2022Bruno Cathala, Johannes Goupy
- Videos
- 57
- Creators
- 47
2 - 4 players45 - 60 minMedium weight

2026Robert Hewitt
Mainly reviews and how-to-play. Survivalist is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 3 reviews, 3 how-to-play guides, 1 recorded sessions, and 3 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
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
Survivalist has 10 videos from 6 creators: 3 reviews, 3 how-to-play guides, 1 playthrough and 3 other videos. They date from February to July 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "Survivalist - PREVIEW" by Board Game Buzzz, which runs 15 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Survivalist Live Play" by The Dice Tower. 3 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Survivalist - Kickstarter Overview" by Before You Play.
If you like it, try Orichalcum, Innovation, The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire or Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection, which share several of its mechanics.
2022Bruno Cathala, Johannes Goupy
2 - 4 players45 - 60 minMedium weight
2010Carl Chudyk
2 - 5 players20 - 60 minMedium weight
2023Stephen Rangazas
2 players60 - 120 minHeavy weight
2016Harold Buchanan
1 - 4 players180 - 360 minVery heavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
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
Designer
Robert Hewitt
Publisher
Homestead Games New Zealand
Categories
Mechanics