We all love games where you can chill, build, or hack through enemies. But nothing beats that feeling when the world itself tries to kill you. In these games, weather isn’t just pretty, but it’s your worst enemy. The challenge is real, and every calm moment feels earned.
Here’s a list of games where extreme weather isn’t background noise — it’s central to your survival.
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | Video | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Frostpunk | 2018-04-24 | Simulator & Strategy | 11 bit studios | |
 | The Long Dark | 2017-08-01 | Shooter & Simulator | Hinterland Studio Inc. | |
 | Dont Starve Together | 2016-04-21 | Strategy & Simulator | Klei Entertainment | |
 | ARK Survival Evolved | 2015-06-02 | Shooter & Role-playing (RPG) | Efecto Studios | |
 | Green Hell | 2019-09-05 | Simulator & Strategy | Creepy Jar | |
 | Subnautica | 2017-10-31 | Indie & Adventure | Unknown Worlds Entertainment | |
 | Banished | 2014-02-18 | Real Time Strategy (RTS) & Indie | Shining Rock Software LLC | |
 | Frostpunk 2 | 2024-09-20 | Strategy & Simulator | 11 bit studios | |
 | Project Zomboid | 2013-11-08 | Indie & Simulator | The Indie Stone | |
 | Dont Starve | 2013-04-19 | Adventure & Simulator | Klei Entertainment | |
 | Conan Exiles | 2017-01-30 | Simulator & Fighting | Funcom | |
 | Valheim | 2021-02-02 | Adventure & Indie | Iron Gate Studio |
Frostpunk
| Release date: | 2018-04-24 |
| Genre: | Simulator & Strategy & Indie |
| Developer: | 11 bit studios |
In Frostpunk, you manage a city trapped in endless winter. Heat means survival.
A giant generator powers your people, but demands fuel like coal or oil. If your city goes cold, people get sick and die, and society starts to break.
You track temperatures with the in-game thermometer. Blizzards stop resource gathering, forcing you to rely on stockpiles. How close buildings are to the generator affects warmth. You build Heating Hubs, research Housing Insulation, and constantly balance power to survive.
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The Long Dark
| Release date: | 2017-08-01 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Simulator & Strategy & Adventure & Indie |
| Developer: | Hinterland Studio Inc. |
The weather here is deadlier than wolves.
Body temperature constantly drops due to cold air, wind, snow, fog, and blizzards. Letting your warmth drop kills you fast.
You learn to spot weather changes by watching “weather crows” overhead. Blizzards wreck visibility, ruin clothing, and extinguish fires. Winds chill you further and block movement. The harder the difficulty, the worse the weather.
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Dont Starve
| Release date: | 2013-04-19 |
| Genre: | Simulator & Adventure |
| Developer: | Klei Entertainment |
Don’t Starve throws wild weather at you: cold, rain, hail, snow, fog, and lightning. Your clothing protects you, but only if you stay prepared.
Temperature shifts constantly. Heat gear works at 35°C or higher. Both winter and summer require careful management of thermal stones and clothing.
Fog can blind you, making travel dangerous. One wrong move leaves your character starving or freezing.
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ARK: Survival Evolved
| Release date: | 2015-06-02 |
| Genre: | Shooter & Role-playing (RPG) & Simulator & Adventure & Indie |
| Developer: | Efecto Studios |
In ARK, temperature control means survival. Fires, shelters, clothing, and fortitude stats help you avoid deadly heat or cold. Hunger, thirst, and health drop fast when exposed.
“Super heat” drains your water and health. Sandstorms limit vision, stop sprinting, and fill your inventory with sand. Electrical storms disable weapons, cryopods, turrets, and saddles, but not tech generators.
Rain helps by filling containers and cooling you. Tame a Jerboa to warn of incoming weather. Water, tents, or adobe bases offer some protection, but sometimes your only option is to leave.
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Green Hell
| Release date: | 2019-09-05 |
| Genre: | Simulator & Strategy & Adventure & Indie |
| Developer: | Creepy Jar |
Set in the Amazon, Green Hell forces you to adapt to wet and dry seasons. The first rainy season lasts about 20 days. After that, seasons rotate every 15–30 days.
Rain fills rivers and water collectors, while dry spells leave you scrambling for coconuts or moisture collectors.
Besides thirst, you balance your diet, avoid venom, and heal wounds. Long dry spells can last up to 98 days, making preparation crucial.
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Subnautica
| Release date: | 2017-10-31 |
| Genre: | Adventure & Indie |
| Developer: | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
Originally focused on underwater survival, the “Epic Weather” mod transforms Subnautica. It adds rain, fog, winds, and wild thunderstorms.
These aren’t just pretty effects. Fog reduces visibility. Rain changes sound and visuals.
Thunderstorms get louder as lightning strikes closer. You can even control when weather appears, adjust fog, and change water color for atmosphere.
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Banished
| Release date: | 2014-02-18 |
| Genre: | Real Time Strategy (RTS) & Simulator & Strategy & Indie |
| Developer: | Shining Rock Software LLC |
In Banished, you lead exiles building a new life while fighting famine, weather, and disease. Winter brings deadly cold, stopping farming and risking starvation and hypothermia.
Stockpiling food, firewood, and housing is key. Early frosts kill unharvested crops.
Nomads add pressure by eating through supplies and spreading disease. The simple interface makes resource tracking tricky, and many players use mods to ease the load.
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There you go! If you’re after games where nature wants you dead, these will test your survival instincts like nothing else.
Which one have you already beaten? Or which will you face next?