We tend to take instructions in video games for granted. This is especially true in recent years, where the first 10-20 minutes of nearly every game is dedicated to a tutorial of some sort. Seemingly in response to that, Klei has gone and made Don’t Starve, a PC game that throws the player into an instruction-less world and challenges them to survive. Are you a bad enough dude/dudette?
We tend to take instructions in video games for granted. This is especially true in recent years, where the first 10-20 minutes of nearly every game is dedicated to a tutorial of some sort. Seemingly in response to that, Klei has gone and made Don’t Starve, a PC game that throws the player into an instruction-less world and challenges them to survive. Are you a bad enough dude/dudette?
Don’t Starve tells the story of Wilson, a “Gentleman Scientist” who was transported by a demon to a strange and woodsy world. Similar to what anyone else would do in such a situation, he does everything in his power to stay alive and, hopefully, escape. To do this, he must exploit the land’s resources and learn how to live peacefully amongst its strange inhabitants.
Ultimately, this translates to the player having to do things like craft items, explore the randomly generated world, gather food, and even throw the occasional party for some of the world’s creatures. You have to be careful of your actions, though, and how you utilize certain resources. Fire, for example, can make a lot of creatures happy, but it can also burn down entire tree groves. I’m not sure if Don’t Starve features a character in the vein of Smokey the Bear, but I’d be weary all the same.
The game’s visuals toe the line between grim and playful, which aligns perfectly with the feel Don’t Starve appears to be going for. You may be forced to survive in a foreign world filled with strange beasts, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be stopping now and then to fawn over a particularly cute spider. Well, assuming you don’t have arachnophobia.
Don’t Starve is currently in beta, and early adopters will be able to pick up the game at a reduced price. If you’d prefer to wait it out until the formal release, you can expect that early next year.
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