Crafty Survivors

About

Crafty Survivors is a single player action game. It was developed by Flannel Bear Games and was released on May 16, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

"Crafty Survivors" is a single-player action game featuring compelling visuals and unique mechanics. In this roguelite, players can choose from various crafters and artisans to create unique builds, from roasting foes as a Chef to crushing enemies with statues as a Sculptor. Upgrading your village with gathered materials enhances your characters and unlocks new content, but beware of the game's grindy nature.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 365 reviews

gameplay39 positive mentions

grinding56 negative mentions

The game features a wide variety of characters, each with unique abilities that significantly alter gameplay, making each run feel fresh and engaging.
The art style is charming and visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The meta-progression system allows players to upgrade their town, providing a sense of accomplishment and long-term goals.

Progression can feel grindy, requiring players to replay levels multiple times to gather necessary resources for upgrades.
Some characters feel underpowered compared to others, leading to a lack of balance in gameplay and discouraging experimentation with different playstyles.
The game can become repetitive due to similar enemy designs and level layouts, which may detract from the overall enjoyment over time.

gameplay
127 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by a diverse range of characters, each with unique mechanics that significantly alter the experience, making it engaging and rewarding. While the core gameplay loop is solid and offers a satisfying progression system, some players find it repetitive and grindy, particularly due to the limited variety in enemy encounters and the need for extensive grinding for upgrades. Overall, the game successfully blends innovative mechanics with a charming aesthetic, appealing to fans of the survivor genre while also introducing fresh elements that enhance replayability.
- “The gameplay stays engaging, the visuals are vibrant, and the learning curve feels smooth and rewarding.”
- “The way each character plays and the mechanics surrounding them is some of the most fun I've had in a survivors game.”
- “The gameplay is smooth, power-up progression is satisfying, and the mechanic of collecting materials to upgrade village houses for permanent benefits is clever.”
- “Another nitpick, the main gimmick of the 1st class (charging resource of class skill) is not balanced around enemies getting killed in under a second (which is what is happening in most of the early runs), which in turn makes aiming for that mechanic impractical.”
- “Many characters are designed with a survivor gameplay in mind (standing still or staying in a limited area using turret-style skills, extremely limited dodging ability, and skills that slow you down), but being forced to run around the map means these characters are just too annoying to play.”
- “Ultimately this game needed either less grind (shorter runs, fewer runs required, or some combination of the two) and/or more quickly appearing differences in gameplay.”
grinding
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players noting that it can be excessively tedious, requiring numerous runs to gather resources for upgrades and achievements. While some appreciate the grind as a core element of the gameplay loop, others find it exhausting and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of variation in levels and the minor rewards for significant effort. Overall, the game is considered grindy, but opinions vary on whether this detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “The progression system is incredibly grindy; there are so many things to dump resources into for tiny upgrades.”
- “The levels can be very long and tedious, offering very little variation beyond the first few minutes, so grinding for resources is just not fun.”
- “I don't understand why the dev wants to torture us, but even with the added 'easy' mode which cuts the tedium by reducing enemies, this game is still too much grind. At this point, there is no reason to buy this; they had a good concept but ruined it with needless grind.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, cute pixel art style that enhances the overall aesthetic and complements the engaging gameplay. While many players appreciate the charming visuals and unique character designs, some note that the screen can become cluttered, impacting visibility during intense moments. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's lighthearted atmosphere, making it a visually appealing experience for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are endearing, with a playful art style that complements the game's lighthearted yet tense atmosphere.”
- “From the moment I began playing, I was struck by the colorful and dynamic visuals that brought the game's various environments to life.”
- “The game features stunning graphics and an engaging soundtrack that immediately draws players into the game's world.”
- “The similar visuals, small maps, and enemy types get old quickly.”
- “Again, I understand that the variety in visuals is minimal.”
- “The art style could use a lot more polish in the future, but it serves its purpose well enough.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy, upbeat, and immersive, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the engaging soundtrack that complements the action, while some find it reminiscent of classic NES games. However, a few users express dissatisfaction with certain sound effects, describing them as obnoxious or lacking variety, indicating a mixed reception overall.
- “The music especially is a highlight - don't turn it off on startup!”
- “The music is catchy, the characters and skills are thoughtfully created, and the combat is downright fun!”
- “The game features stunning graphics and an engaging soundtrack that immediately draws players into the game's world.”
- “Music was an instant turn off for me; menu sounds are rather obnoxious and in-game sounds lack some variety, because you'll hear them a lot.”
- “I do enjoy this game, I will continue to grind until I've locked it all down... but it's a chore, a thing I do while the game is muted and my music is blaring.”
- “I like the pixel art aesthetics (subjective of course), and the music is okay.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's story is criticized for being unengaging and lacking depth, with players feeling that the narrative does not warrant attention. The basic premise involves heroes corrupted by purple slimes, leaving only common people to fight back, but the limited content and repetitive mission structure detract from the overall experience. Overall, many users express disappointment in the storytelling and the absence of meaningful narrative development.
- “First, having to replay the same mission node to unlock both paths in the map feels ridiculous.”
- “The 'story' text is just not something to care about.”
- “First of all, the basic story of this game is that all of the heroes have been corrupted by the purple slimes, so all that's left to fight back are the common men and women.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The game features highly creative and unique character designs that stand out in the genre, earning praise for their aesthetic appeal and depth. However, some players note that character variety is somewhat limited due to balance issues, while the progression system encourages strategic gameplay through skill usage and upgrades. Overall, the character development is seen as a strong point, enhancing both gameplay and player engagement.
- “One of the coolest character designs I've ever seen in a survivor game, and that's high praise.”
- “Really unique character designs and good progression feel.”
- “A) It is simultaneously true that this game offers some of the most creative character design in the genre, while also shortcutting some of the variety due to some pretty big imbalance issues.”
- “Art and character design are pure cringe.”
- “The depth of the character designs also allows for adjusting difficulty based on pro-activity.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's replayability is enhanced by the need to adapt to different playstyles for each character, making levels feel unique. However, some players feel that the limited number of active skills and lack of progression elements diminish long-term replay value. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, the replayability may not be sufficient for all players.
- “Each character requires you to adapt a different playstyle, not only making each character feel unique, but greatly adding to the replayability of each level.”
- “Creative character, unique & addictive gameplay, high replayability!”
- “I cleared all maps that are playable.”
- “This game almost feels like it gets things right, but the replay value isn't there for me.”
- “It's a nice idea to have different characters, but having only 10 active skills, of which you can pick 5 per run, doesn't offer a lot of replayability per character, in my opinion.”
- “Build variation might not be that great, so replayability without anything to work towards is limited.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly during intense moments involving certain characters, leading to severe lag and performance drops. While there are occasional bugs, the developers are responsive, and with further updates, the game shows potential for improvement in this area. Overall, players express hope that future optimizations will enhance the experience.
- “This means I barely play specific characters, but if the game is given more time to update and address optimization, then it is something I can wholeheartedly recommend.”
- “Occasional bugs and performance issues are present, but the developers are usually quick to respond to them, which is promising for an early access game.”
- “Massive lag caused by poor optimization and bad design decisions, with the biggest culprits being mausolea or jewlia, which can result in your game running at 1 fps until their abilities end.”
- “Having too much content is rarely a bad thing, but this game could be optimized in terms of the amount of materials needed to upgrade your town.”
- “This game seems to have some optimization issues.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its cleverness and charm, with players appreciating the cute visuals and upbeat music that enhance the comedic experience. The skill names and overall lightheartedness contribute to a genuinely funny atmosphere, making it a delightful choice for those who enjoy humor in gaming.
- “If you love games that let you grow, not just win — if you want something that’s funny, clever, and filled with genuine heart — give this one a try.”
- “The art is charming, funny, and cute.”
- “The visuals are adorable, the music is upbeat and catchy, and the skill names appeal to my sense of humor.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is currently a significant issue, with players reporting frequent glitches, such as the dash counter resetting to zero upon leveling up. While there is potential for improvement, many users find the gameplay experience to be clunky and buggy, leading to a perception of it feeling like a low-quality product.
- “Leveling up often glitches the dash counter to display 0 even though it is most likely full.”
- “Buggy as hell.”
- “There's a real solid foundation here and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes, but at the time of this review, the game is buggy (yes, I know, early access, etc.).”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by endearing graphics and a playful art style that effectively balance lightheartedness with moments of tension.
- “The graphics are endearing, with a playful art style that complements the game's lighthearted yet tense atmosphere.”
- “The sound design immerses you completely, creating an atmosphere that feels both enchanting and eerie.”
- “The world is beautifully crafted, with every detail contributing to a rich atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a mix of silliness and chaos, yet it manages to evoke genuine emotional responses, adding depth to the overall experience.
- “It’s silly and chaotic, yes, but also strangely emotional.”

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Crafty Survivors
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6h Median play time

17h Average play time

2-44h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Crafty Survivors is a action game.

Crafty Survivors is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 17 hours playing Crafty Survivors.

Crafty Survivors was released on May 16, 2025.

Crafty Survivors was developed by Flannel Bear Games.

Crafty Survivors has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Crafty Survivors is a single player game.

Similar games include Nordic Ashes: Survivors of Ragnarok, Soulstone Survivors, Monsters are Coming! Rock & Road, Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, Nomad Survival and others.

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