Let me start off by saying Don’t Starve is an amazing game. I’ve wanted it for some time and I finally bought it during Steam’s Halloween Sale – and I’m glad I did.
It’s highly addictive and I can already see it has a ton of replay value. (I bought it earlier today and have played over 5 hours already…and I still have it paused in the background as I write this review.)
Gameplay
The game drops you into a randomly generated land, where the object of the game is to survive by avoiding starvation (hence the game’s name), insanity and angry mobs. At the beginning there is one character, Wilson, “the Gentleman Scientist”, for you to play as.
Each time you die, you have to start over again, but every time you die you gain experience and levels based on how long you survived. Each time you level, more characters are unlocked, adding even more ways to play and thus increasing the replay value.
During my first playthrough I mastered the art of trapping rabbits and figuring out the basics. I ended up lasting 15 days, which is actually impressive considering I didn’t find a gold nugget until day 14. A gold nugget is needed to make The Science Machine – a very useful item that gives you more items to make that help you survive longer – the earlier you get it, the easier things will be.
During my second (current) run, I was put on a completely different map where I have been insanely lucky. I had a science machine on day 2 and have been cruising ever since. I found a cave, but when I dropped in I immediately found a mob and got out as fast as I could – I didn’t want to die with just my wood suit and spear!
Even though I feel like I’ve already done a lot just by working on my base of operations there’s still a ton of things I have yet to explore and I can’t wait to go through it.
Graphics/Art Style/Music
Don’t Starve features a very unique, gothic style that’s truly its own. The trailers for the game have an old-time feel, and for each update, the creators, Klei Entertainment, have sent out e-mails with the same flair – complete with a poster reminiscent of an old-time theatre advertisement that just adds to the overall atmosphere and experience of the game.
Continuing with the old-time feel, the music also adds to the atmosphere of the game. Featuring creepy compositions straight from the get-go to credit music that sounds like it’s from the credits of an old silent film. The instrumental soundtrack is composed by Vince de Vera and Jason Garner and is available as additional DLC on Steam.
Bonus: Community Mods
One unique feature the game boasts is the ability for players to create their own mods for the game. Utilizing the Steam Workshop, many players have already created a ton of useful add-ons, from a basic minimap (which isn’t a standard feature of the game, you would have to hit tab to see the map otherwise), to a mod that allows you to have a full-on RPG HUD that makes the game easier to play without taking away from the overall difficulty of the game.
During my first playthrough, I played with no mods installed, and now in my second time around I have found that the minimap and RPG HUD are both truly great additions. There are many more to go through, so I’m sure there’s something for everyone out there. If there isn’t, you can always make one yourself!
Conclusion
Don’t Starve is a highly entertaining survival game filled with many things to explore and so many ways to play – not only because of the way the game is set up, but also because of the Steam Workshop. It is a game I highly recommend to anyone – especially those who enjoy survival games.
