Don't Starve

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1134 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 869 out of 1134
  2. Mixed: 203 out of 1134
  3. Negative: 62 out of 1134

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  1. frobro
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    To all those who say there is no story, you obviously have not played enough. Inside the game there is an "adventure mode" which is basically story mode(and very challenging). I have logged well over 200 hours into this game and some of my best times were in the beginning when i had no idea what was coming next. The Developers are incredible. They put out over 6 months of content forTo all those who say there is no story, you obviously have not played enough. Inside the game there is an "adventure mode" which is basically story mode(and very challenging). I have logged well over 200 hours into this game and some of my best times were in the beginning when i had no idea what was coming next. The Developers are incredible. They put out over 6 months of content for free after the game was released. There will also be DLC in the future. This game has permadeath. If you cannot get over that fact, then this game is probably not for you. You WILL die. You WILL lose everything. That being said, that is my favorite aspect of the game.… Expand
  2. keefbaker
    Nov 2, 2013
    8
    Imagine you're trapped in a Tim Burton animation and the only thing you have to do is stay alive using the things around you. Yep. That's this. Borrowing heavily from the survival and crafting mechanics of the likes of minecraft, this wonderfully stylized game manages to carve a niche of its own in a genre that is starting to get a little crowded.
  3. Keychain
    Nov 1, 2013
    8
    Although the concept isn't exactly original, the execution is incredible enough to make it different from anything else that tries to do the same things. Don't Starve has a very memorable artstyle and very distinct playable characters that aren't difficult to remember. This game throws you in the middle of no where, where you are expected to make use of your environment in ways almost noAlthough the concept isn't exactly original, the execution is incredible enough to make it different from anything else that tries to do the same things. Don't Starve has a very memorable artstyle and very distinct playable characters that aren't difficult to remember. This game throws you in the middle of no where, where you are expected to make use of your environment in ways almost no other survival game does; in order to survive.

    This game literally goes down to the roots, where twigs, plants, and grass are all very useful resources that you have to rely on in order to survive. Almost nothing is useless, and a lot of it is essential. You can catch animals using traps, catch insects using nets, and even slaughter mutants and monsters. There are many different types of enemies as well, to the point where you'll stumble upon enemies you've never seen before and have no idea how they will react to your presence, let-alone what loot they carry and what benefits you gain for defeating them. That is real survival. The survival aspect of this game goes incredibly in-depth, there's just so much to it.

    Once you die, you're dead for good. Your save gets deleted and you have to start over. But have no fear, the game rewards you depending on how many days you survive by giving you experience points. These experience points are built toward unlocking new characters, which all have unique attributes that make the game play differently.

    Although it's a little difficult, Don't Starve is an incredible survival game. If survival games are your cup of tea, this game is a must-have.    … Expand
  4. Representer
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    I have been playing this game since November last year off and on and I am really impressed how the developers improved the core gameplay and added new content. At the end it is about Wilderness Survival, which is a very interesting topic on its own, but Klei Entertainment added their own flavour which makes this game so great. Be it the art style, the easy controls and the overall feel ofI have been playing this game since November last year off and on and I am really impressed how the developers improved the core gameplay and added new content. At the end it is about Wilderness Survival, which is a very interesting topic on its own, but Klei Entertainment added their own flavour which makes this game so great. Be it the art style, the easy controls and the overall feel of the game, this is something special. The core gameplay mechanics work very well and provide the basics to the success of Don't Starve. The game and its flow seem so natural that you think how noone before them had the idea to make that kind of game. I think it works very well and every new game you start is a new experience.… Expand
  5. RoofieColada
    Oct 29, 2013
    9
    The art style, the humor, the charm, the sometimes brutal cruelty that the game slaughters you with horribly. The replay, the gameplay, The bitter winter chill that runs down your spine as you starve to death half insane during the winter. This game I fell in love with immediately, And honestly was the only game I played for almost a week after I got it.
    The game is not perfect, and is    The art style, the humor, the charm, the sometimes brutal cruelty that the game slaughters you with horribly. The replay, the gameplay, The bitter winter chill that runs down your spine as you starve to death half insane during the winter. This game I fell in love with immediately, And honestly was the only game I played for almost a week after I got it.
    The game is not perfect, and is really I personally feel a niche genre game..though survival horror kinda games seem to be far more popular nowadays. But there in lies the problem as I think this is either a game you love or hate once again completely depending on if you like horror like survival games. And with that in mind its a hard game to recommend.
    Regardless my score is higher then I would probably normally rate it simply because of the games personality. I love so many thing about this game the art and the humor especially it just makes it different. And that has to count for something, the smile it keeps putting on my face certainly does.    … Expand
  6. fool17
    Oct 23, 2013
    9
    hi there I'm writing about don't starve a brilliant adventure/simulation. After many updates it has certainly improved from the day it came out on steam. In this game you will face some challenging enemy,obstacles and biomes, as I can see there is mixed opinions on this game and yes it dose have its flaws and it dose have its strengths.The point I'm trying to make here is that it is a gamehi there I'm writing about don't starve a brilliant adventure/simulation. After many updates it has certainly improved from the day it came out on steam. In this game you will face some challenging enemy,obstacles and biomes, as I can see there is mixed opinions on this game and yes it dose have its flaws and it dose have its strengths.The point I'm trying to make here is that it is a game that should be bought and should be enjoyed no matter who's playing it. so i give a 9 out of 10.… Expand
  7. Kagemusha
    Oct 15, 2013
    8
    Don't Starve is truly a delightful game to play; The atmosphere and soundscape never fail to create a warm fuzzy (yet dark and macabre) feeling as you play. This being said, it is an inherently "grind" heavy game and most of your time will be spent performing repetitive tasks (or dying). Oddly enough of the hundreds of deaths I have experienced in this game I have yet to in factDon't Starve is truly a delightful game to play; The atmosphere and soundscape never fail to create a warm fuzzy (yet dark and macabre) feeling as you play. This being said, it is an inherently "grind" heavy game and most of your time will be spent performing repetitive tasks (or dying). Oddly enough of the hundreds of deaths I have experienced in this game I have yet to in fact Starve...so at least I followed the core imperative.

    Once you have clawed your way to a position of security and there are no concerns for food, safety, or resources the game does start to feel a little dull and without challenge. Admittedly there are options within the game world generation phase that can make the game hellishly difficult, but even then the sense of accomplishment you first felt, on finally prototyping that item or figure out how to deal with that obstacle, never quite returns.

    All in all a great game to play and I find myself often returning to it for an hour or two every once and a while but it lacks end-game motivation. Certainly happy that i bought it and certainly would encourage anybody who enjoys a little grind in their lives to buy it too.    … Expand
  8. The_Ommadawn
    Sep 17, 2013
    8
    An excellent game. Bought it based upon the survival elements and price. Like other survival/exploration games (you know the ones) it offers longevity and quirky game play. Each time you restart you'll learn a lesson and do it better. My top tip is stock up on food early on until you can build traps. Initially it was (as the name suggests) starvation that finished me off. Similar to aAn excellent game. Bought it based upon the survival elements and price. Like other survival/exploration games (you know the ones) it offers longevity and quirky game play. Each time you restart you'll learn a lesson and do it better. My top tip is stock up on food early on until you can build traps. Initially it was (as the name suggests) starvation that finished me off. Similar to a Roguelike game, once you die that's it. No save game, restore point or trial and error. This makes you think carefully before attacking a spider nest or venturing too far from camp. Enjoy… Expand
  9. Type4101
    Sep 12, 2013
    1
    This "game" has a wonderful art style, and an interesting concept. Sadly, it is not a game. There is no real campaign, no structure, and you can't really win. All you do is grind away endlessly, often encountering frustrating monsters that will instantly ruin hours and hours of game play...which doesn't really matter since there was no way to win anyway. Games that insist you "set yourThis "game" has a wonderful art style, and an interesting concept. Sadly, it is not a game. There is no real campaign, no structure, and you can't really win. All you do is grind away endlessly, often encountering frustrating monsters that will instantly ruin hours and hours of game play...which doesn't really matter since there was no way to win anyway. Games that insist you "set your own goals" or, in this case, "survive as long as you can" doesn't really have a purpose. I survived ten days...I win? Oh I survived 15 days...I win more? Maybe Don't Starve 2 will be a real game.… Expand
  10. kevman007
    Sep 1, 2013
    9
    If you're looking for a fun indie survival game then this is the game for you. Provides a nice challenge with a lot to learn about. Game is updates every couple of weeks or so, so new content can always be expected. Recently got good Mod Support from the Steam Workshop with a lot of fun mods to mess around with. Can be a bit buggy at times. If you die your save is deleted and you have toIf you're looking for a fun indie survival game then this is the game for you. Provides a nice challenge with a lot to learn about. Game is updates every couple of weeks or so, so new content can always be expected. Recently got good Mod Support from the Steam Workshop with a lot of fun mods to mess around with. Can be a bit buggy at times. If you die your save is deleted and you have to start from scratch, unless you find some of the ways to revive yourself before actually dying. Very helpful wiki and a good forum presence. All in all a good game if you're looking for a fun survival game to play.… Expand
  11. lukemacu
    Sep 1, 2013
    8
    Don't Starve, a game built around a simple concept not starving that is executed very well. It personally took me a while to get into but there is quite a bit of content there to play with and with frequent updates and some nice mods thanks to the Steam Workshop now available it keeps me coming back. Unlike some games Don't Starve never loses its key element; even when you have a niceDon't Starve, a game built around a simple concept not starving that is executed very well. It personally took me a while to get into but there is quite a bit of content there to play with and with frequent updates and some nice mods thanks to the Steam Workshop now available it keeps me coming back. Unlike some games Don't Starve never loses its key element; even when you have a nice base set up you'll still be having trouble with not starving.… Expand
  12. pacoda
    Aug 30, 2013
    5
    Its a survival with a dark mood to it. Its just too repetetive though. Especially the first week or so you kind of have to do the exact same things every time you play and it just makes it tedious. I think of you are really into survivals you have to try it though cause it has a lot of cool stuff in it. Good music, mysterious creatures and fauna. It looks original and the lore is creepy!Its a survival with a dark mood to it. Its just too repetetive though. Especially the first week or so you kind of have to do the exact same things every time you play and it just makes it tedious. I think of you are really into survivals you have to try it though cause it has a lot of cool stuff in it. Good music, mysterious creatures and fauna. It looks original and the lore is creepy! It could have been great i suspect but the long start-up that looks the same everytime is moving me away from this game.… Expand
  13. SpartanCheese
    Aug 23, 2013
    10
    I loved everything about this game! I love the artwork, the gameplay the sound board! Hell i even made this account so I could rate it! It's a fun learn-how-to-play-yourself game (I recommend a quick trip to the wiki for the basics) where you survive and thrive through day and night, summer and winter, or even combat starvation and wild animals! It has many different characters you canI loved everything about this game! I love the artwork, the gameplay the sound board! Hell i even made this account so I could rate it! It's a fun learn-how-to-play-yourself game (I recommend a quick trip to the wiki for the basics) where you survive and thrive through day and night, summer and winter, or even combat starvation and wild animals! It has many different characters you can choose from to suit your play style, and even a comedy one for the "hardcore" players who want a challenge. And with the ability to choose what spawn in your world and how it's created, this game can have you set a custom difficulty to help or challenge you. It is my favorite game and if you have $20 lying around go and buy it. However it has a slightly repetitive nature to it, and the adventure mode could still use some work, but with the frequent updates it will most likely become more than just a sandbox game.… Expand
  14. eponymous
    Aug 21, 2013
    8
    A fun, cheap and rewarding game. A little bit of gather/eat/sleep grind but plenty there to keep you entertained for many hours. Might benefit from an RPG element as characters are a little 2-dimensional.
  15. KratosITALY
    Aug 21, 2013
    8
    I've been playing the game since it was on Early Access. I love the graphics, the tone and some gameplay aspects. This game is far from perfect, but it's really adorable and entertaining. Almost every 2 week there's a new update that adds features, objects, world animals and also characters. I think that in a year this game will get 1 more point if they add a multiplayer mode for 2 players.
  16. Stormsson
    Aug 21, 2013
    9
    Don't starve is easily one of the best games i played in a very long time.
    Not starving is a difficult task where you must "multitask" your gameplay to achieve all elements necessary to your survival.
    The game offers various environments and a lot of different resources to handle,with whom you can build more or less complex tools that may aid you in your journey. Surely one of the best    Don't starve is easily one of the best games i played in a very long time.
    Not starving is a difficult task where you must "multitask" your gameplay to achieve all elements necessary to your survival.
    The game offers various environments and a lot of different resources to handle,with whom you can build more or less complex tools that may aid you in your journey.
    Surely one of the best indie games i played.
    This is not a 10 just because i don't think it's totally perfect.    … Expand
  17. magnum314
    Aug 20, 2013
    6
    This game has a lot of motion, but comparatively little action. Most of the game is grinding to collect, convert, research, and collect, mostly for the sake of itself. Though there are apparently some goals in this game, they are largely player imposed. The only game imposed goal (that I have seen) is to not die (starving, losing health), with anything above and beyond that being driven byThis game has a lot of motion, but comparatively little action. Most of the game is grinding to collect, convert, research, and collect, mostly for the sake of itself. Though there are apparently some goals in this game, they are largely player imposed. The only game imposed goal (that I have seen) is to not die (starving, losing health), with anything above and beyond that being driven by the player. The title says it all Don't Starve setting the goal of avoiding a negative condition. Meeting any positive condition is entirely up to the player.… Expand
  18. Frast2013X
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Następna po Minecraft'cie (i Terrari)tak dobra gra survivalowa. Rozbudowana, ciekawa klimatycznie, posiadająca wiele ciekawych pomysłów gra survivalowa. Pomimo tego że jest ona ogólnie uważana za idealną, według mojej opinii ma parę wad. Sam świat jest za mało rozbudowany, jest wręcz "nudny". Graficznie też nie zaskakuje(Minecraft na przykład ma system rozwalania terenu). Jest to jednakNastępna po Minecraft'cie (i Terrari)tak dobra gra survivalowa. Rozbudowana, ciekawa klimatycznie, posiadająca wiele ciekawych pomysłów gra survivalowa. Pomimo tego że jest ona ogólnie uważana za idealną, według mojej opinii ma parę wad. Sam świat jest za mało rozbudowany, jest wręcz "nudny". Graficznie też nie zaskakuje(Minecraft na przykład ma system rozwalania terenu). Jest to jednak wciąg tytuł w który naprawdę powinno się zagrać.
    Moja ocena 8/10    … Expand
  19. jbhungry
    Jul 31, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have mixed feelings about this game.

    The few hours of this game is fantastic. The art style is beautiful and unique. A dark, bleak Tim Burton-esque cartoony look. The music is quirky and gets you in the mood. You are placed in the middle of a survival scenario with a short cinematic and no guidance with interesting looking objects to interact with. You are given absolutely no information on the mechanics of the game. There are three meters, health, hunger and sanity, but these are not explained. You are given a menu on the left of objects you can craft and the materials required, which are not many to start with.

    The game is a survival simulator with heavy emphasis on exploration and crafting. Dying is permanent which is made very obvious at the beginning of the game. You will probably die immediately the first night not being told that not having a campfire leads to instant death. Most people will probably die of starvation at some point, they will die when they have their first monster battle without armor, and they will die at the completely arbitrary hound attack that occurs several hours into a playthrough. You lose everything when you die. The early game consists of picking twigs, berries, grass, and collecting wood. You can also dig up grass and saplings to start to cobble a base together. This is time consuming (partially because the animation of picking something which you have to do OVER AND OVER again is somewhat lengthy) and has to be repeated every time you die. You begin to fear death, to the point where you don't want to interact with anything that isn't obviously safe. Now the developer's recommend is to not read the online wiki to preserve mystery. But if death is SO harsh that I don't even want to experiment, is that fun?

    Anyways I finally cave and look up the wiki. There is A LOT to the mechanics of this game. You will not be able to figure it out on your own because it is not really intuitive. I had to read the wiki for hours to get a handle on it. The in game descriptions of objects you can craft are laughably vague.

    Combat is not fun, it is mainly just clicking an enemy over and over, but you are so easily overwhelmed by more than one enemy or a moderately strong enemy that the main strategy is using hit and run tactics, which isn't very gratifying. You can't wear armor and a backpack at the same time, so you have to switch rapidly into armor whenever you have an encounter. The one ranged weapon in the game I managed to build was the boomerang, which has limited uses and DAMAGES you on the way back if you don't "catch" it, which involves hitting the space key which may or may not work. This is not explained anywhere in the game, you have to look that up online.

    The game is very tedious. There wasn't time to explore, nor any great desire to as none of the advanced crafting objects seem like they would make alleviate any of the busy work. You can build a better backpack, but that would slow you down. You could make better armor, but that would slow you down.

    Finally I discovered that there is an active modding community. GREAT! It seems to address a lot of these issues. You can add separate slots for backpacks and amulets. Increase the stack size. Tweak the rate food spoils and how hungry you get. Increase the speed of harvesting grass and saplings. Resurrect at your campsite upon death. Increase the container size. Prevent tools and armor from degrading. This removes A LOT of the tedium from the game, and leaves you free to explore. What you discover however once the busy work is removed is there isn't much else to do. Building the advanced objects are not particularly useful or fun. The combat still is not too much fun. There just isn't any real goal.

    There is an adventure mode that you have to discover in the game that involves finding various objects in special challenging levels that I think complement the game better, but it doesn't solve a lot of the fundamental issues.

    I want this game to be awesome, but it just feels unbalanced and directionless. I find the lack of in game information detracts from the experience. The perma-death and difficulty by obfuscation is enraging and discourages exploration and experimentation. The game has conflicting goals, basically requiring you to set up a base but urging you to explore and be mobile. The crafting and base construction is not rewarding because there is little room for creativity, as most bases will probably look the same between users.

    Perhaps with further updates and more mods this game will become more balanced, fun, and rewarding. But it's hard to recommend at the moment. It's for sure fun and addicting for a few hours. Ultimately it is a frustrating and incomplete experience.    … Expand
  20. WillSci
    Jul 30, 2013
    10
    I bought this because I loved the art style. I didn't think I'd like the rogue aspect (permadeath), but it quickly grew on me. I personally don't care for Minecraft (compared to a lot), this game feels very different. While there is resource gathering, there is always a strategic aspect where you need to balance different needs and use your time effectively. Because of that it never feelsI bought this because I loved the art style. I didn't think I'd like the rogue aspect (permadeath), but it quickly grew on me. I personally don't care for Minecraft (compared to a lot), this game feels very different. While there is resource gathering, there is always a strategic aspect where you need to balance different needs and use your time effectively. Because of that it never feels like grinding. I keep finding more depth to both the crafting and the world itself too, so after 20 or so hours I'm far from bored. Easily my favorite game of the year, thanks to Don't Starve I was able to take a proper break from League of Legends!… Expand
  21. Clintonio
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    This is a great game that I'd recommend to anyone, particularly those who enjoy survival horror. The basic premise is that the game is a survival game with a focus on hunger, that, once you die, your world is erased and you must start again. There are many ways to avoid this fate, but ultimately you will die or decide to start a new world.

    The overall mechanics of the game fit    This is a great game that I'd recommend to anyone, particularly those who enjoy survival horror. The basic premise is that the game is a survival game with a focus on hunger, that, once you die, your world is erased and you must start again. There are many ways to avoid this fate, but ultimately you will die or decide to start a new world.

    The overall mechanics of the game fit brilliantly together. It might seem frustrating to lose a character and world, but the more engaging parts of the game are the exploration, construction and attempts to survive. Dying means you have a chance to start again, taking your past mistakes into account. You construct, craft and collect, like in many current survival games, but don't expect some Minecraft survival clone because of the presence of a pickaxe. Once you get past the basics, like cutting trees, the game veers off in a widely different direction, focusing on your hunger, sanity and health, and not building pretty constructs. Combat is not one of the game's strong points, and you will have to fight monsters at some point. Most combat can be avoided, but at some point you will have to fight to advance and survive.

    This game has an art style that suits the style of the game. Rather than try to make the strange creatures fit into some realistic art style, they have decided to go with a "weird and dark" art style that is somewhat reminiscent of a cartoon. If it seems pretentious or silly to you, try to look past that. Once you get into the game you'll appreciate it. A standard art style for modern survival horror games would look cheap and uninspired if used in Don't Starve.

    The usage of sound really amplifies the feelings of loneliness, danger and creepiness that the game will put you through, as well as giving you clear indictation of state, overall creating an immersive atmosphere.

    Don't Starve is a fun, immersive, engaging game that lives up to both the title and the reviews. Like many other modern indie games this game does not have a tutorial or a definitive guide. A lot of the negative reviews for Don't Starve focus on this, or are a result of it. Do yourself a favour and spend the first few hours playing without a guide, and once you've learned all you can without the Wiki, start using it. You'll be surprised how much you can learn without a guide as long as you're aiming to learn.    … Expand
  22. iseeall
    Jul 26, 2013
    8
    The game is good overall, and it was very interested to play for 2 days. After that I got bored. Then another day of playing, and bored again.
    The good:
    - interesting art (I am not really a fan of this style myself, but still it's very cool) - great humor in many places (the sounds of the spiders attacking are excellent!). Really great humor - the game is done with style - i like that    The game is good overall, and it was very interested to play for 2 days. After that I got bored. Then another day of playing, and bored again.
    The good:
    - interesting art (I am not really a fan of this style myself, but still it's very cool)
    - great humor in many places (the sounds of the spiders attacking are excellent!). Really great humor
    - the game is done with style
    - i like that when you die you have to restart. I used to play ADOM a lot Actually, I expected a more difficult game after reading reviews, but Don't Starve is much easier than ADOM. I didn't even feel said when dying.
    The bad:
    - there is no wiki or any other info source inside the game. Namely, you have to jump into a wormhole and die so as to learn that wormholes kill you and you shouldn't jump into them. You have to die just because it got dark to learn that in darkness you die (wtf! this makes no sense) Same with most other stuff. I ended up just reading an inofficial wiki of the game to be able to understand most of the concepts. This is not a good sign at all! Sorry guys, but dying from something you couldn't even know is no fun.. It just teaches you that no matter what you do next time and no matter how good you play, you will die from something you didn't know until finally you have a feeling that it's pointless to keep repeating to just learn the game "the hard way" and quit.
    - combat is totally awkward. I died quite a few times just because I couldn't click precisely on a moving mob and the character would try to walk to the clicked spot instead of attacking the mob. Very frustrating. Actually, a SHIFT key should stop the character from moving and force a stationary attack, just like in Diablo 1.
    - no ranged weapons in the beginning of the game. I know, it's easier to make a spear than a bow, but there are lots of players like me who like ranged characters more than melee. You could make the bow a low damage weapon or introduce other disadvantage (limited arrows, slow reload time, low accuracy, whatever) but still let the player fight in his own style early.
    All in all, an artistically excellent game spoiled by bad combat system and lack of in-game help.    … Expand
  23. Krayzgerman
    Jul 26, 2013
    3
    This game is a farming game, 95% of the time you grind stuff and hope you don't die during the night/ process. Don’t bother farming anything during the night. If you do, it’s “game over”—unless you've found a rare sacred stone or built yourself a meat sacrifice thing—which to even get to that level is a task in and of itself. If you love walking around and just clicking on different plantsThis game is a farming game, 95% of the time you grind stuff and hope you don't die during the night/ process. Don’t bother farming anything during the night. If you do, it’s “game over”—unless you've found a rare sacred stone or built yourself a meat sacrifice thing—which to even get to that level is a task in and of itself. If you love walking around and just clicking on different plants and running away from freaky long legged birds that kill you in 2 hits, then this is the game for you.

    I only continued in hopes that it would eventually get better but it remained boring. I played about 14 hours of the game, it never got better. It got ‘different,’ but still ‘boring different’. Even after collecting half a dozen pigs in my man-pig army. The game wasn’t bad or poorly designed as a whole, it was simply boring. Grinding stuff the majority of the time is incredibly boring. I’d seriously rather just watch my cat groom herself for an hour in the same spot, over and over and over again. Games like Terraria and Mine Craft are fun when grinding, you can literally shape the world around you while you grind for stuff and even use the world to interact with on some level in real-time to fight or block off enemies. All of these great aspects you can't do in this game. It takes far more investment to get to any of these aspects and the pacing doesn’t allow for this in real-time because you’d die while trying to build anything.

    I see the charm in their style and how this game paces itself with items and animations, I like that and it is interesting. But it doesn’t make up for a boring game which just becomes frustratingly difficult when they punish you every time you die. This is not an effective way to hook players in for more, difficulty does not equal fun. Mechanics equal fun, fun and engaging game mechanics. Yes games 15 even 20 years ago games were very difficult and unforgiving but because of their crude graphics and controls they needed fundamentally strong game mechanics. That they were difficult was an aspect of arcade gaming crossing over into consoles. Terraria is a great example of this because the game has little if any story at all, it is paced purely off the players choices and actions. The designers for Don’t Starve would benefit greatly from reading some books on game theory or taking a few courses for learning about game mechanics etc. Don’t bother wasting your time on this boring game, unless you’re into clicking stuff pointlessly for hours with no story at all and collecting imaginary digital shrubs, grass, rocks, etc. Or unless they come out with a seriously significant update that changes a major aspect of this game as a whole.

    I can’t even begin to really describe to you how boring this game is, and I’ve play over a thousand hours on various grinding games. This takes the cake.

    The Good:
    Charming Consistent Visual Style
    Animations and Sounds
    Simple UI and Menus
    Intuitive Controls

    The Bad:
    Extremely Boring
    Horribly Unforgiving
    Too linear for its Genre for an Adventure is lacks story for Simulation it lacks interactions.
    If if they mean simulation as in a farm simulator... then yeah, move along and get Farm Simulator 2013, at least that game knows what it is. I can easily imagine Farm Simulator 2013 being 1000x more fun than this game.
    The UI for building and researching stuff could be a lot better; any means of finding out about the game you’d have to refer to a wiki site--and the developers don't want you to do that.
    And for an indie game as boring as this is, and charging more than 5 dollars with a serious face should be a crime, unless all the money is going to the sound and art guys then I support that.    … Expand
  24. Koo
    Jul 21, 2013
    9
    Don't Starve is great fun in small doses. It has a certain charm about it I really like, and the gameplay is enjoyable too. For a game with no walk throughs or tips built-in, it is surprisingly easy to pick-up. Mouse cursor activated tooltips give you most of the information you need (e.g. what you need to build things) and beyond that, the game is about experimentation. And it is funDon't Starve is great fun in small doses. It has a certain charm about it I really like, and the gameplay is enjoyable too. For a game with no walk throughs or tips built-in, it is surprisingly easy to pick-up. Mouse cursor activated tooltips give you most of the information you need (e.g. what you need to build things) and beyond that, the game is about experimentation. And it is fun to explore. Don't Starve is one of those games where you will die several times before you make progress, but that's part of the fun in my opinion. Provided you are willing to learn from your mistakes, this is a very enjoyable game. The game's soundtrack is fantastic as well. 9/10… Expand
  25. spazm
    Jul 16, 2013
    10
    I really like roguelike games, and this also has some of the crafting/exploring element that Terraria has, but this game is the dark to Terraria's light. While Terraria is fun, happy, and multiplayer, this game is fun but twisted and solitary.

    Keep in mind the game is about survival, obviously, but you also will be crafting things, collecting resources, exploring and adventuring on a    I really like roguelike games, and this also has some of the crafting/exploring element that Terraria has, but this game is the dark to Terraria's light. While Terraria is fun, happy, and multiplayer, this game is fun but twisted and solitary.

    Keep in mind the game is about survival, obviously, but you also will be crafting things, collecting resources, exploring and adventuring on a randomly made creepy island that slowly drives your character, as well as you the player insane, but in a good way.    … Expand
  26. Rekia
    Jul 15, 2013
    10
    I was really pleasantly surprised by this game. It's a fantastic game if you enjoy trying to survive against all odds with no quest markers telling you where to go, no hand holding, no tutorial, just good old fashioned "figure it out yourself" gameplay. It's not overly complicated, it's really simple on the surface, but much more complex as you keep going and developing strategies to stayI was really pleasantly surprised by this game. It's a fantastic game if you enjoy trying to survive against all odds with no quest markers telling you where to go, no hand holding, no tutorial, just good old fashioned "figure it out yourself" gameplay. It's not overly complicated, it's really simple on the surface, but much more complex as you keep going and developing strategies to stay alive.

    It reminds me very much of Minecraft survival mode, but in a much harsher world. I've already put many more hours into this $15 game than I have in my last three $60 games combined.    … Expand
  27. AC4_Crusader
    Jul 15, 2013
    9
    First think before we start: if you like challenges, know how to learn from your mistakes and improve yourself, then we are ok and you should totally buy this game, but if you get angry easily and can't deal with making silly mistakes then go away.

    This game will make you a Bear Gryll (piss not included), this game will throw you into the wild and you will have to show 'em who's the    First think before we start: if you like challenges, know how to learn from your mistakes and improve yourself, then we are ok and you should totally buy this game, but if you get angry easily and can't deal with making silly mistakes then go away.

    This game will make you a Bear Gryll (piss not included), this game will throw you into the wild and you will have to show 'em who's the man, you may die on the way (many times) but once you know how to make a nice shelter you should be somewhat ok... till you die exploring, i highly recommend to set the game to only summer on the settings, this way you will learn more things and probably survive twice the days that you would on a normal world.    … Expand
  28. GeneralAwesome
    Jul 15, 2013
    8
    I absolutely adore this game! It captures the survival feeling that its name implies perfectly and figuring out the best ways to survive as and perfecting your own unique style is extremely addicting. I've heard people complain about the lack of a tutorial or even any hints as to what to do and all I have to say to that is, "OF COURSE NOT!" It's a survival game and all of theI absolutely adore this game! It captures the survival feeling that its name implies perfectly and figuring out the best ways to survive as and perfecting your own unique style is extremely addicting. I've heard people complain about the lack of a tutorial or even any hints as to what to do and all I have to say to that is, "OF COURSE NOT!" It's a survival game and all of the instructions you need are given right there in the title "Don't Starve." If you were to crash and be stuck in the wilderness, there's nobody there to hold your hand as you fight for your life. The fact that there is no indication on what can harm you just encourages the slow-paced survival mentality as the game continues to throw curveballs at you that you'd never expect. I only hope that the game continues to expand without losing its difficult survival roots.… Expand
  29. Hurzdligh
    Jul 15, 2013
    9
    A great game. I only gave it a 9 because it lacks co-op (not multiplayer, but co-op with maximum 2-3 players).

    It has almost everything a survival game needs, and it is growing still with constant patching (free of charge). Most of the bad reviews are made by people that can`t cope with dying in games (permanent death) or with harsh environments that punish bad decisions and rewards    A great game. I only gave it a 9 because it lacks co-op (not multiplayer, but co-op with maximum 2-3 players).

    It has almost everything a survival game needs, and it is growing still with constant patching (free of charge).

    Most of the bad reviews are made by people that can`t cope with dying in games (permanent death) or with harsh environments that punish bad decisions and rewards intelligence.

    A beautiful, challenging game. Do yourself a favor and buy this game, it is really that good.    … Expand
  30. Comediatic
    Jul 14, 2013
    6
    Don't Starve incorporates a very interesting gameplay and art design. Hand drawn graphics and art are appreciative and unique. The survival style goal means the main goal of the game. And the music are exceptionally nice. However the extremely repetitive gameplay may meet some people to a boring, expensive game. Your first run may occupy you for hours with excellent survival thoughts andDon't Starve incorporates a very interesting gameplay and art design. Hand drawn graphics and art are appreciative and unique. The survival style goal means the main goal of the game. And the music are exceptionally nice. However the extremely repetitive gameplay may meet some people to a boring, expensive game. Your first run may occupy you for hours with excellent survival thoughts and worrying time decisions. But somehow Don't Starve just doesn't do the deal. It may be another inspiration from Minecraft. But it just doesn't give the same freedom or feel, nor does its title. Don't Starve incorporates unique art and music but lacks gameplay.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best PC Game of 2013
40
#40 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
22
#22 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Gamer.nl
    Jul 19, 2013
    80
    Don’t Starve is a game for those who persevere. The infinitely playable survival RPG with an artsy appearance tests your endurance, but rewards players with a surprisingly unique experience.
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  2. games(TM)
    Jun 28, 2013
    80
    It's a game that just keeps giving, even as it tears your life from you. [Issue#136, p.110]
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  3. Polygon
    Jun 26, 2013
    85
    A refreshingly upfront experience, right down to the title. A game that shoves players into a complex, harsh world with little explanation, it can be tough to parse at first. But little by little, Don't Starve reveals itself via deep mechanics and an ever-evolving world. It started strong and got better.
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