam since 2023). Players: Single-player.
This open-source, turn-based roguelike generates a map of a ruined New England. Zombies fill the cities, and other strange threats live in the wild. You can repair vehicles or build one from scratch.
It has very deep systems for items, tools, and vehicles. It suits players who want the most detail and do not mind a slow pace.
The Long Drive
Developer: Genesz. Released: 2019 (Early Access). Players: Single-player.
The Long Drive generates an almost endless desert road trip. The developer says the focus is freedom, driving, and exploration. The survival and car maintenance parts are light.
There is no fixed end to the road, so the generator always has more to show you. It suits players who want a calm drive more than a hard fight. It is still in Early Access.
RimWorld
Developer: Ludeon Studios. Released: 2018. Players: Single-player.
RimWorld generates a whole planet before you land. You can set the seed, the share of the planet to generate, and the overall rainfall, temperature, and population. A given seed always gives the same land masses, rivers, and mountains, but roads and towns can change.
You then manage a small colony with moods, wounds, and illnesses. An AI storyteller controls the events. It suits players who like to manage a group more than one character.
No Man's Sky
Developer: Hello Games. Released: 2016. Players: Single-player or online multiplayer.
No Man's Sky works in a different way. It generates over 18 quintillion planets from a single seed, and the result is the same for every player. So two players who visit the same planet see the same place.
You do not get a new universe each time, but you will always find a planet that is new to you. Many planets have extreme temperatures, toxic gas, or storms, and your suit and ship need fuel. A Permadeath mode is available for a harder game.
Terraria
Developer: Re-Logic. Released: 2011. Players: Single-player or multiplayer.
Terraria puts you in a procedurally generated 2D world. When you make a world, you pick one of three sizes. You dig, build, craft, fight, and survive.
Each new world has a different layout of caves and treasure. It suits players who like action as much as building.
Core Keeper
Developer: Pugstorm. Released: 2024 (Early Access from 2022). Players: Single-player or co-op for up to 8 players.
Core Keeper is set in a procedurally generated underground world. The 1.0 release added seed-based world generation. You mine, build a base, craft tools, farm, and fight huge bosses called Titans.
It suits players who want a sandbox with a mine, a base, and boss fights, alone or with friends.
Minecraft
Developer: Mojang Studios. Released: 2011. Players: Single-player or multiplayer.
Minecraft generates its terrain as you explore. The game picks a random seed, or you can type your own. The same seed always gives the same terrain, so a friend can use your seed to get the same world.
In survival mode, you must eat to refill your hunger bar. Hardcore mode adds permadeath. It suits players who want to build as much as they want to survive.
How we picked these games
We only chose survival games where the generator makes the map or the main play area. We mixed solo and co-op games, and slow and fast games. We checked each fact on the Steam page, a developer source, or a public wiki. We left out games with a fixed, hand-made map, even when they have random loot.
Which one should you start with?
- Start with Don't Starve if you want a hard solo game that you learn when you fail.
- Start with Valheim or Core Keeper if you play with friends.
- Start with RimWorld if you want to manage a colony.
- Start with Route 48 or Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if you want zombies and vehicles.
- Start with The Long Drive if you want to relax.
- Start with No Man's Sky if you want a universe with no end.
New to the genre? Read our survival game tips for beginners before your first run. For more solo picks, see the best single-player survival games.