Survival video games are a genre where players manage basic needs (hunger, thirst, health, sanity) in harsh, open worlds, starting with minimal gear to gather resources, craft tools, build shelter, and overcome environmental threats or enemies, focusing on long-term persistence and resource management rather than just combat. Key elements include open-world exploration, crafting, base-building, and often permadeath or significant penalties for dying, with a core loop of overcoming scarcity through effort, providing a strong sense of agency and progression.