Summary
Typically, a remote tropical island is synonymous with leisure and pleasure. However, this is not the case for the majority of the games on this list. Remote and abandoned islands are often used as a popular setting for many popular stories in any form of media.
From the long-running TV showLostto adventure games likeThe Forest, deserted islands have been used to explore different ideas and lately have even become a genre in themselves.Islandsisolated from the rest of the world provide the perfect landscape setting for adventures, with manyisland survival gamesbeing beloved by the masses.
Updated on August 05, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Abandoned islands make for great settings as players get lost in these worlds and try their hardest to either bring these dilapidated islands back to a state of quaint normalcy ortry their hardest to survive in a hostile landscape that takes no prisoners. Regardless of the gameplay loop that developers choose to integrate into these titles, there’s no denying that mostisland survival gamesfeel more exotic and engaging.
15Harvest Moon DS: Island Of Happiness
TheHarvest Moonseries has gone through its fair bit of turmoil, being rebranded asStory of Seasonsafter some dispute following the IP’s name. The titles still manage to be fun and engaging farming sims that players absolutely adore, in no small part due to the relaxing gameplay and fun cast of characters they get to interact with.
Initially, the island that players are shipwrecked on is abandoned. However, as players clean up this location and make it more habitable,more and more people will arrive on this island, making it a nice habitable location where people can have a great time.
14Forbidden Siren 2
Adeserted island is pretty much a perfect settingfor a horror game, andForbidden Siren 2certainly understood the assignment. The title is pretty unnerving, and players will have to survive harrowing encounters against a fair share of monsters before they can uncover the truth of what really happened here.
The story is a mind-bending tale that is told from multiple perspectives.Forbidden Siren 2is a great sequel that builds up on the success of the first game, although some people felt that it fell short in some ways too.
13The Survivalists
Players looking for a multiplayer survival experience that takes place on a deserted island will be more than happy with whatThe Survivalistsbrings to the table. It’s a great game that friends can play, enjoying the experience of scavenging for resources and building habitable settlements while exploring these procedurally-generated environments and figuring out its many secrets.
However, players who want to get into this game should know it’s not the most stable experience, with bugs detracting from this experience quite a bit. Thankfully, there are many times when the elements of this title and make for a great experience that many fans of such survival games will enjoy quite a bit.
WhileMinecraftdoesn’t always start off on an abandoned island, players who know about seeds and how the world is generated can definitely create a procedurally-generated island that players can get lost in for hours on end. The inclusion of an island in this survival game adds greater depth, with players having less room to explore and having to scavenge their surroundings to great effect.
As is to be expected,Minecraft’s gameplay is simple yet effective, with the game featuring a wealth of combinations to create powerful weapons and form habitable spaces for players to save themselves from the horrors of the night. There’s a reason why this game continues to be one of the most popular survival games around to this day, and players who decide to jump into this rabbit hole will find themselves lost for hours on end, if not days!
11Lost In Blue: Shipwrecked
It’s a shame thatmore people don’t know aboutLost in Blue: Shipwrecked. The game is a survival title that was released for the Wii, which is a pretty odd platform for such a game to be released on. However, the cute art style helps the game stand out and feel pretty fun to play, despite the colors being pretty washed out like most games on this console.
The game may have several problems of its own, but it is a unique gem in the survival genre that fans should check out if they have the means to do so. The game focuses on a teenager and his pet monkey who fall off their boat and get swept by the current, finding themselves on an island where they have to scavenge to survive while fulfilling many goals to eventually be rescued.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' basic premise is a getaway island brimming with possibilities. Players are invited onto an island by Nook Inc, owned bybusiness tycoon Tom Nook. They begin with an empty island full of trees and rocks, tasked with cleaning it up and transforming it into a glorious dream home location.
Players get to populate the island withten unique animal villagers, all with different personality types and quirks.
This famousfree-to-playbattle royale takes place on the iconic island. The only other inhabitants are the 99 other players dropping from the Battle Bus at the start of the round.
Far from a relaxing game, up to 100 players compete to find and loot the best weapons, build, and survive to become thenumber one victor.Players can be aggressive and build their way toward their enemies, or they can be passive and hide in bushes, dumpsters, and more to sneak their way into the safe zone.
The narrative-driven adventure gameOxenfreestars a teenager named Alex and her stepbrother Jonas. She goes to an overnight party on an old military island, Edwards Island, with her group of friends.
Unbeknownst to her, this island has a dark past as the night takes a terrifying turn. They accidentally open a supernatural rift, and they must survive the horrors that escape. Every choice matters in this game, as theplayer’s interactions alter the plotbased on every decision, big or small.
Path of Exileis a free-to-play onlineaction RPG, similar to theDiablofranchise. Players, as Exiles, wash up on the castaway continent of Wraeclast, filled with prisoners and criminals.
Players are left to their own devices where creatures freely roam. Their end goal is to fight tobecome stronger and create powerful buildsto exact revenge on those who have wronged them through dungeons and epic boss battles of increasing difficulty.Path of Exilehas frequent updates, with rumors of a sequel coming soon.
6Salt
Saltis an open-worldexploration game. Players begin on a deserted island with basic resources to build a raft. They are then free to journey in any direction they choose, as the world is procedurally generated.
Along the way, players may see uncharted islands, ancient ruins, and even some pirates and cultists! InSalt, players get to set the pace of their gameplay, taking it as easy as they want. There is also online co-op, so players cansail the seaswith their friends and trade.
