The gaming community has been inundated with survival and crafting games in recent years. The best few will always stand out, whether the underwater immersion of Subnautica or the effective art style of Don't Starve. Even so, there are plenty of other games constantly looking to break through in the genre, with The Survivalists from Team 17 the latest to get in on this.
The Survivalists drops the player on a deserted island, and tasks them with exploring its expansive sandbox to find materials to survive. Along the way, tasks will appear to keep the player occupied, as they look to use the crafting mechanics to build themselves a comfortable life against the sometimes dangerous life of a castaway.
This might make it seem very similar to other survival games on the market, and at a passing glance players could be forgiven for thinking that Team 17 has provided genre fans with more of the same. However, where The Survivalists tries to stand out is with its character, with a unique feel thanks to its 2D sprite work. It’s reminiscent of The Escapists in this approach, the Team 17-published prison escape series.
This tone means that The Survivalists is actually quite a relaxing game to play too, unlike some of its contemporaries. It’s helped by some great soundtrack work, which ensures its desert islands feel rather chilled out, even when delving into the more dangerous temples that scatter the land. There's an emphasis on playing the game at your own pace, even within its multiplayer offering.
Humor, too, is a key strength with The Survivalists. This is most obvious with the game's emphasis on the monkeys that play a key - and unique - part in its gameplay. Monkeys have a mimic ability that allows the player to basically pull together a monkey army to do everything from building through to defense against the more vicious inhabitants of the island. It keeps the game light in its approach effectively, although the actual control of the monkey mimic mode can be a little cumbersome.
Unfortunately for The Survivalists that lightness isn’t just in its tone. At the moment the title does feel a little bit thin on the ground in terms of content in comparison to other crafting games available such as the extensive offerings of Dragon Quest Builders 2. Players who are fans of survival games may find that they speed through everything it has to over relatively quickly.
There is of course a place for this in the market (Minecraft wouldn’t be where it is if it didn’t have simplicity) but the most impressive crafting-based games match that easy entry point with a hidden depth to their play. At the moment The Survivalists lacks that substance, and this could mean that players spring on to another game before too long.
If the game was entirely enjoyable to play it would be a different matter altogether, as players could happily replay its gameplay loop. There are some unfortunate barriers here, though, with fiddly controls (particularly when calling monkeys into action) being an issue that some might grow weary of. As such, it's best enjoyed at a slower pace, as well as prioritising it as an entry point to the genre.
Even so, The Survivalists has a lot of potential and it’s got a strong framework in place to evolve beyond its current iteration thanks to its tone, art style, and the unique feel of some gameplay elements. At the moment however the game is a little bit thin on the ground content-wise, and this is worth bearing in mind for those expecting a title they can pour plenty of hours into. This is no doubt going to be expanded over time, but it’s worth bearing in mind for those expecting a particularly deep experience – and those who do pick it up may want to take their time with it.
The Survivalists is out now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS devices. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.