Look, let's be honest—Steam is currently hosting its Survival Crafting Festival, challenging you to brave brutal environments and gather resources just to stay alive. Starting with bare hands and gradually expanding your territory by crafting tools is a uniquely compelling loop that only the survival genre can deliver. To celebrate this festival, a bunch of critically acclaimed titles are currently sitting at a discount. We have rounded up five standout picks sporting over 50% off and distinct personalities that make parting with your hard-earned cash genuinely worthwhile.

Released back in February 2024, 'Sons of the Forest'is an open-world survival game following in the footsteps of its predecessor, The Forest. You are dispatched on a mission to search for a missing billionaire on a remote island, only to find yourselves locked in a desperate struggle against cannibals and bizarre mutated creatures running the place. User reviews on Steam sit at 'Very Positive' (with 318,183 players weighing in, 88% of them positive), and you can grab it at a 70% discount during the festival.

Its biggest selling points are the sheer freedom and realistic building mechanics. Without rigid instructions, the developer lets you decide your own base location and survival strategy, featuring intricate interactions like splitting sticks to start a fire or shaping logs to build a fortress. On top of that, a seasonal change system forces you to prep for winter food shortages, while a diverse arsenal of axes and firearms helps you fend off mutants. It also supports up to 8-player co-op, making it brilliant fun to split roles and explore the surface and caves alongside your mates.

Officially launched in March 2023, 'Barotrauma'is a cooperative submarine simulation set in the deep sea of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. In humanity's last refuge hiding deep underwater to escape radiation, you operate a submarine, face alien marine life, and unearth the secrets of the abyss. It holds a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam (with 89,458 players participating, 94% positive), and it's currently 50% off for the event.

Players take on roles such as captain, engineer, or medic, operating complex submarine machinery like sonar monitoring, reactor management, fixing leaks, and wiring. Because emergencies like alien monster attacks and flooding happen constantly, tight communication among the crew is an absolute must. While single-player highlights the claustrophobic dread of the dark abyss, the multiplayer—supporting up to 16 players—frequently serves up delightfully chaotic mishaps and hilarious sights.

Officially released in February 2024, 'Smalland: Survive the Wilds'is an open-world survival game focusing on the forest escapades of a tiny folk. You go on adventures from a unique perspective where puddles look like massive lakes and blades of grass form towering forests. It boasts a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam (10,450 players, 81% positive), and an 80% price cut makes it a proper bargain to jump in.

The standout bits here are insect taming and parrying action. Much like Grounded, you can hop on a grasshopper or take flight on a dragonfly, bringing up to four bugs along to assist with combat and travel. The parrying-focused combat feels satisfyingly punchy, though do keep in mind that the insect designs are rendered in rather striking, realistic detail.

Launched in November 2024, 'Sengoku Dynasty'is a survival sim set in the Nata Valley of medieval Japan, ravaged by war and famine. You choose from various paths like blacksmith, warrior, or monk, embarking on a journey to become a daimyo steering your community toward prosperity. It maintains a 'Mixed' rating on Steam (7,816 user reviews, 74% positive), and you can pick it up for half the price.

The core gameplay revolves around management elements—building workshops and taverns, and welcoming refugees to expand your settlement. Assigning villagers roles like logging, mining, and farming to automate resource production is undeniably satisfying. The parrying and dodging combat system feels solid, and granular settings like simplified building or disabled combat make it a great fit for players who prefer a more relaxed, construction-heavy experience.

Released in November 2023, 'Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure'is an adventure survival game featuring charming fairytale-like visuals. It follows the protagonist who crash-lands on an island where mystical magical creatures and ancient ruins coexist, setting up camp and fending off pirate threats. It currently holds a 'Mixed' rating on Steam (474 reviews, 74% positive) and is available at a 50% discount.

Moving past simple gathering and farming, the game lets you tame and adventure alongside magical creatures inhabiting the island. You can use each creature's unique abilities to smash through blocked paths or harvest rare resources, and build workstations to customize the whole island to your liking. While the early tutorial is a bit unapproachable, only one person needs to own the game for friends to jump in via the 'Friend's Pass' for up to 4-player co-op, making it ideal for those seeking casual cooperative survival.