The best deals in Steam’s Open World Survival Crafting Fest sale

Steam is having a sale on open-world survival and crafting games at the moment, and there are plenty of worthwhile deals on offer. Here are our picks for the best of the bunch.

This Steam sale really drives home how popular the genre has become over the last decade. Equally, open-world survival crafting games have become as varied as they are numerous, featuring every setting from space to the medieval era.

The sale runs until June 3 at 10 AM PT, so there’s plenty of time to take advantage. There is also a nice range of big-budget entries and indie titles, meaning there should be a little something for everyone.

This is our full rundown of the best deals in Steam’s Open World Survival Crafting Fest sale.

Rust

When talking about the survival crafting genre, Rust is usually one of the first games that crop up. A shining example, players start entirely naked and, without much direction, the game asks them to go out and make a life for themselves.

This involves the usual fare of constructing a shelter and finding food, all in a harsh world full of dangers. Rust has become very well known for its multiplayer mode and the rogueish behavior of its players, but there is also a solid single-player experience for those who prefer a solitary life.

The Forest

If the genre feels as though it has become a bit stale in recent years, The Forest does deliver thrills at the very least. The player is thrust into the titular landscape after the plane they were traveling on crashes. So far, so normal. Unfortunately, immediately after the crash, the protagonist’s son Timmy LeBlanc, is kidnapped by mutants.

What follows is a surprisingly deep narrative that blends traditional survival mechanics with several horror and mystery elements. This creates a compelling package that is difficult to ignore at just $4.99/£3.87 in the Steam sale. The sequel, Sons of the Forest, is also on sale and well worth playing if you enjoy the first.

Subnautica

There is so much about Subnautica that sets it apart from other entries in the genre. After crash landing on an alien world covered in ocean, the game starts as a race against time to find drinkable water, food, and oxygen to continue to survive.

From there, it places an emphasis on exploration, with a vast and genuinely beautiful setting to enjoy for hours. The underwater base-building elements are polished, and the whole game is undercut by a brooding mystery that draws players in.

Medieval Dynasty

There’s something intangible about Medieval Dynasty that elevates its appeal beyond its immediate peers. Played in the usual first-person perspective, the game tasks us with establishing a small holding in the Middle Ages.

It’s undoubtedly slow at the start, tasking players with chopping trees to start a fire and construct a basic shelter. After a while, though, more fledgling citizens will arrive, and the town will begin to grow. From there, more town management elements come into play. Medieval Dynasty does a brilliant job of establishing a sense of community, something that other survival games usually lack entirely.

No Man’s Sky

The disastrous launch of No Man’s Sky will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable in gaming history. What has followed since then, however, is nothing short of a minor miracle on the part of Hello Games.

The developer’s vast space exploration game is almost unrecognizable from its 1.0 version, offering multiplayer, base building, and ship customization. If you’re looking for an open-ended universe to explore, then it’s tough to beat No Man’s Sky. Alongside the narrative elements added in recent months and years, there should be a little something here for everyone.