DISCLAIMER: The title “Early Access” means that the product/game is still under development. As such, the content featured below is subject to change. This includes any opinions I may have at the time of writing, as Alpha and Beta builds sometimes change their core mechanics on a whim. It’s important to stress the word opinions, as I find it unethical to review something not yet released in its final form. In other words, don’t take anything you see here too seriously. You can view all of the articles of this series by clicking the “Video Games” tab, located on the top of this page.
Dig or Die – It’s similar to “Terraria”, albeit a “lighter” version that concentrates more on tower defense. During the day, you’ll be able to go out, explore, collect resources, and so on. During the night, you’ll need to (quite literally) “Dig or Die”…that is, dig yourself a nice enclosure and hide behind your towers/base walls until morning. The physics in this game are a bit more realistic too, what with the need to construct bridges in a “proper” manner lest gravity plunge them into the very pit you’re trying to cross. I personally find this game to be incredibly fun and is a must-own for those who enjoy “Terraria” and “Starbound”. You can find it via Steam’s Early Access program for $2.99 with price increases planned in the future as more content is added. The final price at launch will be $12.
Survivors – This is a very light “god-game” that will task you with growing a civilization. The play style and overall theme is similar to “Retro-Pixel Castles”, albeit a more simplistic version. You don’t actually control your subjects, but you can construct houses, build wheat fields, and so on. My biggest gripe is the lack of a zoom feature…from what I told, such a feature would require the developer to recode the game. I admittedly know little about programming, so I don’t know how much of an undertaking that really is. Time controls would be welcome too as most of your time will be spent watching and waiting for your subjects to collect the resources they need for you to keep expanding. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not a bad diversion for its current price tag. Speaking of which, you can find it on Steam’s Early Access program for $2.99.
Project Explore – Project Explore reminds me of “Darkwood” and “Frozen State” a bit in that it’s a top-down survival game, though at the moment it’s pretty basic (most Early Access games start off that way). I do appreciate the crafting system as all you have to do is click on the button to craft the item in question, assuming you have the resources (the game tells you what you need) in your inventory. Animals seem to be walking through houses currently and they’ll still eat you while you read the light tutorial in the beginning or check out your inventory screen, so just be ready for anything as soon as you spawn. While I have found items to pick up in houses, they’re admittedly missing doors and other furniture to search at the moment, making the world seem somewhat empty. Still, this isn’t a bad buy for $7 and the developer seems to be releasing updates on a regular basis (at the time of writing). You can find it on Steam’s Early Access program for $6.99.
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Gameplay Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTykEFE6UaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4_skZVdI0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AILt6icZL-Y