The survival game genre is among the most prolific, dating back to the earliest days of the video game industry. It all started with a pixel on a screen, and in the beginning, “survival” meant not dying or losing points. These days, it’s something else entirely, as the genre is most often associated with horror, crafting to survive, or any of a plethora of sub-genres that deal with making it from one day to the next. We looked at the history of survival games through the lens of home video console generations and selected the best games from each. The winners were chosen based on contemporary critics’ reviews at the time of release, their overall impact on the genre, and how much fun they were to play.
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1st) Pong
1st Gen: Atari Pong | Coleco Telstar | Magnavox Odyssey
The first console generation consisted of comparatively simple games, and among them, the best survival game was definitely Pong. Granted, few today would think of Pong as a survival game, seeing as it’s essentially two-player tennis, but the concept of survival amounts to not letting your ball slip past you. That’s how it was back in the 1970s, but it wouldn’t take long for the concept of survival in video games to evolve beyond losing a game of Pong to friends. Regardless, Pong was the most prominent home console game of the era, and it was pivotal in proving the commercial viability of games in general, so it’s also one of the most important games in history.
2nd) Haunted House
2nd Gen: Atari 2600 | Channel F | ColecoVision | Intellivision | Magnavox Odyssey 2
The 2nd console generation saw more development of survival games, though they were classified under the adventure game banner back then. Haunted House was an early contender for the survival horror genre, as it thrust the player into a haunted house, where they control a pair of eyes in the darkness. The goal is to explore the haunted mansion to find parts of an urn so they can ultimately find their way out. It’s filled with vampire bats, a ghost, and giant spiders, giving the place an eerie feeling. While not as developed as later titles, Haunted House certainly contained the seeds of what would become the survival horror genre.
3rd) Sweet Home
3rd Gen: Atari 7800 | Nintendo Entertainment System | Sega Master System
While it wasn’t released in the States, Sweet Home is probably the earliest example of a survival horror in its truest form. The game was released on the Nintendo Famicom in Japan in 1989, and while it’s classified as a role-playing game, it’s far closer to a survival horror game than anything else. It involves five filmmakers exploring a mansion and finding supernatural horrors within. The player must then navigate the mansion, fighting enemies along the way with limited weapons to try and get out alive. It includes five different endings, and Sweet Home was the direct inspiration for Resident Evil.
4th) Clock Tower
4th Gen: TurboGrafx-16 | Genesis | Neo Geo | Super Nintendo Entertainment System
By the 4th console generation, the survival genre had a firmer foundation, with several notable games becoming part of popular culture. We were still one generation away from some of the better-known franchises that continue to exist today, though one Super Nintendo franchise that is still around and featured a great game is Clock Tower. The game pits a young girl against a stalking murderer known as Scissorman. She must escape a mansion while evading him, and Clock Tower features multiple endings, depending on how she makes her way out. It’s a point-and-click game filled with puzzles and exploration, featuring creepy graphics and images of real people.
5th) Resident Evil 2
5th Gen: 3DO | Jaguar | PlayStation | Nintendo 64
Survival games exploded in popularity on the PlayStation, and the system featured plenty of them. Granted, it wasn’t the only one to boast great survival games, but it certainly towered over the competition. While Resident Evil is a classic that deserves mention, its sequel takes the top spot. Granted, some might fight me for that while touting Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, but the math supports Resident Evil 2 as the best survival game from the 5th generation. The game improved upon the original in several areas, adding to the lore while continuing the story, and it sold incredibly well.
6th) Silent Hill 2
6th Gen: GameCube | Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | Xbox
The Resident Evil franchise may have been an early leader in the survival genre, but it was hardly the only one. Alone in the Dark beat it by several years on PC, and another popped up on the PlayStation in 1999: Silent Hill. The series’ second installment arrived on the PS2 and Xbox in 2001, and Silent Hill 2 became a huge seller, receiving widespread critical acclaim for its depth. The game’s use of psychological horror is absolutely brilliant, and Silent Hill 2 is an amazing work of art inasmuch as it is a fantastic survival horror game, thanks to its moody visuals and expert presentation.
7th) The Last of Us
7th Gen: PlayStation 3 | Wii | Xbox 360
The 7th console generation featured some excellent options where survival games are concerned, and chief among them was Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed title The Last of Us. The game’s reliance on stealth, improvised weapons, and fungus-borne zombies made for compelling gameplay, and it features one of the best stories ever made into a video game. That’s largely due to the characters, the excellent voice acting, and the game’s beautiful presentation, which make for top-tier entertainment all around. The Last of Us has been remade, spawned a sequel and a television series adaptation, and is one of the best survival action-adventure games of the 21st century.
8th) Alien Isolation
8th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Wii U | Xbox One
There are plenty of great games based on the Alien franchise, but the one that is often cited as the best is Alien Isolation. This game is a masterclass in survival horror, as it’s truly about surviving a terrifying monster against which you have little to no defense. The player takes control of Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, aboard the Sevastopol. Gameplay involves using stealth to avoid and outsmart a rampaging Xenomorph, and when it finds you, be prepared to yelp out in surprised fear. The game is absolutely fantastic and an easy choice for the best survival game from the 8th console generation.
9th) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
9th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S
The 9th console generation saw a ton of excellent survival games, along with plenty of great remakes from earlier generations. Since we’re not looking at remakes for this list, the best survival game of this generation is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which returned the franchise to its survival-horror roots by emphasizing exploration as its primary gameplay mechanic. It’s also the franchise’s first game to use a first-person perspective, a move that was met with mixed reactions from fans. Regardless, Biohazard was a massive hit, selling incredibly well while keeping the franchise going with new blood.
10th) Resident Evil Requiem
10th Gen: Nintendo Switch 2 | PlayStation 6 | Xbox Project Helix
As of writing, there isn’t a consensus as to whether the 10th console generation has begun yet or when it might start. That said, some in the industry have pointed to the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 as the beginning of the 10th generation, so to that end, the best survival game of the generation (until more consoles and games are released) is easily Resident Evil Requiem. The game was released on the Switch 2 in February 2026, and it looks excellent on the system. The game is also the fastest-selling RE game in history, moving more than 5 million copies in its first week, and is a contender for several end-of-year awards.
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