DRAGO Entertainment has released their long-awaited brutal survival game Winter Survival to a successful launch, sitting at over 80% positive rating on Steam on the first day. Alongside the release, we also got a look at what is to come in the coming year.

Winter Survival offers an immersive experience with snow-covered forests, mountains, and frozen lakes taking inspiration from Mount Washington, which is located in New Hampshire, USA. This game is focused on providing a narrative featuring a main character called Danny. It is fully voiced and while the introduction of the game feels very linear, once the tutorial is over you can explore the snowy terrain to your heart’s content.

The player will have to traverse treacherous terrain, endure harsh winter conditions, contend with deadly animals, and confront the negative effects this survival situation has on the main character’s mind as you progress through the campaign. Like many other games in the genre, you must find or build shelter, cook meals, and rest, all while dodging the numerous dangers that Winter Survival will throw at you.

While out exploring you can find remnants of long-gone people, this includes abandoned structures, a town, hunter towers, and more. Here you will be able to find useful materials and food that you need to survive. The hunter towers won’t have much loot, but instead can be used to scout ahead. 

The game features an event system that introduces randomness, making the survival experience unpredictable. This is Winter Survival’s biggest selling feature, the sanity system.

This game is not just about physical endurance, but also mental toughness. The player must contend with the psychological effects of stress, fear, fatigue, and isolation. The unique sanity system adds a layer of complexity to the game, where the player’s perception of reality and madness becomes blurred. Side effects become worse over time and can be things like seeing ghost prey or wolves, rocks or fences that block your path until you get close and then they disappear. These are some of the permanent debuffs you will have to live with. However, that is not all as there are also some temporary negative effects you can get through this system, like having less health. To get rid of these you will have to complete a random challenge associated with it, like walking 5000 steps.

Hunting is a crucial aspect of survival, and the player must acquire the necessary skills to capture animals and skin them. Their skin, bones, and other resources can be used in the crafting system. There are multiple crafting stations, from a workbench to a sewing station, you can even craft simple structures like campfires from your inventory. For those looking to build their own shelter, you will need to build a few benches before you can start on a bigger project like that.

Winter Survival offers two different game modes as of the early access launch: Story Mode, which as the name implies, guides you through the narrative of Winter Survival where the player must find their friends and return home. Endless Mode offers more resources and crafting options, giving you a chance to show your survival skills. Another game mode is currently in the works, this is called Cold Wave and will be a high-score type of mode.

DRAGO Entertainment also released a roadmap for 2024 a few days ago detailing some of the upcoming major updates. The story will be expanded with two new acts, and the world will see some areas revised. We will also see more building types, animals, and a fishing feature coming later this year.

Have you played Winter Survival yet? Let me know what you think of the game in the comments.