Stranded Deep is a realistic survival game developed and published by Beam Team Games.
The game was released in 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and later in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. PC players had to wait the longest, until 2022, for their version. Stranded Deep is the debut and currently the only project of Beam Team Games.
The game’s action takes place somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where a plane crash has occurred. The only survivor of the crash reaches one of the Pacific islands, thus beginning his struggle for survival.
In Stranded Deep, we will face a very dangerous opponent, namely… nature. Marine and land creatures, whims of nature, thirst, hunger, and finally, limited resources will make survival a hellishly difficult task.
Criteria of selection
Thanks to the realistic experience during gameplay and the guarantee of many hours of excellent fun, the game has already gathered quite a number of supporters. Unfortunately, even the best things cannot last forever, so for players who were left wanting more from Stranded Deep, we have prepared a list of alternative games.
While creating the list, we considered the genre, realism, or atmosphere — so that everyone could find something for themselves.
Let’s begin!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Valheim | 2021-02-02 | Sanbox, survival | Iron Gate Studios |
 | Subnautica | 2018-01-23 | Adventure | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
 | The Long Dark Survival Edition | 2017-08-01 | Adventure | Hinterland Studio Inc. |
 | Ark Survival Evolved | 2015-06-02 | Adventure | Studio Wildcard |
 | No Mans Sky | 2016-08-12 | Adventure | Hello Games |
 | Dont Starve Together | 2016-04-21 | Economy | Klei Entertainment |
 | Grounded | 2020-07-28 | Action | Obsidian Entertainment |
 | Raft | 2018-05-23 | Adventure | Redbeet Interactive |
 | State Of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition | 2018-05-22 | Action & Shooter | Undead Labs |
 | Green Hell | 2019-09-05 | Sanbox, survival | Creepy Jar |
 | The Forest | 2014-05-30 | Adventure | Endnight Games Ltd |
 | Sons Of The Forest | 2023-02-23 | Horror | Endnight Games Ltd |
The Sons of the Forest
| Release date: | 2023-02-23 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Endnight Games Ltd |
The Sons of the Forest is a survival horror game released in 2024 by Newnight. It is an improved sequel to The Forest released in 2018.
In Sons of the Forest, we embark on a mission by helicopter to find a missing billionaire. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashes in the middle of a spooky forest, and now it’s our turn to fight for survival. The task will be hindered by mutated cannibals lurking in the darkness.
Sons of the Forest can be confidently considered an alternative to Stranded Deep, although certainly a more terrifying one. While there are seasonal changes (with all their inconveniences), it is not Mother Nature that will be our biggest problem.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Subnautica
| Release date: | 2018-01-23 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
Subnautica is a survival game with elements of action and adventure. It was developed and released in 2018 by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, known for the excellent online shooter Natural Selection 2.
The action of Subnautica is set in the 22nd century (specifically the second half), where the colonization of alien planets is in full swing. The spaceship “Aurora” crashes on the previously unexplored planet 4546B, and only one person survives — our main character. Our task is to gather as much information about the alien planet and survive. The task is complicated by the fact that the planet is almost entirely covered by water.
Although Subnautica certainly has a richer story to tell, it is undeniably a survival game. As in Stranded Deep, we will face the planet’s fauna and flora, although it will differ significantly from Earth’s.
| Key features |
|---|
|
The Long Dark
| Release date: | 2017-08-01 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Hinterland Studio Inc. |
The Long Dark is an open-world survival game developed and published by the Canadian studio Hinterland. The game received a warm reception, and in 2018, it won two Webby Awards for Best Writing and Best Strategy.
In the game, we play as Will Mackenzie, a pilot whose plane crashes somewhere in the cold, snowy wilderness of Canada. From that moment on, he faces a struggle for survival — battling the cold, hunger, and predators.
Although The Long Dark’s dark atmosphere might remind one of survival horror, it is actually a struggle not against zombies but wild nature, just like in Stranded Deep.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Valheim
| Release date: | 2021-02-02 |
| Genre: | Sanbox, survival |
| Developer: | Iron Gate Studios |
Valheim is a survival game inspired by Norse mythology. It was released in early access in 2021 on PC by Coffee Stain Publishing. In 2023, it also became available on Xbox One and Xbox S/X in early access.
The titular realm of Valheim, where the game takes place, is the tenth Norse world where Vikings go after death. Our hero, who also ended up there after his death, must learn the art of survival because his task is to eliminate Odin’s enemies and bring order to Valheim.
Besides being a survival game, which naturally connects it to Stranded Deep, it offers a vast open world, thus adding another common point with the discussed title.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Raft
| Release date: | 2018-05-23 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Redbeet Interactive |
Raft is a survival game released in 2022 by Axolot Games. Raft is the only title developed by the Redbeet Interactive studio so far.
In Raft, we play as a castaway trapped on a small raft. Our goal is to survive, which can prove to be quite a challenge since at the beginning of the game, we only have a hook at our disposal.
Just like Stranded Deep, Raft is a survival game. Our main landscape here is water, although we will also encounter islands along the way. Both games are played from a first-person perspective.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Green Hell
| Release date: | 2019-09-05 |
| Genre: | Sanbox, survival |
| Developer: | Creepy Jar |
Green Hell is a survival game developed and published by the independent Polish team Creepy Jar. The game has gained significant recognition among players and critics and won the Best Polish Game of 2019 award at the DD Awards.
The main character, anthropologist Jake Higgins, scours the Amazon jungle in search of his beloved wife Mia. To survive, he must battle not only the wild jungle and its inhabitants but also his own mind.
Green Hell, like Stranded Deep, is a game where the main theme is the struggle for survival. It is played from a first-person perspective, and its realism can give you goosebumps at times.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Grounded
| Release date: | 2020-07-28 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Obsidian Entertainment |
Grounded is a survival game with elements of adventure. The title received such a good reception that even during early access, it was hailed as the best-selling game on Steam.
The action of Grounded takes place in the 1990s. In mysterious circumstances, four teenagers are shrunk to the size of an ant. The player takes on the role of one of them, and their task is to fight for survival in a garden full of dangers and uncover the mystery of their sudden shrinking.
Although some might associate Grounded mainly with an adventure game, the truth is that it is survival with a capital S. The fight against natural enemies seen in Stranded Deep is even more dangerous here, as even an encounter with insects can be deadly for us.
| Key features |
|---|
|
Summary
We have presented you with several games similar to Stranded Deep, where the main goal is survival, and each of them will keep you glued to the screen for several good hours. Do the mentioned games meet your expectations? Or have you already chosen one as your next goal? If so, we have nothing else to do but wish you good fun and… good luck 😉