Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked

Turns out Tom Hanks had it pretty easy

The original Don’t Starve was a masterclass in misery, pitting you against a hostile landscape in which everything – even your own brain – was out to get you. The new standalone version, Shipwrecked, takes that concept and sends it off to sea.

As in the original game, your goal is essentially to survive as long as possible. You’ll need to scavenge for food; use raw materials to fashion crude tools to help you chop, hack, and mine (and murder); and make sure you’ve got a fire burning by the time night falls, lest your sanity take a severe hammering. Oh, and don’t camp too close to the shore – if the tide encroaches while you’re distracted, out goes your fire and you’re plunged into darkness… which can kill you. Of course it can.

While the joy of splitting your survival workload remains from the original (scout by day, build camp at dusk, huddle up and eat snacks through the night), the real fun in Shipwrecked comes from the exploration. Now, rather than being dropped in a hostile wasteland, you’re on one hostile island among many. Each is small enough that you can usually scope out the whole thing in one day, and strip it of its bounties in the second, so you’re actively encouraged to seek out seaweed-logged pastures new.

Your mom apparently never invested in swimming lessons, so you have to put your trust in a hand-hewn vessel, whether that’s a rickety wooden raft or a fully tricked-out sailboat complete with spyglass, cannon, and fishing net. Its seaworthiness erodes over time, so setting out on an unknown voyage can be risky in an older boat.

Death is permanent, so the game is unforgiving, and the starting stages can feel repetitive. However, fight your way through that and it’s possible to spend a few hours at a time without feeling like you’ve scratched the surface. Any criticisms? We couldn’t find a way to paint a face on a basketball and call it Wilson.

the bottom line. An expansion that redelivers on what made the original great, while adding new depth to the exploration.

Hats offer protection from the weather, as well as some stylish flair.

Whether on land or at sea, the Don’t Starve games are out to test your survival instincts.