The Steam Summer Sale is in full swing through July 9, and this year’s open world survival lineup is stacked with everything from monster-taming chaos to cozy woodland comfort. Whether you want to battle dragons in a RuneScape-flavored wilderness, brave a frozen apocalypse solo, or just knit sweaters in a mouse-sized burrow, there’s a steep discount waiting for you. Here are four of the best open world / survival games getting big price cuts before the sale ends.
Palworld — Catch, Craft, and Conquer With Your Pals
- Release Date: Released (Early Access — v1.0 launches July 10, 2026)
- Price: $20.99 USD (30% off, ends July 9)
- Developer/Publisher: Pocketpair
- Store Link: Get Palworld on Steam
Palworld blends monster-catching with base-building survival across the Palpagos Islands, mixing Pokémon-style creature collecting with the crafting, farming, and combat systems you’d expect from a hardcore survival-craft game. Since launching into Early Access, it’s become one of Steam’s biggest breakout hits, and with the full v1.0 release landing July 10, this sale is your last chance to grab it at Early Access pricing. Pals can fight beside you, work your farms and factories, or — if the harsh Palpagos wilderness pushes you that far — end up on the dinner table. With over 150,000 user reviews sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive, it’s easy to see why so many players got hooked.
Key Highlights
- Catch and command Pals — over 100 creatures to capture, battle with, or assign to base chores like farming and crafting.
- Deep base-building — 70+ building types let you build out sprawling automated bases powered by your Pals’ labor.
- Crossplay survival — team up across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 to fight off poachers and explore the open world together.
RuneScape: Dragonwilds — Ashenfall’s Dragons Are Closing In
- Release Date: Released (Early Access)
- Price: $20.99 USD (30% off, ends July 9)
- Developer/Publisher: Jagex Ltd
- Store Link: Get RuneScape: Dragonwilds on Steam
Jagex’s first foray outside the traditional RuneScape MMO reimagines the beloved skilling and questing systems as a co-op survival-crafting adventure on the brand-new continent of Ashenfall. Alone or with up to three friends, you’ll gather resources, build shelters, and level up runic combat abilities while the looming Dragon Queen and her brood grow bolder. The recent Umbral Sands update added the game’s largest region yet, along with new endgame gear to prepare you for the Scorned Wilderness raid arriving later this year. It’s still in Early Access on PC, with console and Switch 2 versions confirmed for September — so this is the cheapest way to get in early while the RuneScape lore expands into brand-new territory.
Key Highlights
- RuneScape lore, new continent — familiar skills and creatures reimagined in an open-world survival format on Ashenfall.
- Co-op for up to four — explore, build, and fight solo or team up with friends to face down Dragonwilds’ toughest foes.
- Active roadmap — the Umbral Sands expansion and Scorned Wilderness raid are rolling out ahead of the full 1.0 launch.
The Long Dark — Survive the Quiet Apocalypse
- Release Date: Released
- Price: $6.79 USD (66% off, ends July 9)
- Developer/Publisher: Hinterland Studio Inc.
- Store Link: Get The Long Dark on Steam
There are no zombies in The Long Dark — just you, the cold, and everything else the Canadian wilderness can throw at a stranded bush pilot and a doctor after a geomagnetic disaster knocks out the modern world. This first-person exploration-survival classic has you managing hunger, fatigue, and body temperature while hunting, fishing, and scavenging abandoned buildings across a series of interconnected regions. It’s earned a reputation as one of the genre’s most thoughtful, unforgiving experiences, winning Webby Awards for its writing and sound design along the way. With Episode Five recently wrapping up the WINTERMUTE story mode and the base Survival Mode still endlessly replayable, this deep a discount makes it an easy pickup for solo survival fans.
Key Highlights
- Punishing realism — no combat frills, just cold, hunger, and fatigue management in a beautifully bleak wilderness.
- WINTERMUTE story mode — the five-episode narrative campaign is now complete, alongside the endless Survival Mode.
- Years of free content — Hinterland has continually expanded the game’s regions and systems since its 2017 launch.
Winter Burrow — A Cozy Survival Story for Rebuilding Home
- Release Date: Released
- Price: $12.99 USD (35% off, ends July 9)
- Developer: Pine Creek Games / Publisher: Noodlecake
- Store Link: Get Winter Burrow on Steam
Not every survival game needs to be brutal, and Winter Burrow proves it. You play a mouse returning from the big city to find your childhood burrow in ruins and your aunt mysteriously missing, so you’ll explore the frozen woodland, gather resources, and rebuild your home one cozy room at a time. There’s crafting and resource management here, but also knitting, pie-baking, and decorating, all wrapped in gorgeous hand-drawn art that critics have called a “tiny visual masterpiece.” A recent Quality of Life update added separate storage chests, more backpack space, and furniture bonuses, making the slow, self-paced rebuild even more satisfying. If The Long Dark’s survival is too harsh for your taste, this is the warm, woodland-scale alternative.
Key Highlights
- Cozy, self-paced survival — no harsh timers or combat, just gathering, crafting, and slowly restoring your burrow.
- Charming hand-drawn art — a distinct, storybook visual style critics have singled out as one of its biggest strengths.
- Mystery to solve — uncover what happened to your missing aunt while meeting new woodland friends along the way.
Final Thoughts
This lineup covers a lot of ground: Palworld and RuneScape: Dragonwilds for players who want deep crafting loops and things to fight, The Long Dark for anyone chasing a punishing solo survival story, and Winter Burrow for a gentler, cozier take on the genre. All four are discounted right now, but the Steam Summer Sale wraps up July 9 at 10am PT, so it’s worth grabbing whichever one’s calling to you before the price climbs back up. Round up a friend or two for Palworld and Dragonwilds, or settle in solo with the other two — either way, there’s a whole summer of surviving ahead.
