Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 73 | 22 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 80 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 71% | 67 | 13 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 37 reviews sampled · 33 total reviews in window · weighted 19.3 up / 8 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (34)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“he core gameplay is fine, and the multiplayer was a good experience, but the lack of quality of life features really holds it back at times and it’s probably worth waiting for updates before considering the game at full price. If those get patched in and maybe the game receives a few more content updates, it would absolutely be worth a look.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Survivalists has its flaws - despite the lengthy crafting system and sometimes unnecessarily difficult guessing what the game actually wants from you, it is a pretty good sandbox survival title. I would recommend this game to more than one survivalist and monkey. So if you're a fan of the genre and preferably have another friend on hand to go along with you, The Survivalist is at least worth a try. I give the title a 6/10, as it has its flaws and there is still room for improvement.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Some will get a lot out of The Survivalists, and we'd find it difficult to argue that it isn't fun, but your mileage will seriously vary on how quickly you burn out on its lackadaisical approach to the danger that really defines the survival genre. As an entry-level take on the principles it's pretty good, but even the least experienced survivor will reach endgame gear quickly and find there's just not a whole lot left to do. Updates could (and hopefully will) mitigate this issue, but The Survivalists, as it is now, feels a little... well... deserted.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Survivalists is adrift on a sea of similar titles, struggling to find relevance and survive amid the near endless competition.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“As I have noted a few times before, in general survival games haven’t tended to be a favorite of mine in the past...”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Interesting and charming in its own way, The Survivalists will keep you entertained in short bursts as you try to complete the main objective and craft items to stay alive. Unfortunately, the AI system of your monkey companions is quite cumbersome and clunky. You'll often find yourself more annoyed than delighted due to all the monkeying around.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Survivalists is a great change-up to the core formula of this series, and it’s got some fun moments to it as you try to escape.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Survivalists is a great sandbox game that will have you exploring for hours, whether you’re playing by yourself or with friends. With its engaging and colourful pixelated environment, it’s easy to while away the hours roaming the game’s beaches or sailing the seas. If you don’t mind a non-linear gaming experience and you’re not afraid to explore the world in your own time, this game will be a joy to play.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you’ve been interested in survival games in the past but were turned off by high difficulty levels and complexity of systems, this is the game for you.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“If you are looking for a survival and management game, The Survivalists could be a good choice but you should approach the existing version with some caution because it needs some updates and more content to become a must have choice in its genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Survivalists is a calm and serene survival game and monkey butler training broken up by spurts of risky combat and dungeon crawling with your trained monkey attack squad. If it wasn't for a few awkward design decisions it'd be fantastic, but it's still a good survival game that you can tackle with friends online.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Putting together a lot of good elements like the survival and construction , The Survivalist it’s a great game to let time be and get some chill gaming experience Get some elements of survival, a colorful and funny graphics and there you have a wonderful experience and some good fun about it And you can try to survive with it all!”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
PC Invasion
Gamerheadquarters
Checkpoint Gaming
Rocket Chainsaw
Bazimag
TheSixthAxis
Game Forces PT…and 22 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- ❗Update RequiredOct 3, 2025
- Expeditions Update - Out Now!Jun 24, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Update! - Faster Rafts, Death Location Marked on Map & More!Jun 11, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch - Bug Fix UpdateMay 19, 2021
- Expeditions Update - Coming Soon!May 14, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- The Survivalists Farming Update Is Live!Feb 11, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch - Farming Update!Feb 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Infinite Load and Save File Issues HotfixDec 18, 2020
- Update 2 - New Animals, Taming & Breeding!Dec 8, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Dangerous Plants Update!Nov 27, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Update - Boar Rework and Rebalance and More!Nov 20, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Animal Update!Nov 18, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.11 for the Live VersionOct 27, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- The Survivalists Patch 1.1 Has Landed!Oct 23, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Update 1.04 - New Key Rebindings!Oct 22, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- Experimental Branch Update - Monkeys, projectiles and more!Oct 20, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- New Experimental Branch for The Survivalists - Try Upcoming Changes Early!Oct 15, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- The Survivalists Rafting Forward - Future Content, Fixes and More!Oct 14, 2020significant · resets scoring window
- The Survivalists 1.0 is here!Oct 9, 2020
- A New and Improved Demo Has Just Washed Ashore! Fresh Island, Shovel & More!Aug 20, 2020significant · resets scoring window