Crossplay Survival Games You Should Try This Year
For players who want to squad up across platforms, crossplay has transformed how we approach survival titles. No longer do you need a friend on the same hardware to raid a dungeon, defend a base, or explore a sprawling world. Instead, you can team up with friends on PC, consoles, or mobile—matching up schedules, experimenting with build strategies, and sharing in the thrill of discovery. In practice, this means more late-night co-op sessions, fewer “temporarily offline” roadblocks, and a richer sense of community around your favorite goals: survive, thrive, and conquer together.
To help you decide where to start, here are some standout crossplay survival games worth trying this year. Each title brings something unique to the table, from base-building depth to survival pacing and cooperative challenge. Remember, the exact crossplay scope can vary by platform and edition, so check your store pages and server options before diving in.
Grounded
Grounded is a delightfully compact twist on survival: you’re a group of kids who must survive in a suburban backyard teeming with oversized critters. The crossplay support between PC and Xbox makes it a natural pick for friends who want to build a tiny fortress, craft smarter gear, and tackle headline-sized threats together. Its bite-sized base-building, quest-driven progression, and humor-infused tone keep sessions engaging without overwhelming new players. The game rewards coordination—whether you’re distributing roles for scouting, farming resources, or planning a big base upgrade.
Don't Starve Together
Don't Starve Together remains a staple for players who love savage climate, clever survival systems, and quirky characters. This edition expands the original game's charm with cooperative mechanics that work across multiple platforms, enabling long-running campaigns with friends who might own different hardware. Its emphasis on improvisation—managing hunger, sanity, and environmental risk—keeps every session unpredictable and rewarding, especially when you coordinate diverse character strengths to overcome nightly dangers.
Minecraft (Bedrock Edition)
Minecraft’s Bedrock edition is the ultimate crossplay playground. It unites Windows, consoles, and mobile players in a shared survival world where you can craft, explore, and build without platform barriers. The core loop—gather resources, fight off threats, and shape your world—scales beautifully with a group, letting you test complex redstone contraptions, siege your own fortress, or simply explore endless biomes together. The accessibility and familiarity of Minecraft make it an excellent entry point for mixed-platform groups seeking cooperative progression and creative expression.
Terraria
Terraria brings classic 2D survival action into a surprisingly deep sandbox. Crossplay across PC, consoles, and mobile keeps your crew connected across devices as you explore, mine, and boss your way through procedural worlds. Its progression system, boss variety, and loot-driven upgrades create ongoing goals that reward teamwork and strategy. A dispersed group can coordinate building projects, share maps, and tackle difficult foes with complementary builds—whether you’re a ranged, melee, or magic-focused player.
ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK combines base-building, exploration, and dinosaur-driven survival on a grand scale. With cross-platform options across several storefronts and consoles, you and your friends can form a tribe, tame creatures, and plan long-term campaigns. Server administration and PvE/PvP choices let you tailor the experience to your group’s preferences, making it a strong pick for players who enjoy ambitious, community-driven ventures and regular updates that deepen the world’s mysteries.
Crossplay isn’t just about playing together; it’s about keeping your crew intact as everyone migrates between platforms, growing together rather than waiting for the next feature patch to patch gaps in multiplayer access.
Beyond individual titles, the landscape of crossplay survival games is evolving to emphasize accessibility, balanced matchmaking, and persistent progress across devices. When choosing what to play, consider your group size, preferred pace (grindy tedium vs. fast-paced action), and the kind of progression you value—base-building, exploration, or boss battles. The best experiences come from teams that communicate, split tasks effectively, and adapt to whatever the world throws at them.
For gamers who value a steady, comfortable desk setup during marathon sessions, this PU Leather Mouse Mat – Non-Slip Vegan Leather, Sustainable Ink is a smart companion. A reliable mouse mat helps keep precision steady during long planning and combat sequences, letting you execute builds and tactics with fewer slips and more confidence.
What to look for as you try crossplay titles
- Server stability and cross-platform matchmaking latency
- Progression compatibility across editions and platforms
- Community size and activity to ensure ongoing groups to play with
- Control schemes and accessibility options that fit your group’s needs