After years of waiting, players can finally get a hands-on look at the otherworldly Blind Descent. Pokuch has just released its first open playtest for their Green Hell–inspired survival game, while offering the first 3–5 hours of adventure beneath the surface of Mars.

In the game, you are part of a team that was sent to investigate a large cavern discovered on the Red Planet. However, something went wrong, and now you are stuck and alone. But it turns out that there is an entire jungle ecosystem down here. Now your goal has shifted to survival, finding your crew, and getting back up to the surface. However, you won’t be completely alone, as you have an AI watch that helps you by explaining the basic needs to survive. Even though the introduction can feel very hand-holdy, the game soon opens up and lets you take control, so you can explore and build as you please.

While this is an undiscovered planet and some things might feel alien, there is a lot that is very similar to Earth, like trees, plants, and animals such as deer and rabbits. You need to hunt and forage to obtain food and boil water to purify it. Surprisingly, even though you are very deep underground, there is a day-and-night cycle. During nighttime, new dangerous creatures come out, so a base is essential. Building works similarly to games like in The Forest or the newly released Grounded 2, where you place a ghost blueprint and add the required items in order to construct it.

The first major dungeon of the game is fully accessible in this playtest, and you can request access on Steam. Once you have it in your library, you will be able to play Blind Descent until the 15th of August.

What are your first impression of the game so far? Let me know in the comments.