Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

About

"Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor" is a single-player auto-shooter game where you, as a dwarf, battle hordes of alien creatures in procedurally generated caves. With an array of powerful upgrades and weapons, you must complete mission objectives, all while automatically blasting away at enemies. Each mission offers a new challenge, making survival a difficult yet rewarding endeavor.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 34,932 reviews

gameplay1.5k positive mentions

grinding1.3k negative mentions

The unique mining mechanic adds depth and strategy to the gameplay, making it engaging and addictive.
The graphics are vibrant and polished, effectively capturing the charm of the Deep Rock Galactic universe, complemented by an energetic soundtrack.
The game offers high replayability with diverse character classes, numerous unlockable upgrades, and a variety of game modes that keep the experience fresh.

The gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with slow progression and minimal rewards for grinding, leading to a stale experience over time.
Many players criticize the lack of depth in the story and character development, with missions often feeling monotonous and unrewarding.
The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, particularly during intense gameplay scenarios, which can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
3,834 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The gameplay of "Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its unique mining mechanic that adds depth and strategy to the typical survivor genre. While the core gameplay loop is described as addictive and engaging, some players find it repetitive and grindy, particularly due to the slow progression and lack of meaningful upgrades. The game successfully integrates elements from the original "Deep Rock Galactic," but some mechanics, such as the drop pod timer and weapon targeting, have been criticized for detracting from the overall experience.
- “Combining chaotic hordes of enemies with satisfying mining and resource-gathering mechanics, it captures the essence of the original while delivering a fresh and addictive twist.”
- “The mining-to-meta-progress system is rewarding, the mining itself is rewarding in gameplay once you adjust to it (the difference between 0% mining speed and 4% materially impacts gameplay in a way you feel).”
- “For people familiar with the survivor-like/bullet heaven genre, this is an extremely well-polished iteration on the core concepts, while bringing new content like challenge modes, multi-stage levels, and some very satisfying weapons to create a game that delivers a consistently entertaining gameplay loop with long-term progression and achievements to keep you invested in going back for one more run.”
- “Gameplay-wise, there are some lazy design choices, like the lack of outlines of enemies behind obstacles.”
- “Weapons and gameplay in general are very boring and not satisfying.”
- “The gameplay loop is stale and boring.”
story
1,598 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
85%
5%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and narrative engagement, with many players noting that there is essentially no overarching story or character development. Missions are repetitive, primarily revolving around similar objectives, such as defeating a boss, which diminishes the sense of progression and variety. While some players appreciate the gameplay mechanics and the challenge of completing missions, they express a desire for more diverse mission types and a richer narrative experience to enhance overall engagement.
- “Each mission is filled with adrenaline and risk/reward situations if you want to mine the most valuable resources or complete all the challenges.”
- “The mining and its tactical applications, and the many mission types really help keep this survivor-like stay fresh and fun.”
- “The blend of survival mechanics with the thematic depth and environmental storytelling of 'deep rock galactic' offers an immersive experience that's hard to put down.”
- “Very monotonous game, where you have to repeat the same missions over and over again.”
- “Replaying the same levels again and again to unlock minor upgrades and do the same quests ad nauseam is exhausting, and detracts from what could have been a 10/10 experience.”
- “The missions are super unrewarding and annoying, they don't give you much of a reward at all and usually just force you to run around the map collecting things.”
grinding
1,282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive after the initial hours of gameplay. While some appreciate the addictive nature of grinding for upgrades and the sense of progression it provides, others criticize it for feeling like a chore, especially as the rewards for grinding often seem minimal. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game can be enjoyable for those who love grinding, it may become frustratingly grindy and unbalanced for others, particularly in the later stages.
- “It feels like you're jeopardizing your run, and could rather farm gold/nitrite/do quests/do the drop pod, but simultaneously, feels like you're forfeiting long-term gain by not farming the rare minerals.”
- “The balance of everything is really good - challenging, but not grindy to the point of boredom.”
- “I say 'difficulties' because it is painfully obvious that the hazard levels are not designed as difficulties, but as stages of progression in the oh-so-fun and not grindy at all permanent upgrade systems and weapon/overclock unlocks.”
- “It's way too grindy to be fun past the first few hours.”
- “The grinding is intense and the prize for it is small af.”
- “The amount of grinding for upgrades/unlocks is kind of extreme - I am up to haz 4 (1-5 difficulty scale) at the time of review, and a lot of weapon/biome missions completed.”
graphics
1,126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant and polished aesthetic, effectively capturing the charm of the Deep Rock Galactic universe. Many players appreciate the detailed environments and smooth performance, noting that the visuals enhance the overall gameplay experience, despite some concerns about visual clutter during intense action. While the graphics are generally considered a standout feature, some reviews mention that they can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity, particularly in chaotic situations.
- “The graphics are amazing and the price is a steal.”
- “The graphics look great, being clearly recognizable from the other DRG game, but adjusted a bit to be more legible from a top-down view, not just lazily copy-pasted.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with detailed environments that make you feel like you're truly exploring alien caves.”
- “The art style is... ehh everything looks like one of those cheap plastic action figures the dwarfs suffering the most.”
- “The visuals are cluttered in the late game, to the point where you can't tell what's happening on screen.”
- “The game has difficulty managing/saving your graphics settings and does not default to native settings.”
replayability
436 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
2%
The game boasts high replayability, with many players praising its engaging mechanics, diverse character classes, and numerous unlockable upgrades that keep gameplay fresh and exciting. While some note that it can feel repetitive after extended play, the variety of game modes and challenges, along with regular content updates, contribute to its enduring appeal. Overall, it is considered a solid choice for fans of the genre seeking a fun and replayable experience.
- “This game is amazing and has almost limitless replayability.”
- “The game excels in its addictive loop of mining, fighting, and upgrading, with each run offering fresh challenges and replayability.”
- “Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is a fantastic rogue-like game that perfectly blends engaging gameplay with endless replayability.”
- “It lacks enduring replayability for any but die-hard fans of the genre, and most will probably stop playing long before they finish the game's progression system.”
- “Since so many of the unlocks and upgrades are simply about grinding and many runs feel almost the same, the replayability feels worse than some other survivor-type games.”
- “The game is good; however, it feels repetitive. You play 4 biomes in over 500 challenges; this doesn't make the game more replayable.”
humor
336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
1%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many players enjoying the quirky dialogue, funny voice lines, and the signature charm reminiscent of the original *Deep Rock Galactic*. While some found the humor repetitive over time, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a comedic experience that enhances gameplay, making it a fun and engaging time for fans of the genre. However, a few players felt that not all jokes landed, indicating a mixed reception on the effectiveness of the humor for everyone.
- “Extremely fun to play and has a lot of details, humor, and love poured into just like Deep Rock Galactic.”
- “This game will have you laughing one minute and smashing your keyboard the next.”
- “From the quirky weapon designs to the hilarious voice lines, DRG: Survivor delivers that special brand of dwarven camaraderie, even in single-player.”
- “Never felt this good to be a dwarf, hehe, not funny.”
- “Bullet sponges are not funny.”
- “It's just unfunny to play.”
optimization
288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
53%
15%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players experiencing performance issues, particularly during intense gameplay scenarios or at higher hazard levels, leading to significant frame rate drops. While some users report smooth performance on high-end systems and the Steam Deck, others with mid-tier PCs find the game struggles, especially when there are many enemies on screen. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization and performance patches to enhance the experience for a broader range of hardware.
- “It’s not aiming to be the next AAA graphical masterpiece, but the style and smooth performance make it a good-looking gem in the auto-shooter genre.”
- “The game itself is quite detailed and has great graphics with little to no performance issues.”
- “The graphics are quite nice, and the game is well optimized while playing on 1440p with a mid-range desktop that's a few years old.”
- “Badly optimized; in most situations, I get 165 fps, but it can drop to ±20 fps.”
- “However, the performance is incredibly questionable and, at times, not fun to play with.”
- “In conclusion: Deep Rock Galactic Survivor shows great promise, but the optimization issues at higher hazard levels make the game experience unbearable if you have a mid-tier PC.”
stability
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
3%
55%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players noting significant bugs and performance issues, particularly during critical moments like leveling up or entering drop pods, which can lead to freezes and crashes. However, several users report that it runs well on the Steam Deck and other systems, with some praising its overall smooth gameplay despite the early access status. While some players have experienced minimal issues, the consensus indicates that the game is still quite buggy and requires further polish to enhance stability.
- “As far as early access goes, the game features very polished core gameplay and systems, feels relatively complete, and has no major bugs. It runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “Very stable with only a few bugs, runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “I've experienced no glitches at this time, and performance has been consistently steady.”
- “Played runs for 45 min and this buggy game freezes, thus failing the run.”
- “Every 3rd game I have to close and restart - the game freezes with a black screen when entering the drop pod and leveling up at the same time.”
- “But to have the mission fail multiple times because my character freezes up during extraction is horrible.”
music
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the energetic soundtrack and sound design that complements the gameplay, while others criticize it for being recycled from the original Deep Rock Galactic. Some users enjoy the ability to play their own music in the background, highlighting the game's casual nature, but note that the soundtrack lacks variety and can feel repetitive. Overall, the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, though it may not stand out as exceptional on its own.
- “The graphics are vibrant, and the soundtrack is energetic, perfectly complementing the intense gameplay.”
- “The game also has a great soundtrack, voice acting, and sound effects that add to the immersion and atmosphere.”
- “The visuals are great and match the same attractive look of Deep Rock, which is beautifully paired with many of DRG's awesome soundtracks.”
- “The music did not stand out to me.”
- “Although they've basically recycled the music from the original game.”
- “It throws me off how in DRG Survivor, the soundtrack of big waves, or for dreadnoughts, or the rush to the escape pod, are played interchangeably and without a reason.”
monetization
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
18%
79%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users labeling it a "low effort cash grab" that lacks depth and originality, often comparing it unfavorably to mobile games rife with microtransactions. However, some players appreciate the absence of in-game purchases and find the gameplay enjoyable, suggesting that while it may feel like a cash grab, it still offers a satisfying experience at a reasonable price. Overall, the game is seen as riding on the coattails of its predecessor, Deep Rock Galactic, with a significant portion of the community expressing disappointment in its execution.
- “No hidden monetization, no sticking their hands in your pockets, just fun, addictive gameplay with a lot of fun.”
- “For $10, an absolute steal; no microtransactions, just satisfying balanced gameplay.”
- “Game feels like it was made to give the dopamine flow of a mobile game without microtransactions.”
- “These are cell phone game mechanics to prompt microtransactions and ad revenue.”
- “I was hoping for much more, since I love the original Deep Rock Galactic, but this just feels like a total cash grab.”
- “This is the bare minimum to make a game you can sell, and it feels more like a cash grab riding on the DRG IP and the survivor genre, than a fun game that was designed for fun.”
atmosphere
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, effectively capturing the charm and essence of the original "Deep Rock Galactic" while incorporating visually stunning graphics and engaging sound design. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to maintain a cohesive atmosphere that feels both familiar and refreshingly new, enhanced by humor and nostalgic elements from the franchise. Overall, the combination of captivating visuals, sound, and thematic consistency contributes to a compelling gaming experience that resonates well with fans of the series.
- “Visually stunning and complemented by immersive sound design, it creates a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, visual elements, immersion into the Deep Rock Galactic universe, etc., makes it totally worth it.”
- “The game's visuals and sound design remain top-notch, contributing to the immersive atmosphere.”
- “Game offers a different way to experience the DRG universe; DRG: Survivor and DRG are clearly two different types of games, but you always feel like you're in the same atmosphere, especially with the music, voice lines, and ambience.”
- “I don't know how they managed to capture the DRG world and atmosphere in such a small slice of gaming, but it's compelling if you rock and stone.”
- “The atmosphere reflects the feel of the original game very well.”
emotional
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of emotions while engaging with the game, ranging from joy and laughter to frustration and emptiness. Many find the experience wholesome and charming, particularly enjoying the dwarven theme and the fun of mining, while others feel overwhelmed by difficulty and bugs that impact gameplay, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction. Overall, the emotional responses are varied, highlighting both the game's ability to evoke joy and the frustration stemming from gameplay mechanics and technical issues.
- “I don't think any other games that I've been playing recently made me feel like this, to the point when I was giggling for the rest of the run because how nice it felt playing the build.”
- “I laughed, I cried, I raged, and all for 10 bucks.”
- “This game really made me feel like I'm a dwarf that mines rock and stone.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Character development in the game is primarily achieved through resource-based unlocks during playthroughs, offering a sense of progression. However, many users feel that the brevity of levels and constraints on progression limit the potential for meaningful character growth, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Progressive character development through unlocks via resources you gather in playthroughs.”
- “The game showcases potential, but my decision to pass on it stems from key issues, including the brevity of each level and the limited opportunity for significant character development due to progression constraints.”