The Survivalists
A desert island sandbox survival game set in The Escapists universe.
Last updated
The Survivalists is a sandbox survival video game developed and published by Team17, released on 9 October 2020. Set on a desert island within the same universe as The Escapists, the game tasks players with building a home, crafting items, hunting for food, and raiding temples for loot, while monkeys can be recruited to assist in construction and combat. It supports cooperative gameplay for up to four players.
Lore & Background
The Survivalists was first announced at the Nintendo Indie World Showcase in December 2019, with a planned 2020 release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A limited-time beta was released on Steam in June 2020.
The game launched on 9 October 2020 across all announced platforms, alongside versions for iOS, macOS, and tvOS via Apple Arcade. In February 2021, an update added farming and the ability to repair and change items. The Frostbite Fortress DLC, released in March 2026, introduced a new biome, a deadly labyrinth, and new equipment and potion mechanics.
Reader's Guide
The Survivalists received mixed or average reviews on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, while PlayStation 4 reviews were generally favourable according to Metacritic. PC Games rated it 4/10, criticizing it compared to its predecessors.
Nintendo Life rated it 6/10, noting that as an entry-level survival game it is fairly good, but even inexperienced players can quickly reach endgame gear and find limited activities afterward. The game's significance lies in its connection to The Escapists universe and its focus on cooperative sandbox survival with monkey companions, though its longevity was questioned by reviewers. The addition of farming and the Frostbite Fortress DLC attempted to expand the gameplay, but the core experience was seen as shallow by some critics.
More in Sandbox Games of the 2020s
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: The Survivalists (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced