Survival games have been experiencing a boom for at least a decade now. Since Minecraft came along and became the most popular thing since breathing, it seems like each week a new survival game is being released.

Unlike most ‘trends’ in the past, survival games don’t seem to be slowing down or going away. Is there a reason why survival games seem to be so tenacious? Why they appear to be able to survive, clinging to our public consciousness?

Well, that is exactly what this weeks video seeks to explore. We take a look at several game theory studies to try and piece together why it is that survival games seem to be so damn pervasive.

If you enjoyed the video please don’t forget to like and subscribe, as well as sharing with your friends. You can also feel free to check out Will’s channel.

Special thanks to our very own Editor, Joanna Mueller for her stellar work on the new illustrations featured in the video. Check her out on Twitter and YouTube too.

Sources:

Patient-Empowering Interactive Technologies

Jonathan Harrison TEDx Talk

Extra Credits: Education – Agency

Survival Video Games and Social Constructs of Power

Power Fantasy Videos: 1, 2, 3, 4.

About the Author

William Worrall

W. S. Worrall is a free-lance writer and video producer who lives in the UK. He has an extensive collection of retro consoles and board games and in his spare time he solders stuff together to see if it works. It usually doesn't.

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