Don't Starve

About

Don't Starve: Pocket Edition+ is a survival game now available on Apple Arcade, including the original game and Reign of Giants expansion. Play as various characters, each with unique abilities, in a wilderness filled with strange creatures and dangers. Gather resources, craft items, and uncover the world's mysteries to escape and return home.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 63,690 reviews

graphics3.2k positive mentions

grinding616 negative mentions

graphics
5,754 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The graphics of "Don't Starve" are widely praised for their unique, Tim Burton-esque art style, which combines whimsical and dark elements to create an engaging atmosphere. Players appreciate the hand-drawn, cartoonish visuals that enhance the game's eerie and challenging survival mechanics, making it visually distinct from other survival games. While some find the graphics simplistic, many agree that they contribute significantly to the game's charm and immersive experience.
- “Don't starve's comic-humorous visuals leave an extraordinary impression, delighting with its unique style and uncompromising nature.”
- “The art style is amazing and fits in well with the overall theme of the game.”
- “The graphics are unique and fascinating, personally I love them.”
- “1.) Decent survival game if you can get past the bland 2D art style.”
- “The aesthetic gets old real fast when all you see is grass field and trees but you're desperately looking for a rock (there's no metaphor, I quite literally spent 20 minutes looking for one rock on the entire map).”
- “I was put off by the really dark graphical style to begin with but that was mostly because I was going insane all the time (and playing as Willow didn't help).”
gameplay
4,402 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The gameplay of "Don't Starve" is centered around survival, challenging players to manage hunger, sanity, and health while navigating a hostile environment filled with unique mechanics and characters. While the game is easy to learn, it features a steep learning curve that can be frustrating for newcomers due to its permadeath mechanic and lack of tutorials, often requiring players to rely on trial and error or external guides. Despite its punishing nature, the game is praised for its depth, replayability, and engaging art style, making it a compelling experience for those who enjoy challenging survival games.
- “The gameplay centers on survival, challenging players to endure as many days as possible.”
- “The mechanics are masterfully implemented, the characters are great.”
- “Shipwrecked introduces new gameplay mechanics that transform the experience, making it feel almost like a different game.”
- “A lot of your progress will be lost and you'll have to redo everything all over again (aka hours of gameplay thrown away), which might be frustrating at times.”
- “Still, this is the problem I have with it: because of the permadeath mechanic, the information you get in this game is really expensive, because you can spend 30 in-game days just to be killed by an event that you didn't know existed, and you just didn't prepare for it.”
- “The gameplay can drag on after excessive play, similar to playing Minecraft, but overall it's very fun and serves as a nice way to pass time casually.”
story
1,800 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The story in "Don't Starve" is often described as intriguing yet subtle, with many players noting that it requires exploration and effort to uncover its layers. While the game primarily focuses on survival mechanics, there is an optional story mode that adds depth and unique challenges, though some players find the narrative elements to be minimal or poorly explained. Overall, the game is praised for its rich atmosphere and character backstories, but it may not satisfy those seeking a strong, linear narrative.
- “The story is nice, characters are unique and the play flow is exciting; it can be depressing and quite hard to survive day by day.”
- “This game is the perfect balance between challenge, an implicit story, a wide array of discoveries to be made, and your occasional moment of being pissed off.”
- “The story mode is very interesting and provides many unique challenges throughout the different sections.”
- “There is no real level progression or story progression; you're kind of left hanging exploring then dying.”
- “If I didn't absorb the wiki while playing this game, I probably wouldn't have been able to beat it, or even survive very long outside of the story mode.”
- “So if you're expecting an experience that has a story tightly crafted within it, I'd pass on this game.”
music
1,524 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The music in "Don't Starve" is widely praised for its unique and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the game's eerie, Tim Burton-esque art style. While many players find the soundtrack captivating and fitting for the game's whimsical yet dark themes, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of engaging music and sound design significantly enhances the immersive experience of the game.
- “This game is fantastic, it has really nice graphics/art, music that goes so well with the game it's great.”
- “The music is fantastic and I love the art design.”
- “The soundtrack is gorgeous and really sets the tone to whatever environment or challenge you're in.”
- “The music is fire but the gameplay is trash.”
- “And even when you manage to fix the audio problems, the music is very repetitive.”
- “The same music very often loops in and out quite unpredictably, and after a while I just ended up turning the music volume completely off to avoid hearing those same two songs over and over again.”
humor
1,150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Don't Starve" is a standout feature, blending dark, quirky, and often absurd elements that keep players engaged and entertained. Reviewers appreciate the game's unique art style reminiscent of Tim Burton, alongside its clever character dialogue and humorous interactions that add a light-hearted touch to the otherwise challenging survival gameplay. Many players find themselves laughing at the various comical ways their characters meet their demise, making the experience both frustrating and hilariously enjoyable.
- “Don't starve = hilarious survival!”
- “The game manages to stay humorous with each character having their own personal funny comments about each item in the game and a lot of other funny quirks.”
- “This game is a charming blend of very unique and pleasantly difficult gameplay, exploration and discovery, and black humor.”
- “Not funny.”
- “Not funny.”
replayability
970 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
45%
1%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players frequently highlighting its randomly generated worlds, diverse character options, and extensive DLC content that keeps the experience fresh and engaging. Many reviews emphasize the challenge and variety offered by different characters and playstyles, making each playthrough unique and encouraging repeated attempts after inevitable failures. Overall, the consensus is that the game provides an almost infinite replay value, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of survival and exploration genres.
- “The gameplay loop is challenging but rewarding and there is endless replayability with the different characters, seasons, and biomes to explore.”
- “Each playable character has a unique ability which, along with random level generation, significantly enhances replayability.”
- “The replay value of this game is high because the worlds are randomly generated and can be customized in a multitude of ways, and can be played solo or with friends through Don't Starve Together.”
- “Replayability fades sharply after about 15 hours of play.”
- “Borderline thumbs down only because it's very limited replayability without resorting to mods or DLC... you get to a point where you can survive quite a while, and dying feels like it brings you further and further back, and the whole starting from scratch gets very repetitive.”
- “Brilliant game, takes a few tries to 'get it right', lacks replayability after that as it becomes too easy/not enough to do.”
atmosphere
748 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
38%
The atmosphere of "Don't Starve" is widely praised for its unique blend of eerie, whimsical, and dark elements, heavily influenced by Tim Burton's art style. Players appreciate the game's captivating visuals, immersive sound design, and the way these elements create a sense of tension and intrigue throughout the survival experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest features, enhancing both the gameplay and the emotional engagement of players.
- “Incredible art style and impeccable atmosphere created through audio and visuals.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing, the graphics spot on, the concept brilliant, but unless you just enjoy endlessly replaying game openings where you don't have your basic needs filled, then avoid.”
- “The atmosphere, sound and art style is just... amazing!”
- “In the end, Don't Starve's atmosphere, mechanics, and world are captivating, but the lack of a clear end goal and a repetitive start can make it feel like a never-ending task.”
- “While Don't Starve excels in gameplay and atmosphere, the lack of a clear narrative or overarching goal may be a drawback for some players seeking a more structured experience.”
- “However, I found myself really savoring the atmosphere and feel of the world in a way that I never would say, in a single-player sandbox game like Minecraft.”
grinding
664 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
7%
93%
The grinding aspect of "Don't Starve" is frequently described as tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming, often requiring players to engage in monotonous resource gathering and farming to progress. Many reviewers express frustration with the game's lack of intuitive mechanics and the necessity to restart after dying, which amplifies the grind. While some players find enjoyment in the challenge and the farming elements, others feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it less appealing for those who prefer a more streamlined or less punishing gameplay style.
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “No grinding help, no level scaling, nothing.”
- “What I've seen is repetitive, limited, and simultaneously grindy and stressful.”
- “Their survival mechanics ultimately feel like tedious busywork or an annoying distraction keeping me from the questing, monster fighting, or whatever else is the actual focus of the game.”
- “It just feels intensely grindy and punishing, with little reward.”
stability
154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
3%
77%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in the DLCs. While some users have experienced smooth performance with minimal issues, others have faced significant problems, including freezing and crashes, especially on mobile and certain platforms. Overall, while the base game is generally considered more stable than its DLCs, many players recommend opting for "Don't Starve Together" for a more polished experience.
- “The game runs great and smooth; it is full of excitement and danger all the time.”
- “I have wanted to get this game for a while now, and since it was on sale at last I decided to finally give it a go. I'm sure glad to say that this game does what it wants to do perfectly (no glitches that I have encountered, no annoying tutorials, challenging and fantastic survival gameplay and mechanics, amazing creepy atmosphere and art style, etc.). I haven't yet seen a single problem in this game, besides it being bloody hard, but other than that, the game is smooth as butter.”
- “Runs great with little to no bugs, tons of mods in the workshop, and a boatload of replayability.”
- “Kinda buggy and several instances can ruin a save instantly with little you can do (roc destroying a slanty shanty outside of the city, roc stomping on you when it lands and killing you instantly, the placement of items inside homes is really poorly done, items not cycling by default in stores forcing you to buy garbage)”
- “This game is so dumb when I click play and go on the survival world my game freezes instantly. I tried so many times; such a bad game, don't buy it. Literally won't open, never recommend this game to anyone!”
- “The game is in a bad state, the last two DLCs were rushed, the game is very buggy, and it looks like the developers don't have any intention to fix it.”
emotional
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a deeply emotional experience while engaging with the game, often feeling intense attachment to their characters that leads to genuine distress upon their deaths. The combination of challenging gameplay and permadeath mechanics creates a rollercoaster of emotions, with many expressing feelings of heartbreak and despair after significant losses, yet also a compelling desire to improve and try again. Overall, the game is described as both addictive and emotionally taxing, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “There were many times where I became so emotionally invested that when my character died, I had a temper tantrum.”
- “Dying after spending 10 hours on the game can be heartbreaking and just destroy your drive to keep playing, which is why permadeath games usually don't go into that territory unless you're playing them on a hardcore difficulty setting.”
- “This game will emotionally wreck you.”
optimization
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
38%
16%
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews. While many players appreciate its smooth performance on a variety of hardware, including low-spec devices, others report significant issues such as glitches, FPS drops, and poor gamepad support. Despite some players finding it enjoyable and well-optimized, the consensus indicates that there are still notable areas needing improvement, particularly in terms of stability and compatibility with DLCs.
- “It's truly an amazing game and as an added plus, it runs on pretty much everything. Even on higher graphics, the game runs smoothly on an old laptop and excels on higher-end PCs.”
- “The game functions exactly as intended with no performance issues, bugs, or other problems I could find.”
- “Controls are optimized and solid, even when using a gamepad.”
- “Despite finally getting a huge quality of life update after years, this game is still terribly optimized. There are a lot of elements present in the game that just make the experience overall extremely unfair.”
- “The only reason I bought this game is for the two exclusive DLCs, and even though both of them are extremely fun and entertaining, my biggest concern is the unreal amount of glitches and lack of optimization. I have an RTX graphics card and I constantly get FPS drops, especially during some seasons, even though the multiplayer counterpart runs perfectly fine. The insane amount of glitches completely ruins the experience, and some of them affect the most important aspects of the game.”
- “Even though I still really like the single-player DLCs, I'm putting a negative review on this as a protest. This game looks so unpolished and badly optimized; I'm constantly repeating these words to show how much it drains my sanity.”
character development
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
Character development in the game is highlighted by a variety of unlockable characters, each possessing unique strengths, weaknesses, and quirks that enhance gameplay. While the art style and character design receive widespread acclaim for their charm and creativity, some reviews note a lack of deeper character development beyond these surface traits. Overall, the combination of engaging character mechanics and appealing visuals contributes to a rich gaming atmosphere.
- “The storyline and character development also deserve special praise.”
- “There are many unlockable characters in the game, each with their own quirks, disadvantages, and merits.”
- “The game has awesome art style and good character designs, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.”
- “- lack of character development”
- “[b] character development: [/b] ** - there are many unlockable characters in the game, each with their own quirks, disadvantages, and merits.”
- “- character design is deep enough to be amusing and complement their various strengths and weaknesses.”
monetization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
42%
50%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players criticizing excessive DLCs and potential pay-to-win scenarios, while others appreciate the absence of microtransactions and loot boxes. Many feel that the game could benefit from a free-to-play model with optional in-app purchases to enhance the experience without the grind. Overall, while some players see the monetization as a cash grab, others commend the developers for maintaining a fair approach.
- “Thank you for the years of entertainment, Don't Starve team, and for making them all possible without ugly microtransactions.”
- “Pay to win: no (only content DLC, no lootboxes, no microtransactions)”
- “No microtransactions”
- “This excessive monetization through DLCs can create a pay-to-win scenario, which may discourage potential players from engaging with the game.”
- “I can't believe the folks at Klei haven't been called out on their cash grab.”
- “The majority of developers are falling over themselves to get into this Klei/Mojang inspired cash grab.”