This works so well because the game incentivizes repeated attempts, no matter how pathetic your initial survival skills. Klei made the strong choice not to hold players' hands. Don't Starve is uncompromising - it's about survival, after all. Once, I even died by standing too close to a fire. I constantly forgot to stock fire-making supplies when I was busy exploring, leading to a several untimely demises. I died countless times by the jaws of a hell bent hound until I figured out that I could use other animals to fend them off. This big, weird world begins to shift into focus once you start sensing the rhythms of its flora and fauna, but until then, the game has a steep learning curve. There's a silly - but importantly consistent - internal logic to Don't Starve, which becomes clear through continued play. As with every element in the game, there are ways to get the most from them, and ways to get screwed by them. Others are more complicated, with moods determined by timed cycles - like 'beefalos' and the anthropomorphic pigs that you can hire to be your bodyguards and goons. Some are antagonistic by nature, but lend necessary resources - such as the spiders, which spawn silk and precious spider glands, required for making medicine. Not only do you need to suss out how best to live with the land but you also need to interact with the various animals and monsters around you. You also have to avoid dangerous critters (or craft the right equipment to fight them successfully), forage or hunt for food, and make sure your character's hunger, health and sanity meters are in check at all times.ĭon't Starve's genius lies in the intricacies of its systems and how well they're balanced. Each day is divided into daytime, dusk and night - and you need to create a light source to survive in the dark. You click around the randomly generated scenery, collecting items and raw materials - which you'll turn into more sophisticated tools and gear necessary to survive. That's all you get by means of explanation: Both character and player are left alone to figure out the tricky landscape. You wake up in the wilderness, with the cheeky instruction that you'd better find food before nightfall. But for the right kind of player - someone who actively likes to compete against him or herself - Klei Entertainment's game is like a drug.ĭon't Starve puts you in the shoes of Wilson - a gentleman scientist (though you can also opt for another of the game's unlockable Edward Gorey-inspired characters, all with their own unique attributes). Your motivation to participate has to come from within rather than from without, as the rewards are intangible: you progress, get better, last longer.

As with those athletic pursuits, there's a difficult learning curve.

Dont starve together critters