External Discovery
32 indie games in this list, released 2014–2026, from developers such as Hinterland Studio Inc., Eight Points, 11 bit studios. Pick one to read our editorial note and jump to its store page.
These are editorial pages. The developers and publishers are not affiliated with The Gaming Nest unless explicitly stated.
By Hinterland Studio Inc. · Canada
The Long Dark is a survival game from Canadian studio Hinterland, fully released in 2017 after an early access period that began in 2014. Players take on the roles of bush pilot Will Mackenzie and doctor Astrid Greenwood, stranded in the freezing Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic storm. Development was backed by seed money from the Canada Media Fund and by a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013.
By Eight Points · Russia
The Wild Eight is a survival game about a group of people left stranded in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. Players have to work together to stay alive, and the game combines action and adventure with role-playing and simulation elements. It was developed by Eight Points, a studio from Russia, and published by HypeTrain Digital, with its full Steam release arriving in October 2019.
By 11 bit studios · Poland
This War of Mine looks at war from the viewpoint of ordinary civilians instead of soldiers on the front line. Players manage a small group of survivors in a city under siege, scavenging for food and medicine and facing hard moral choices that shape how each character's story ends. Polish studio 11 bit studios developed and published it in 2014, drawing on the siege of Sarajevo and other conflicts for inspiration.
By Vanimals · China
Undying is a 2023 survival game developed by Chinese studio Vanimals, with Skystone Games publishing. Set during a zombie apocalypse, it follows a mother who has been bitten and must pass on survival skills to her child before she loses her humanity. Its central tension is that race against time. Steam lists it as an indie adventure, and it holds a Metacritic score of 74 from critics.
By Amilcar Technologies · Tunisia
Forgebound is a medieval survival game about leading a people through a war-torn land. Players gather resources, craft, build settlements and defend them against enemy forces while expanding their power. It is being developed by Amilcar Technologies, the Tunisian studio behind Heistfest, and is listed on Steam for Windows and macOS with no release date yet.
By NewGen · Tunisia
GONE DIGGING is a co-op digging thriller for one to four players. By day the group digs together for loot and upgrades, and after sundown the darkness has to be fed, with sacrifices deciding who survives the night. It is an experimental project from NewGen, the Tunisian indie studio known for West Hunt, and has a Steam page ahead of release.
By Semaphore · Saudi Arabia
Badiya is a sandbox survival RPG set in the desert lands of the First World War era, from the Saudi Arabian studio Semaphore. You choose your own path through the sands, whether that means joining wars, trading along the spice routes or hunting for treasure. It is one of the few survival games built around an Arabian desert setting, and it is still growing in early access.
By Iron Gate Studio · Sweden
Valheim is a cooperative survival game from the Swedish developer Iron Gate Studio, set in a procedurally generated afterlife inspired by Viking culture. Alone or with friends you explore, gather resources, build and fight your way toward stronger foes. After a long early access period, its full version launched in September 2026.