Don’t Starve Together is a multiplayer survival game developed by Klei Entertainment, following the success of its single-player predecessor Don’t Starve. The game places you in a dark, unpredictable world where surviving the environment, creatures, and even your own sanity is key. With its art style, unique mechanics, and cooperative gameplay, it has gained a dedicated fanbase over the years. In this review, we’ll break down its features, gameplay, and challenges, exploring what makes it a standout title in the genre.
1. Introduction to Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together is the multiplayer expansion of Don’t Starve, bringing a cooperative and competitive survival experience. Players are thrust into a mysterious world where they must gather resources, craft tools, and battle both environmental dangers and strange creatures to survive.
A Unique Multiplayer Survival Experience
The game offers a blend of strategy, survival, and team coordination. It’s up to the players to survive as long as possible while managing hunger, health, and sanity. The challenge is amplified in multiplayer mode, where team dynamics come into play.
Art Style and Atmosphere
The game’s quirky hand-drawn art style immediately sets it apart from other survival games. Its dark, gothic aesthetic complements the bleak and mysterious atmosphere, creating a world where danger lurks at every corner.
2. Game Mechanics: Hunger, Health, and Sanity
Survival in Don’t Starve Together revolves around managing three critical aspects: hunger, health, and sanity. Each of these elements plays a vital role, and neglecting any one of them can quickly lead to death.
Hunger: The Constant Battle for Food
Hunger is a key survival component in the game. Players must forage for berries, trap rabbits, or even hunt larger animals to keep their hunger bar filled. If hunger drops too low, health begins to drain, leading to eventual starvation.
Health: Avoiding Danger
Health is lost during combat, from environmental dangers, or when hunger and sanity are compromised. Healing items like spider glands, cooked food, and healing salves can be crafted to restore lost health.
Sanity: The Psychological Challenge
Sanity depletes as players spend time in darkness, fight monsters, or witness disturbing events. As sanity drops, shadowy creatures called Nightmares become more aggressive, and hallucinations begin to manifest. Eating certain foods and staying near friendly sources of light can help restore sanity.
3. Crafting System and Resource Management
The crafting system is an essential aspect of the game. To survive, players need to collect materials and craft items like tools, weapons, and structures to help them thrive.
Basic Tools and Structures
Players start by crafting basic items such as axes, pickaxes, and campfires. These tools allow them to gather more resources, which are then used to craft more advanced items.
Advanced Crafting and Science Machines
To unlock advanced recipes, players need to build Science Machines and Alchemy Engines. These devices enable the creation of higher-tier items like armor, magic tools, and even winter gear for surviving cold seasons.
4. Character Diversity and Abilities
One of the unique features of Don’t Starve Together is its diverse roster of playable characters, each with special abilities that influence gameplay.
Wilson: The Default Character
Wilson, the gentleman scientist, is the default character in the game. His primary ability is growing a beard, which provides warmth during the winter months. He has no major weaknesses, making him a balanced choice for beginners.
Other Unique Characters
Characters like Willow, who is immune to fire damage, and Wickerbottom, who can craft magical books, offer distinct gameplay experiences. Each character brings a different strategy to the game, encouraging players to experiment and find the one that suits their style.
5. Exploring the World: Biomes and Environments
The world of Don’t Starve Together is procedurally generated, meaning no two playthroughs are alike. The environment is divided into various biomes, each with its own resources, enemies, and hazards.
Biomes and Resource Gathering
Biomes include forests, plains, swamps, and deserts, all offering unique resources like wood, stone, and reeds. Some biomes are safer than others, but venturing into dangerous areas is often necessary for resource collection.
Seasonal Changes
The game’s seasons also affect gameplay. Winter introduces freezing temperatures, while summer brings wildfires. Players must adapt to the changing seasons by crafting appropriate gear and stocking up on food.
6. Cooperative and Competitive Multiplayer
The multiplayer aspect of Don’t Starve Together sets it apart from the original game. Players can work together to survive or compete against one another in more hostile modes.
Working Together
In cooperative mode, players must coordinate tasks such as gathering resources, building shelters, and defending against enemies. A well-organized team can thrive, but miscommunication can lead to disastrous results.
Competitive Play
For those seeking more competition, Don’t Starve Together offers PvP modes where players can battle each other while still facing the challenges of the game world. This mode adds an extra layer of strategy as players must balance survival and combat.
7. Combat and Survival Strategy
Combat in Don’t Starve Together is both challenging and rewarding. Players must fight off monsters, bosses, and other players (in PvP mode) to survive.
Monsters and Creatures
The game is filled with hostile creatures like spiders, hounds, and tentacles, all of which pose a threat to survival. Players must learn how to dodge attacks, craft armor, and wield weapons to defeat them.
Boss Fights
Each season brings a boss like the Deerclops or Bearger, powerful enemies that can destroy bases and kill players in seconds. Defeating bosses often requires teamwork and careful planning.
8. Base Building and Defense
Building a base is a critical part of long-term survival in Don’t Starve Together. Bases provide shelter from the elements, storage for resources, and defense against monsters.
Designing a Base
Players must choose a strategic location for their base, preferably near abundant resources like trees and ponds. A good base includes crock pots for cooking, chests for storing resources, and traps to catch enemies.
Defending the Base
As players progress, their base may come under attack from creatures like hounds or spiders. Building walls and setting traps are essential for defense. Players can also set up farms to grow food and renewable resources.
9. Mods and Customization
One of the biggest draws for Don’t Starve Together is its active community of modders. The game’s Steam Workshop offers a wide variety of mods that allow players to customize their experience.
Popular Mods
Mods range from quality-of-life improvements like larger backpacks to new characters and game modes. These mods help keep the game fresh and engaging for long-time players.
Customizing Gameplay
Mods allow players to tweak game mechanics, create new worlds, or introduce entirely new challenges. This level of customization makes Don’t Starve Together endlessly replayable.
10. Final Thoughts: Is Don’t Starve Together Worth Playing?
Don’t Starve Together is a complex and rewarding survival game that offers a fresh challenge with each playthrough. Its combination of unique characters, procedurally generated worlds, and cooperative gameplay make it a standout title in the survival genre.
A Deep and Engaging Experience
For players who enjoy survival games with a steep learning curve, Don’t Starve Together provides hours of challenging gameplay. The game’s difficulty, combined with its quirky art style and cooperative elements, makes it an experience unlike any other.
The Verdict
Overall, Don’t Starve Together is a must-play for fans of the survival genre. Its complexity, unpredictability, and multiplayer options make it an unforgettable adventure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Don’t Starve Together stands as one of the best multiplayer survival games available. Its challenging gameplay, dark atmosphere, and cooperative mechanics offer a unique experience that keeps players coming back for more. Whether you’re new to the genre or a seasoned survivalist, Don’t Starve Together will test your abilities, strategy, and teamwork in ways few games can.
