Don’t be Starved (of Great Games) with Don’t Starve
By Melody Tang
ONLINE EDITOR
It’s spooky season, and Don’t Starve is the next underrated video game you should play. Released 10 years ago in 2013, this no-internet-required Steam game is a hidden gem in the survival genre.
The premise of Don’t Starve is, as the name suggests, to withstand the elements and survive long enough to free an integral game character. But there’s a catch—you’re hurled from this world (Earth) into a disorderly reality of beasts that can either kill you or aid in your journey. With many new creatures to interact with, the game stays captivating and sure to reel you in.
Default Don’t Starve character, Wilson, survives the wilderness by running away from hostile spiders.
The game also adds intriguing features. In addition to the classic health and hunger bars, there is also a sanity bar. It decreases during various circumstances—at night, for example—making the game more complex and gripping.
There are currently 25 playable characters in Don’t Starve, each with a unique backstory on how they found themselves in the Don’t Starve world. In addition to at least one unique perk, characters are given advantages and disadvantages in certain statistics, making gameplay interesting from character to character.
What does this game have to do with Halloween? you may ask. The answer lies in the art. The style is ingenious and crafted immaculately: 2-D, hand-drawn—almost a little childish—and very much “spooky,” not unlike a Tim Burton character. It really sets the game apart from others of the same genre by constructing a uniquely unsettling mood.
Don’t Starve characters Wormwood, Wendy, and Wilson (left to right) tend to a raft at their base.
Survival games often don’t have much backstory, but Don’t Starve does. Because of its complexity, many people just play for the survival aspect. But the story is intricate, interesting, and well-written—more than enough to keep your attention and anticipation high, and I very much recommend looking into it once you start playing.
While the experience is better through the Steam app on a laptop or computer, there even exists a convenient mobile version of Don’t Starve. I know I’ve played it on car rides and airplanes. Another perk I’ve appreciated is the lack of motion sickness because of its 2D nature, which is important for someone who gets nauseous on almost all mobile apps.
Don’t Starve Together, the multiplayer extension of Don’t Starve also on the Steam app, adds to the fun by allowing you to play with friends and family. Have none? Not a problem—there’s public servers where many users host open worlds. So next time you think of opening Minecraft, don’t—and download Don’t Starve instead.
