The Most Difficult Survival Game, Ranked

Ranking factors for difficult survival game

1. Environmental factors
   The game's environmental challenges, such as extreme temperatures, harsh weather conditions, and limited resources, play a significant role in determining difficulty. The more extreme and inhospitable the environment, the more challenging the survival game will be for players.
2. Survival mechanics
   The complexity and realism of the game's survival mechanics are crucial factors in determining difficulty. This can include hunger, thirst, fatigue, illness, injury, and shelter requirements for the player-character. The more intricate and punishing these mechanics are, the more difficult the game will be.
3. Difficulty of resource gathering
   The difficulty in finding, gathering, and using necessary resources, like food, water, and materials for crafting, contribute to the overall challenge of the game. Scarcer resources and more complex gathering mechanics will make the game tougher to navigate.
4. Enemy encounters
   Enemy encounters, wildlife, or other hostile NPCs can greatly impact the difficulty of a survival game. Consider factors like the frequency of encounters, difficulty of opponents, and the potential for death or injury from these encounters.
5. Crafting and skill systems
   The complexity and depth of the game's crafting and skill systems can influence how hard it is to master and succeed in the game. More complex systems with a steep learning curve will increase the game's difficulty level.
6. Permadeath elements
   The presence and severity of permadeath or permanent consequences in the game can add to its overall challenge. Losing progress, skills, or inventory upon death will make the game more difficult and punishing.
7. Multiplayer interactions
   If the game includes multiplayer elements, the difficulty can be impacted by interactions with other players. This might involve competition for scarce resources, the possibility of cooperative play, or the danger of hostile player encounters.
8. Map size and navigation
   The size of the game's map and how challenging it is to navigate can contribute to overall difficulty. Large, maze-like environments with few or no navigation aids will prove more difficult for players to traverse and survive in.
9. Game progress and goals
   The nature and difficulty of the game's main objectives or goals can impact the overall challenge. More complex, time-sensitive, or otherwise challenging goals will make the game more difficult.
10. Customization options and difficulty settings
    The availability (or lack thereof) of customization options, including adjustable difficulty settings, can influence the challenge players face. Fewer options and more rigid difficulty scaling will create a more demanding experience.