10 Best Survival Games Like Subnautica 2 to Play in 2026
Love Subnautica 2? Here are 10 more survival games with deep exploration, base building, and terrifying creatures. From the original Subnautica to Valheim, ranked by similarity.
- •Start with the original Subnautica if you haven't played it — still the closest experience
- •Valheim and Grounded are the best co-op alternatives; The Forest for horror-survival
- •All games feature base building, exploration, and the same 'alone in a hostile world' feeling
If You Love Subnautica 2, Play These Next
Subnautica 2 nails a specific feeling: you're small, the world is vast and beautiful, and something terrifying is always beyond the next ridge. These 10 games capture different pieces of that experience.
| # | Game | Price | Similarity | Best For | |---|------|-------|-----------|----------| | 1 | Subnautica (Original) | $29.99 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | If you want more of exactly this | | 2 | Valheim | $19.99 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Co-op base building + exploration | | 3 | Grounded | $39.99 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Honey I Shrunk the Kids survival | | 4 | The Forest | $19.99 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Horror-survival with base building | | 5 | Raft | $19.99 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Ocean survival on a floating base | | 6 | No Man's Sky | $59.99 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Infinite planets, underwater biomes | | 7 | Planet Crafter | $24.99 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Terraform a dead planet, pure chill | | 8 | Breathedge | $24.99 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Subnautica in space, with humor | | 9 | Sons of the Forest | $29.99 | ⭐⭐⭐ | The Forest sequel, better everything | | 10 | Stranded Deep | $19.99 | ⭐⭐ | Desert island survival, simpler |
1. Subnautica (Original), The Closest Match
If you haven't played the 2014 original: fix that immediately. It's the same DNA, alien ocean, base building, scanning, terrifying Leviathans, but on planet 4546B. The story is complete (not Early Access) and the sense of discovery is unmatched. Start here if you want more Subnautica.
2. Valheim, Viking Survival With Friends
Procedurally generated world. Build anything. Sail between islands. Boss fights gate progression. The art style is low-poly but the lighting is gorgeous. Best with 2-4 players but fully playable solo. The base building system is one of the best in the genre.
3. Grounded, Backyard Survival
You're shrunk to ant-size. Your backyard is the world. Build bases in grass, fight spiders the size of cars, explore a pond as deep as an ocean. The crafting and base systems are Obsidian-quality (the devs behind Fallout: New Vegas). Full co-op.
4. The Forest, Horror-Survival
Plane crash. Cannibal island. Build a base to survive. Then go deeper, into caves, uncovering a genuinely disturbing story. The AI cannibals learn your patterns. Build in the wrong spot and they'll find you. The sequel (Sons of the Forest) improves everything.
5. Raft, Floating Survival
You start on a 2×2 raft. Driftwood floats by. You expand. And expand. Eventually your raft is a floating city with engines, farms, and a shark circling underneath. The ocean setting is the most Subnautica-like on this list.
6. No Man's Sky, Infinite Worlds
Seven years of free updates have transformed this into one of the best exploration games ever made. Underwater bases on alien ocean planets. Giant sandworms. Living ships. The sheer variety of worlds to discover is unmatched.
7. Planet Crafter, Pure Chill Terraforming
No combat. No monsters. you and a dead planet. Build machines to generate heat, oxygen, and atmospheric pressure. Watch the sky turn blue as you terraform the world. The most relaxing game on this list.
8. Breathedge, Subnautica in Space (With Jokes)
Craft, explore wreckage, don't run out of oxygen. The core loop is Subnautica, but with a comedy tone. The humor is hit-or-miss, but the exploration and crafting are solid.
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This guide was compiled from multiple public sources. We cross-reference with 3+ sources before publishing.
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