Don’t Starve Together is a multiplayer survival game developed by Klei Entertainment. It’s an extension of the original Don’t Starve game, bringing a cooperative survival experience that takes the challenge to a new level. The game is set in a strange and dark world where players must manage hunger, health, and sanity to survive while facing dangerous creatures, unpredictable weather, and even each other in some cases. In this review, we’ll explore the different aspects of the game, how it stands out in the survival genre, and what players can expect when diving into this unforgiving world.
1. Introduction to Don’t Starve Together
Released in 2014, Don’t Starve Together expanded on the original single-player experience, offering multiplayer modes where you can cooperate with friends or face the wilderness alone. The game’s main objective remains the same: survive as long as possible in an environment full of danger.
Why It’s Different from Don’t Starve
While Don’t Starve focuses on a solo survival experience, Don’t Starve Together adds new mechanics that emphasize team collaboration, strategy, and even a touch of PvP (player versus player). It’s the same core gameplay but with the added complexity of balancing your survival needs alongside those of your teammates.
Multiplayer Dynamics
Cooperating with friends makes the game more manageable in many ways. Sharing resources, splitting up responsibilities, and defending each other from the dangers of the wilderness can extend your survival chances. However, poor teamwork can lead to disastrous outcomes.
2. Core Gameplay Mechanics
At its heart, Don’t Starve Together focuses on resource management and survival. Players need to balance three crucial aspects: hunger, health, and sanity.
Managing Hunger
Hunger is a critical component in Don’t Starve Together. Food is scarce, and players must constantly gather resources to avoid starvation. The game offers a wide variety of food sources, from foraging berries to hunting animals, but players must decide whether to eat raw food immediately or cook it for added benefits.
Health and Combat
Combat in Don’t Starve Together can be tricky. While the game isn’t action-heavy, knowing when to fight and when to flee is vital. Crafting weapons like spears or ranged weapons can help against more formidable enemies, but combat often leads to a drop in health. Healing items are rare, making every battle a risky proposition.
Sanity: A Unique Mechanic
Sanity adds a psychological layer to the game. As the days grow darker or you face terrifying creatures, your sanity bar begins to drain. If sanity drops too low, players will begin to see hallucinations that can eventually harm them. Maintaining sanity is as important as finding food, as low sanity can quickly spiral into death.
3. Character Selection and Abilities
One of the unique features of Don’t Starve Together is its variety of characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and unique abilities.
Wilson: The Default Survivor
Wilson, the Gentleman Scientist, is a well-rounded character with no major drawbacks. He is a perfect starting point for new players, as his beard-growing ability provides insulation during the game’s cold winter months.
Wendy, Willow, and Others
Characters like Wendy, who can summon her ghost sister Abigail, and Willow, who is immune to fire, offer diverse gameplay experiences. Players can experiment with different characters to see which one complements their survival strategy best.
4. Crafting System and Resource Gathering
Crafting plays a central role in Don’t Starve Together. To survive, players need to craft tools, weapons, and shelters. The crafting menu is extensive and allows for the creation of essential survival items like axes, pickaxes, and campfires.
Advanced Crafting
As you progress, you can build more advanced structures like Science Machines and Alchemy Engines, unlocking higher-tier items such as armor, winter clothing, and magical tools. Managing resources effectively and prioritizing crafting items that ensure long-term survival is essential.
Gathering Materials
Resource management is a constant struggle in Don’t Starve Together. Players need to gather logs, stone, grass, and gold to craft items and structures. Proper planning and knowing where to find resources based on the biome you’re in can make the difference between life and death.
5. Surviving the Seasons
One of the biggest challenges in Don’t Starve Together is surviving the game’s various seasons, each presenting unique challenges.
Winter: The Cold Threat
Winter is one of the toughest seasons, where food becomes scarce, and freezing temperatures can kill you if you’re not prepared. Crafting winter clothing and stocking up on food during the earlier seasons is key to surviving the harsh cold.
Summer: Heat and Wildfires
In contrast, summer brings extreme heat and the risk of wildfires that can destroy your base. Managing temperature, staying hydrated, and avoiding overheating are new challenges players must face in this season.
6. Base Building and Defense
Building a base is crucial for long-term survival. A well-defended base allows players to store resources, cook food, and defend against enemies.
Base Design
The base must be strategically placed near abundant resources but far from potential dangers like spider dens or hound mounds. Efficient base layout with crock pots, chests, and farms will improve the survival odds.
Defending Your Base
As days go by, waves of enemies such as hounds or treeguards may attack your base. Players must build walls and set up traps to defend their base from these threats.
7. Cooperative vs Competitive Play
While the game focuses primarily on cooperative survival, Don’t Starve Together also offers PvP (player vs player) modes for a competitive twist.
Working Together
In cooperative play, players share resources and responsibilities. One player may gather resources while another focuses on crafting or base defense. Coordination is key to long-term survival in this mode.
PvP Mode
For players looking for more conflict, Don’t Starve Together offers a PvP mode where players can battle each other while still managing hunger, health, and sanity. The PvP mode changes the dynamics of the game, requiring a balance between fighting enemies and maintaining your survival needs.
8. Boss Fights and Unique Enemies
The world of Don’t Starve Together is filled with unique enemies and bosses that add additional layers of difficulty.
Seasonal Bosses
Each season has a unique boss fight like the Deerclops in winter or Bearger in autumn. These bosses are incredibly powerful and often require team coordination to defeat. Surviving these encounters can provide valuable resources and rewards.
Hound Attacks
At random intervals, players will face hound attacks, where a pack of aggressive creatures will attempt to overwhelm you. Proper preparation with weapons, armor, and base defenses can fend off these attacks.
9. Mods and Customization
One of the most appealing aspects of Don’t Starve Together is its active modding community. The game’s Steam Workshop is filled with mods that allow for gameplay customization.
Popular Mods
Mods can range from quality of life improvements such as larger inventory spaces to completely new characters, bosses, and biomes. The modding community keeps the game fresh and extends its replayability.
Customizing Your Game
Players can tweak the game to suit their preferences, from adjusting difficulty settings to adding entirely new gameplay mechanics. This customization allows for both casual and hardcore players to enjoy the game in different ways.
10. Final Thoughts on Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together remains one of the most unique and challenging survival games available. Its blend of art, atmosphere, and difficult gameplay makes it a standout title in the genre.
Who Is This Game For?
If you enjoy survival games with a steep learning curve, a focus on teamwork, and strategic planning, then Don’t Starve Together is a must-play. The addition of multiplayer adds new layers of complexity that make the game incredibly rewarding for those willing to invest the time.
The Verdict
Whether playing alone or with friends, Don’t Starve Together offers a deep and immersive survival experience. Its combination of unique characters, resource management, and challenging enemies ensures that no two playthroughs are ever the same.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Don’t Starve Together is a standout title in the survival genre. Its multiplayer dynamics, unique character abilities, and challenging gameplay offer an experience that keeps players coming back for more. With its quirky art style and deep survival mechanics, Don’t Starve Together is a game that tests your skills, teamwork, and strategic thinking at every turn. Whether you’re braving the wilderness alone or working together with friends, the game provides endless possibilities for strategic survival.
