The Survivalists

The Survivalists is the latest in a crowded genre. Bright visuals can't hide that it is a fairly light experience at present, but there is some enjoyment to be had if you can look past the slightly uncomfortable sub-text of its central mechanic.

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"The Survivalists" is a role-playing game that offers both single-player and multiplayer options, with up to four players able to team up for co-op gameplay. The game takes place on a procedurally generated island, where players must gather resources, build shelter, and defend themselves against enemies. Monkeys can be tamed and trained to assist with tasks, and the game features day/night cycles and a variety of biomes to explore. However, it's worth noting that the game can be grindy and is known to have bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,060 reviews

gameplay152 positive mentions

grinding275 negative mentions

Charming graphics and art style that enhances the gameplay experience.
Engaging monkey automation mechanic that adds a unique twist to resource gathering and crafting.
Fun to play with friends, providing a relaxed and enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Clunky controls and UI that can be frustrating, especially for inventory management and crafting.
Game feels repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a sense of boredom after a few hours of play.
Numerous bugs and issues, including save corruption and multiplayer limitations, detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
512 mentions
30 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Survivalists" is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating execution, particularly with the monkey automation system, which many players find clunky and unintuitive. While the crafting and exploration elements are praised for their potential and charm, the repetitive gameplay loop and numerous bugs detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of monotony and lack of depth. Overall, the game offers a fun premise but suffers from execution issues that leave players wanting more content and polish.
- “The gameplay is amazing and you keep unlocking new exciting features.”
- “The challenge of optimizing your crafting and resource management adds a layer of strategic depth that keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
- “I really enjoy the crafting progression, art style, and gameplay.”
- “Big potential, really feels fun and exciting to play, but 88% of your gameplay time is frustrating with monkeys and inventory being poorly designed.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes monotonous, revolving around repetitive tasks with little to no sense of progression or excitement.”
- “With its lackluster gameplay and limited content, it's a game that left me feeling bored and unsatisfied.”
grinding
289 mentions
1 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in crafting and resource gathering. While some appreciate the monkey mechanics that can alleviate some of the grind, others feel that the overall experience becomes monotonous and frustrating, especially in the late game. Despite its potential and engaging features, the game's reliance on repetitive tasks detracts from the enjoyment for many players.
- “It's not too grindy, there's a good balance between needing to farm materials and getting to do other stuff.”
- “Not difficult and not too grindy like most survival games.”
- “It's not too grindy, there's a good balance between needing to farm materials and getting to do other stuff.”
- “The game is not bad but the crafting gets exponentially tedious.”
- “It requires an excessive amount of tedious work that takes the fun out of the game.”
- “23 hours in, I realized this game wasn't even fun, and the rewards I get for progressing in the game lead to more of the same annoying, frustrating, tedious gameplay.”
graphics
240 mentions
48 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the charming, colorful art style and cute pixelated visuals reminiscent of titles like "The Escapists." While the graphics are often described as beautiful and engaging, some users noted issues such as bugs and limited visual aesthetics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to its appeal despite some gameplay shortcomings.
- “The survivalists features a charming, colorful art style with a cartoonish aesthetic.”
- “Beautiful graphics and amazing design.”
- “I absolutely adore the art style, I mean come on, who can resist those cute monkeys?”
- “Another problem is that if you do not have 1080 vertical resolution, the game wants you to be really, really close to your character and the pixelated graphics and not see anything around you.”
- “The graphics are mostly pretty decent, can be kinda ugly at times but much better than the 2s at least; unlike that game, the looks aren't an instant turn-off.”
- “I barely got the game and all it will do is start up, play some sound, but no visuals.”
story
198 mentions
12 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and unengaging, with many players noting a lack of depth and coherence in the narrative. While some enjoy the gameplay mechanics and cooperative elements, they feel the quests are repetitive and often serve as mere fetch tasks, detracting from any meaningful storyline. Overall, the consensus is that the game would benefit from a more developed and interesting plot to enhance the experience.
- “Great survival game and good story.”
- “Slaying monsters, building bases and enjoying the little storyline this game offers, you will find yourself having lots of fun alone or with friends.”
- “It even has a storyline as to why you are surviving and what motivates you.”
- “In terms of lore and story, there is nothing.”
- “The story, what exists of one, doesn't make sense.”
- “Okay, so here's the thing: do not play this game with an expectation of any kind of a story.”
music
131 mentions
62 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as relaxing and immersive, enhancing the overall experience, while others find it mediocre or repetitive. Many appreciate the sound design and its ability to complement the visuals, but there are complaints about the volume levels and occasional loudness. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The sound design complements the visuals well, with a pleasant soundtrack and sound effects that enhance the immersion.”
- “The shining star of this game is by far the music, it's astonishing and really brings to life what otherwise would be a seemingly lacking gameplay.”
- “The atmosphere and music are very fitting and flow well with the game.”
- “The music is mediocre or even easily can be called non-existent.”
- “The soundtrack gets very repetitive after a while and for some reason the menu music is extremely loud no matter how low I have the in-game sound.”
- “The survivalist has a lot for you to do and I keep finding myself making progress one way or another, the pixel graphics are charming, but the soundtrack leaves a lot to be desired.”
stability
100 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, freezes, and glitches affecting both single-player and multiplayer experiences. Players have noted issues such as corrupted saves, erratic item storage, and unreliable mechanics, leading many to feel the game is unfinished and in need of significant polish. Despite these problems, some users still find the game enjoyable, suggesting that it has potential if the stability issues are addressed.
- “It's so fun! I have had no glitches, and it's super enjoyable with co-op and everything!”
- “The game itself is not buggy, which enhances the overall experience.”
- “This game is fun, but it's a huge buggy mess.”
- “Do not buy for now, too late for a refund for me, game is too buggy, should still be considered early access.”
- “I've found 6 monkeys so far, and I can load into my world, but once I leave my save point past like, 10 feet, the game freezes, and will not respond, forcing me to close the game and load in again.”
humor
68 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely centered around its quirky monkey characters and absurd scenarios, which many players find entertaining, especially in multiplayer settings. While some reviews highlight the game's funny art style and amusing mechanics, others note that the humor can be hit or miss, with some players feeling that it doesn't fully compensate for other gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the comedic elements, particularly involving monkeys, contribute to a lighthearted experience that many find enjoyable, despite some criticisms.
- “It has completely captured me with the cute and funny art style and exploration mechanics unmatched by other survival games.”
- “Exploration is fantastic, all the interlocking systems make sense, and who doesn't want to automate an entire game with monkeys in hilarious hats?”
- “Very enjoyable game, a glitch or bug every now and then but has a hilarious ending, I love how the monkeys are custom and are your little workers with no rights who don't get paid.”
replayability
34 mentions
24 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is highly debated among users, with some praising the procedural generation of islands and multiplayer options that offer fresh experiences, while others criticize the lack of meaningful content and repetitive gameplay that leads to a grind. Many players feel that once the mechanics are mastered, the game loses its replay value, making new playthroughs feel monotonous. Overall, opinions vary widely, with some finding high replayability and others deeming it close to non-existent.
- “The procedural generation of the island ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, providing high replay value.”
- “The multiplayer aspect also adds to the replayability, as playing with different friends or trying new strategies can create fresh experiences.”
- “Another big plus with this game is the fact that each world is different, so it has a high replay value.”
- “I loved the monkeys and the concept of sailing around on your ship, but it takes almost no time to reach a point where you just have to grind to win, and there is almost no replayability in the game, making starting a new island feel like the same process the whole time.”
- “They definitely wanted this game to have replay value but it frankly just doesn't.”
- “Once you figure out the mechanics the replay value is non-existent, in my opinion.”
optimization
12 mentions
17 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly regarding its multiplayer functionality, which suffers from delays and stuttering. Reviewers have noted that while the concept is enjoyable, the lack of user-friendliness and overall optimization detracts from the experience, making it feel unworthy of its current price.
- “Concept seems fun, but wow could it have used some optimization and user-friendliness.”
- “I play CDDA, so when I ask for user-friendliness and optimization... yeah.”
- “It's incredibly frustrating to try and enjoy the game with friends when everything is delayed and stuttering.”
- “The interface is very badly optimized.”
- “With this review it seems like I have been dogging on it a lot, but I genuinely enjoy this game for what it's worth. That being said, this game is not worth $25 at its current state with how unoptimized the monkeys are.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "The Survivalists" is widely praised for its beautiful graphics and laid-back, Robinson Crusoe-inspired setting. Players appreciate the pleasant music that complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience of casual survival where hunger and thirst are easily managed.
- “The survivalists is a beautiful survival game set in a Robinson Crusoe atmosphere.”
- “General atmosphere and music of the game is very pleasant and awesome to listen to.”
- “The atmosphere and music are very fitting and flow well with the game.”
- “The survival consists only of hunger (and thirst in some biomes apparently) which is satiated pretty easily and suits the casual atmosphere of the game.”
emotional
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game, highlighting both frustration and satisfaction. While some feel heartbroken over lost progress and the challenge of resource gathering, others find joy and a sense of accomplishment in creatively managing their monkey workforce and exploring the game world. Overall, the emotional experience is characterized by a blend of adventure, challenge, and clever problem-solving.
- “I've had several times where issues have occurred and I've lost hours of progress; it's pretty heartbreaking.”
- “Working out how to get an army of monkeys to build my entire base without me lifting a finger and going to explore the island made me feel super smart.”
- “[Adventurous and wholesome, monkey employees are a good idea; a fort-building survival game is a sound platform.]”