Survival Machine

About

Survival Machine is a single player and multiplayer casual action adventure game. It was developed by Grape Pickers and was released on May 7, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Survival Machine is a 4 player co-op, 3rd person, survival-adventure game set in vibrant, diverse landscapes. Navigate the ever-changing world aboard the colossal Machine that doubles as your fortress, homestead, and transport. Whether braving the game solo or with friends, explore biomes full of random challenges to gather resources, craft new upgrades, and build structures that will help you sur…

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 233 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Unique and fun core concept of a mobile base survival game offering a fresh take on the genre.
Engaging co-op multiplayer experience with good progression, exploration, puzzles, and base building elements.
Active, responsive developers committed to frequent updates, bug fixes, and listening to community feedback.

Technical issues such as bugs, crashes, janky animations, and suboptimal performance especially in early state.
Gameplay suffers from repetitiveness, unbalanced difficulty scaling, and weak combat mechanics including frustrating enemy behaviors.
Limited solo play viability due to difficulty, lack of meaningful progression, and cumbersome inventory/storage management.

gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
10%
The gameplay offers a unique survival experience centered around managing a moving base on a giant machine, combining exploration, crafting, combat, and puzzle solving with a dynamic day-night cycle. While the core mechanics and progression are satisfying and the large map provides 15-20 hours of engaging content, the gameplay loop can become repetitive and simplistic over time, with some frustrating mechanics and AI issues that need improvement. Overall, it's a charming and fun game with potential, especially as updates continue to address bugs and balance.
- “Game fusion - I like the fact that they have added a nice spin on the survival craft game, mixing harvesting with a looming threat that mixes up a grind and keeps it fresh. It also highlights where priorities lie in your supplies and makes teamwork more important. The features of the huge vehicle are good as well, like sending a flare to a location on the radar so it acts as an actual in-game marker that lasts for a short time, allowing communication using actual mechanics. The grind and fighting are coupled with basic puzzle solving and loot chests dotted about for equipment, rewarding you with small things for completing tasks to get blueprints. It also adds an RPG element, where you need to remove blockades stopping the vehicle by fighting zombies or finding a way up a tower. This adds minor achievements that act as hurdles stopping progression and balances nicely within the genre.”
- “The gathering, crafting, building gameplay loop is satisfying and familiar while being atop a goliath construction driving through the end of the world.”
- “Chill and fun to play game, lots of options making the gameplay loop interesting - combat, traversal, crafting, basebuilding and riddles.”
- “The concept is great, the first few hours are fun, but after that, the gameplay becomes repetitive and frustrating.”
- “The core gameplay loop gets stale fast: gameplay loop gets repetitive after an hour or so straight.”
- “The gameplay loop can also use diversifying as it's very simplistic and repetitive which makes it very hard to sit down and play this game for more than an hour straight.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The story is criticized for feeling slow and overly tutorial-driven, limiting exploration and making progression tedious due to repetitive crafting requirements. Many players find the quests unintuitive, the narrative lacking depth or clear purpose, and the overall world feeling empty and artificial. Additionally, issues with quest design, buggy missions, and unclear saving mechanics detract from the experience, though the core premise has potential if expanded and better integrated.
- “I think it is just the way the story arc is progressing, but there seems to be a big world that I'm not exploring because instead I feel tethered to a tutorial/story.”
- “The premise of maintaining a massive vehicle and being on a permanent escort mission can be stressful.”
- “I think the idea is good, but requires a much larger story and essence to bind the players together.”
- “Almost every main quest requires crafting new tools and items from start to finish, which makes the pacing slow and sometimes tedious.”
- “There is nothing to build up to; you get basic tools and hit stuff and explore a boring, ugly wasteland with no real story or purpose.”
- “The game felt empty and artificial, and the quests were not intuitive.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The graphics feature a low-poly, retro cartoonish style that some find charming and visually appealing, with clear art direction reminiscent of games like Plants vs. Zombies. While a few users note the visuals as tone-deaf or subpar, most appreciate the playful, soft-colored aesthetic that complements the game's atmosphere. Overall, the graphics effectively support the game's unique style despite being simple or unconventional.
- “Nice visuals and great art direction.”
- “The low-poly art style works brilliantly here — it’s clear, visually appealing, and gives the game a distinct atmosphere despite its post-apocalyptic setting.”
- “Those kind of voxelly, soft color graphics, the chill music, the way the gathering and building works... and that's a good thing, I love Salt 2.”
- “Graphics is crappy, and I'm not talking about low poly.”
- “Visuals are pretty bad.”
- “Also after playing the graphics are somewhat tone deaf, but maybe that's only a problem for me.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Optimization is a mixed aspect for the game, with many users experiencing performance issues typical of a day one Early Access title, especially in combat and progression areas. However, some players with high-end PCs report smooth performance, and the developers are actively working on fixes and improvements through frequent updates. Overall, while optimization needs refinement, it is expected to improve over time.
- “They have also released their roadmap and have been addressing performance and launch issues with frequent hot fixes.”
- “There are currently a few issues with performance but nothing that can't be fixed :)”
- “People complain about performance but it's been a pretty smooth sailing for me so far.”
- “Needs refinement, especially in combat, performance, and meaningful progression.”
- “That wouldn’t be a problem if the game were well-optimized, but performance is rough.”
- “Not worth the price, has some performance issues but that's to be expected from a day 1 release.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
Grinding in the game involves extensive resource gathering and crafting, which can slow the pacing and feel repetitive or tedious at times. However, this grind is considered an integral part of the experience, with players finding satisfaction in progression through persistent effort and strategic resource management. Multiplayer play and features like save points help balance the grind, making it more enjoyable overall.
- “Almost every main quest requires crafting new tools and items from start to finish, which makes the pacing slow and sometimes tedious.”
- “Any exploration that you do becomes a frenzied rush to find a blueprint as fast as possible so you can get back to grinding basic resources.”
- “Collecting resources quickly becomes tedious.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game is currently in early access and has several bugs and glitches, making it unstable for players sensitive to frequent issues. However, the developers actively address problems with quick hotfixes, showing promising potential for improved stability and gameplay. Overall, it runs well but remains buggy due to its newness.
- “Runs great so far.”
- “But if you're someone who cannot handle occasional bugs, don't get it, as the game is still in a very buggy state.”
- “A little buggy, but it is in early access.”
- “Does have some bugs and glitches but what do you expect when it's not even a week old?”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music is described as chill and unobtrusive, blending well with the soft, voxelly graphics and gameplay. While not particularly memorable, it contributes positively to the overall relaxing atmosphere of the game.
- “Those kind of voxelly, soft color graphics, the chill music, the way the gathering and building works... and that's a good thing, I love Salt 2.”
- “As for the music - I can’t remember any of it, which says enough (played 5/6 weeks ago).”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is chill and enjoyable, enhanced by a clear and visually appealing low-poly art style that gives the game a distinct and engaging vibe despite its post-apocalyptic setting.
- “Chill and enjoyable atmosphere.”
- “The low-poly art style works brilliantly here — it’s clear, visually appealing, and gives the game a distinct atmosphere despite its post-apocalyptic setting.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its lighthearted and carefree tone, setting it apart from similar, darker titles. It effectively adds a bright, enjoyable layer that enhances the overall experience.
- “It stands apart from similar titles with a much brighter, less depressing setting with a layer of carefree humor behind it.”
- “And a sense of humor.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers enjoyable content, but certain limitations prevent it from delivering strong long-term replayability.