Survivalist (2026)

Overview

Survivalist drops two to six empty-handed players into the brutal wilderness for ten nights. Each day forces a decision: stay warm at the fire, recover in the nearby clearing, or push into the backcountry and gather what’s needed to prepare for seven threats. As the game progresses, these threats grow worse and nearer: thirst, storms, hunger, illness, wildlife, fatigue, and isolation. The game plays out as a tense survival simulation where every round is a balancing act of action selection and resource management, shaped by limited time, limited backpack capacity, and the constant threat of injury.

On their turn, players take one action. They may “gather” specific resources along the ridge, “forage” for random supplies in the valley, or “craft" items using specific resource recipes. Choosing an action also means choosing how much risk to accept, because each option requires drawing deadly discs from a bag. These bag draws make every turn a press-your-luck calculation: push deeper into the wild to get what you need, or play it safe and risk being unprepared later. Regular airdrops add even more pressure to scramble into the backcountry for an assortment of bonuses and buffs.

After eight rounds of preparation, a ninth round reveals each player’s hidden talent. This allows players to spend a unique resource type they’ve gathered during the game to adjust the danger levels of the game’s threats. Then comes the finale: a tense endgame in which players face the seven threats one by one. Crafted items and remaining health determine who withstands the ordeal and who falls - from drawing more "wound" discs than they can fit on their playerboard.

The game ends when only one person is left standing. Whoever endures the longest is the true survivalist—and the winner.

-description from designer