If when gaming you like to lose yourself in a vast expansive world (or universe) with plenty of things to explore, threats to avoid and adventures to be had, then these are the games for you.

There are a number of awesome open-world and survival games to get your teeth stuck into, so we’re running down our favourites.

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Top open-world/survival games we’d recommend

Whether you’re keen on open-world games where you’ve got masses of virtual space to explore or survival games where there are more threats to keep you on your toes, our list should help you make the right choice.

• Newnight

  Sons of the Forest

  1. Best Buy

• Coffee Stain Publishing

• Hello Games

  No Man’s Sky

  3. A Top Pick

• Coffee Stain Publishing

  Satisfactory

  4. Strong Contender

• Xbox Game Studios

• Facepunch Studios

  Rust

  6. Worth Considering

• Unknown Worlds Entertainment

  Subnautica

  7. A Good Choice

Sons of the Forest is a superb follow-up to the much-loved open-world survival game The Forest.

As you might expect it drops you onto an island that’s mostly made up of forest. Hidden away in the trees are all sorts of mutants, monsters and cannibals that you’ll have to fend off if you hope to survive.

There’s an interesting storyline which gives you various quest locations to investigate and access to curious new tools too. Those tools include 3D printers and sleds, chainsaws and much more.

Sons of the Forest also has some brilliant building mechanics in it which makes it a joy if you want to craft a large base or some magnificent structures. You also have an AI partner to whom you can assign tasks to take away some of the humdrum of gathering and building which makes it thrilling too.

Play alone or in co-op mode on a server with as many as eight people and you’ll soon fall in love with Sons of the Forest and all it has to offer.

Valheim is an early access, indie survival game that’s inspired by Viking culture.

Its launch was incredibly popular and with good reason. This is a brilliant open-world survival and crafting game with a wonderful vibe and brilliant Viking theme setting.

It has both single-player and co-op PvE (player vs environment) mechanics, satisfying building physics and a punishing combat system. You battle bosses to progress through the game while also building all manner of things including imposing Viking warships.

Valheim is best played with friends and you can have a lot of fun doing so as well.

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As an early-access game, it’s regularly receiving updates that make it better and better. Build and battle your way through various lands with wonderful Viking vibes.

No Man’s Sky first launched in the hazy days of 2016 and, despite the pre-release hype, left many feeling underwhelmed and upset at the lack of multiplayer options.

Several updates later and No Man’s Sky is a superb space adventure with improved space stations, enhanced freighter and frigate systems and a multiplayer mode to boot.

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At its core, No Man’s Sky is fantastic anyway as it boasts 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets to explore, ensuring that no one journey of exploration is the same as another.

You can now play No Man’s Sky on your own or with friends, you can play it in VR and there are a great swathe of awesome things that have been added to it as well, including mech suits.

If you want an open-world game to get lost in then No Man’s Sky is the one to buy as you can lose hours and hours in this one.

Satisfactory lives up to its name in so many different ways.

This is a fantastic early access game that puts you on a distant planet gathering resources and building factories. Working your way through tech trees, from coal power to nuclear while avoiding being eaten by alien spiders and angry fire-spitting creatures.

Satisfactory can also be played with friends in co-op mode for up to four people, though we managed to get six people playing with a few game file tweaks. Just be warned though, once you get building and producing, it soon becomes incredibly addictive.

There are masses of things to build here and if you have the time and the patience you can really craft some intriguing bases, complete with power plants, manufacturing and more. Decimating the planet for its resources while you work. You know, classical human stuff.

Imagine if Honey I Shrunk the Kids had a video game and you’ve got an idea of what this one is like.

Grounded is a quaint, fun and weirdly addictive base-building survival game. One where you play as one of four kids who have been shrunk down to minute size and are trying to survive in the backyard. Doesn’t sound too bad, until you realise that nearly every insect in the surrounding garden is a threat.

You can of course kill them and wear their body parts as body armour and weapons or cook them up for a snack. Survival is tough, but adventuring around the garden opens up a world of discovery that’s undeniably fun.

Grounded has had regular updates since it first popped up and the team is often adding more and more content to keep you busy. It’s beautiful fun that we’ve enjoyed playing both with our friends and kids and we can’t get enough of it.

That said, if you’re not a fan of creepy crawlies, especially spiders, then this might not be the best game for you.

There are many survival games available for PC gamers, but Rust continues to be one of the most popular. This is an online survival game where you can build magnificent bases, make new friends, explore and survive against a harsh environment and more.

There are plenty of play options and regular updates too. Smash some rocks, chop down a tree, craft some weapons to defend yourself and enjoy everything there is on offer. If you hate people spoiling your fun, there’s always the option of PVE.

Rust is being regularly updated with new content to keep it fresh and interesting. Simple additions can make big differences to the game, like electricity for example. Rust has a massive community following and there is no end of videos on YouTube with Rust-based hilarity to enjoy.

Another open-world survival game to add to your list. Only this time it’s set underwater on an alien planet.

Explore the depths of the oceans, craft new gear, mess about in submarines and enjoy the wondrous sights while trying to survive.

Not convinced? How about base building under the sea? Or free VR support?

Obviously a fresh take on the survival game genre, Subnautica is a fan-pleaser and a great game to get stuck into.

Which game is right for you?

Of course, there are a lot of different survival and open-world games to choose from. Which one is right for you will depend on what you’re into and what you want from your games.

We like the appeal of procedurally generated games like No Man’s Sky and Valheim which give different experiences for everyone.

While if you prefer a game with the occasional PVP experience to make things a bit more intense then Rust might be the better choice.

There’s a lot to be said for cooperative experiences too, so if you’ve got friends then grab a game that you can all enjoy.