A new trend in computer game – and one that I am very much here for – is the kind fo crafting/ survival combo game. I’m sure you’ve seen them – there are plenty of examples, such as the very well put together Subnautica, but also some derivatives like Raft. Sometimes these games get mixed up with Zombie survival games, and often there’s an element of multiplayer – although that’s an aspect I don’t engage in much. I guess this is building on the much larger trend in full featured games like Fallout and Skyrim that have started incorporating an element of ‘crafting’ as an addition to the rest of the game. However, what these newer games do is make the crafting mechanics the central element of the game, rather than something you can do when tinkering around the edges or you’re bored with slaying dragons with toothpicks
The Survivalists is just such a game. It’s made by the same people who created The Escapists (which I think is in my Steam library, but I’ve never played) and it’s got a similar kind of cutesy-cartoony feel to it. The story, such as it is, is pretty simple. You’ve been marooned on an archipelago, and it’s up to you to find your way off, by gathering the resources and know-how necessary to crew a galleon and sail it back to civilisation. Along the way, you’ll recruit a monkey army (more on this later), deforest entire islands, discover lost Roman legions, delve deep into labyrinths and caves and, most important of all, you’ll build lots and lots of things. As per the standard in these kinds of games, you start off with very little in the way of resources, but you do have what’s needed to cut down a few trees, turn some rocks into hand axes, and before you know it, you’re off on your merry way turning your idyllic but undeveloped island paradise into a hive of industry.
Of course, just like capitalism, your thirst for more is unceasing, and soon you’re looking for some more exotic materials, in the form of gold, and basalt and gems. These can be used to make more effective objects, like harder picks and longer lasting axes. You can then start building forges, planting crops, domesticating animals and lots more. And of course, you can build yourself a very Robinson-Crusoe-like home amongst the palm trees. There is no Man Friday, thankfully, but there are some ever present and helpful monkeys that you can press into your service, and, with the right training and some clever game mechanics, they quickly take over much of the grunt work. That leaves you time to explore, and also to prepare to defend your base against the vicious Orclings, who attack every blood moon.
The Survivalists is a lot of fun. It’s not the most challenging game I’ve ever played, but that’s not really what it’s about. Instead, it’s about the joy of building – it’s a virtual maker’s faire in some respects, and that’s something I really enjoyed. There is a mutliplayer option, but I didn’t explore that. That promises to be even more fun!