I play a lot of genres, from blowing off steam in FPS to stress-inducing horror, but survival games have always had that hold on me— more like a vice grip really. I’ve always kept my eye out on the genre and sank probably much too many hours in each one. I’ve played games such as 7 Days to Die, Don’t Starve Together, The Forest, Sunless Sea, and Raft to name a few. I even boarded the hype train to Valheim but even in the viking-inspired land, something was missing. Through the years, I’ve searched for a survival game that would blow me away. And then I realized that I always found myself comparing every game to one I already played: Conan Exiles.

I started Conan 4 years ago, back in 2017. Humble Bundle monthly, and it ticked the checkbox of survival so I decided to give it a go. I was amazed but more importantly, I felt lost as one should be when entering a vast world full of danger and awe. All that was left to me was a water flask and a note over a slab of rock. Thrust into the vast desert, blinded by the sun and whipped by a sandstorm, it was an unforgettable warm welcome.

But for those who appreciate direction’s course, there is a Journey to help you through, a checklist on what you could do to earn experience. What I like about this feature is that it doesn’t hold your hand and make you go through tedious tutorials which are abundant these days. No, this game does not dote but for good reason. The Exiled Lands is supposed to be harsh for a newborn exile and, whether thematically or ingenious laziness, the game wishes you to learn on your own, be it through mistakes and even death.

Barely clothed (or fully naked if the constant sight of elephant trunks and milk mountains pleases you), you are immediately exposed to the dangers of the land. In time and through lessons learned in said mistakes, you will get stronger and when you finally build a suitable base, more secure too. More confident in your ability to survive. As you gather your courage, newly forged weapons and armors included, the more you move further inland, the difficulty of the dangers increase as well. But there is no reward without risk, and there are many. World bosses, dungeons, and quests are all there for you to conquer whether for a powerful sword, a recipe, or just for the glory of it all.

While this experience can be fully enjoyed in single player, it’s multiplayer that separates this game from other titles of the genre. To sum it up in one word, tension.

Everything in this game makes a sound. Say you’re travelling through the jungle at night. There’s a hard downpour. You take out your torch because you decide you can’t rely on the lightning flash’s inconsistency and the darkness could lead you to a cliff. But was it worth the risk becoming an amber beacon for those lying in wait? You hear no footsteps, no grass rustled. All’s clear. Is it though? Were the sounds simply masked by the rain crashing down? Revealed by your torch and pressed by paranoia, you decide to make a run for it to your home. But then you hear the unmistakable sound of a weapon unsheathing and you realize you aren’t running alone in the dark anymore. Thing is, you never were alone.

Combat. It’s another point that I enjoy in this game. You’ll quickly realize there’s more to it than the beasts you’ve been killing. Clashing against another player is a whole different dance than what new players would be used to. Learning each weapon’s advantages and disadvantages will help you understand what your opponent is capable of. The stakes are much higher too. Death would drop all your hard fought and farmed loot, if that’s the server setting. Each attack, block, dodge consumes stamina and managing that while landing your strikes is the difference between the emptiness of losing your gear and the triumphant trek back home.

While I could go on about different aspects of the game such as thralls and raids, I’d like to point out that it’s crucial to find the best server for you. You can find one suited just for PVE or PVP and there’s a middle ground called PVE-Conflict. Personally, I’d stick with a server with PVP but with enforced rules or, even better, RP or roleplaying. I have found most of my enjoyment in those servers since the admins expand the world’s lore or with their own.

So if you’re looking for a survival game, as I was so desperately 4 years ago, you might find what you’re looking for in Conan Exiles. Just like the game’s feature aptly named, it is a journey and I found myself coming back to it like a return home. I’ve met so many people in this game, some hospitable and some not so much. I’ve fought my share of fights and wars, both my own and through the duty of an alliance. Personally, I don’t know if my journey has ever ended. I think that being immersed, living out a fantasy life how you want to, is a testament to what a survival game should be. It might be different for you but should you try this game out, how your journey starts and how it ends is up to you, exile.