Don't Starve

# Don't Starve Review: A Haunting Tale of Survival

Don't Starve is a brilliantly unforgiving survival game that combines Tim Burton-esque gothic art with punishing roguelike mechanics. Developer Klei Entertainment has crafted a unique experience that manages to be both whimsical and deeply unsettling.

## Artistic Vision
The game's hand-drawn art style immediately catches the eye with its Edward Gorey-inspired aesthetic. Characters and creatures are rendered in a distinctive sketchy style, while the world features a dark, Victorian-gothic sensibility. The attention to detail extends to the animations, which maintain a puppet-like quality that enhances the game's eerie atmosphere.

## Survival Mechanics
At its core, Don't Starve is about managing multiple survival needs simultaneously. Players must:
- Maintain hunger, health, and sanity meters
- Gather resources to craft tools and structures
- Navigate dangerous environments and hostile creatures
- Plan for changing seasons that dramatically affect gameplay

The game excels at creating tension through its interlocking systems. Every decision carries weight – do you risk exploring at night to find crucial resources, or play it safe and potentially miss out on valuable items?

## World and Story
The game's world is procedurally generated, ensuring each playthrough feels fresh. While there isn't a traditional narrative, the environment tells its own story through environmental storytelling and mysterious set pieces. Players piece together the dark tale of Maxwell, the world's mysterious overseer, through subtle clues and careful observation.

## Learning Curve
Don't Starve's difficulty is perhaps its most defining feature. The game offers minimal guidance, expecting players to learn through trial and error – often with fatal consequences. While this can be frustrating for new players, it makes each discovery and survival milestone feel genuinely rewarding.

## Content and Replayability
The base game offers:
- Multiple playable characters, each with unique abilities
- Extensive crafting system with hundreds of items
- Seasonal challenges that force adaptation
- Various biomes with distinct resources and threats
- Hidden content that rewards exploration

## Technical Performance
The game runs smoothly across platforms, with minimal loading times and stable performance. The simple yet effective UI makes inventory management and crafting intuitive once learned.

## Pros:
- Distinctive, atmospheric art style
- Deep, interconnected survival mechanics
- High replay value
- Rewarding learning experience
- Regular content updates and strong mod support

## Cons:
- Steep initial learning curve
- Can feel punishing for casual players
- Limited direct narrative
- Some mechanics remain obscure without external research

## Verdict
Don't Starve earns a 9/10 for its unique blend of artistic vision, challenging gameplay, and deep mechanics. While its difficulty may deter some players, those who persist will find one of the most rewarding survival experiences in gaming. The game's influence can be seen in many subsequent survival games, and it remains a benchmark for the genre years after its release.

This is a game that doesn't just ask you to survive – it dares you to thrive in its hostile world. For players willing to embrace its challenges, Don't Starve offers an unforgettable journey into a darkly beautiful wilderness.

fantastic worldbuilding, artstyle and gameplay mechanics. good game.

epic game buy it if u ilke 2d survival open world games

Solid all around game. One of my favorites. Great for survival folks that like to be a little unsettled.

beware of the dark have caution while fighting keep your sanity up and most importantly Don't Starve

I think dont starve together just have more content, but i still enjoyed this game nonetheless

last time i played this on a potato PC it loaded quite fast now I am using an alien-ware rig that's pretty great I have been waiting to get into the game for more than 10 minutes I am about to shelf it again this is ridiculous at this point in the games life it should load super fast

Really fun game. Wish I knew the multiplayer version was a separate game before I got this one, but playing solo is still fun. This games aesthetic aura is pure vibes.

Great game! Had to watch some tutorial to figure out how to play as a beginner. So far, I have not survived past 20 days, but that is all part of the learning experience! Definitely a challenging and fun game!!!

In the wilds of Don't Starve, every day is a new adventure, and every night is a fight for survival. The game throws you into a randomly generated world where the line between friend and foe is blurred, and the environment itself can be as deadly as the creatures that roam it. From the moment you spawn, the clock is ticking, and the need to gather resources, craft essential items, and establish a secure camp is paramount.

One of the most striking aspects of Don't Starve is its ability to keep you on your toes. You'll encounter a menagerie of creatures, from the relatively benign pigs to the utterly terrifying hounds that prowl the darkness. The game's crafting system is both deep and satisfying, allowing you to tailor your playstyle with a variety of tools, weapons, and structures.

But be warned: this isn't a game where you can simply relax. The balance between risk and reward is delicate, and one wrong move can mean the end of your journey. Starving is just the beginning of your problems; losing your sanity and facing the horrors that lurk in the shadows are far more pressing concerns.

Despite the permadeath mechanic, which can be frustrating, there's a certain thrill in starting over, knowing that each new world is a blank canvas for your survival strategies. The game's dark humor and stylish, Tim Burton-esque aesthetic only add to the appeal, making Don't Starve a unique and engaging experience that will keep you coming back for more. Whether you're a seasoned survival vet or a newcomer to the genre, Don't Starve offers a rewarding challenge that's as entertaining as it is demanding.

As you can see by the amount of hours I have dedicated to this game I absoluelty love it! It's the perfect blend of whimsical and cozy with difficult challenges and some adrenaline filled moments. The animation and soundtrack are great. So far I'm still not bored of this game, I still discover new things and keep coming back.

If you don't like minecraft, don't worry, this isn't that.

Great game. Each session only lasts about 20min-1hr before I die and have to start over, but I have easily done it hundreds of times now. I love this game, even if I am horrible at it

if your choosing ds or dst almost always choose dst (unless its for the DLC's)

(Not a bad game ofc just dst over it)

would not recomend if not good at slow paced survivals personaly i dont like it but if i would invest time in it i think i would like it but not sure

A fun challenging game with a harsh but continuously entertaining learning curve with constant danger and excitement.

Well crafted game. There are different plots at the DLCs, but IMO it's always better to not survive alone. 7.8

挺容易上瘾，但是我感觉问题是在掌握了大部分必备的技巧之后，仍然一直不能分神，一个游戏如果需要长期专注（毕竟这不是几分钟几十分钟一把的竞技游戏），那娱乐性就要扣分了

This is my favorite game! If you are into building/making stuff, you will like this game. Its quite challenging but you'll have a feeling of fulfillment after figuring out how to survive for several days.

Fun base game for a survival open world crafting game, with winter being an absolute threat

Incredible modding scene which makes the game even better and way more fun

Praise the chinese modding scene for being a ridiculously large portion of mods in this game for some reason??

Cool mechanics. Needs Steam achievements

Hate hate hate hate. Originally I enjoyed the game. But it's horrible to spend so many hours on a session only to miss adding a log to the fire and losing everything. It's beyond worthless. This game is not possible to enjoy. I even put the custom settings to make it much easier - but the one shot death from a moment of distraction to lose everything is the one reason I will recommend everyone to NEVER BUY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Literally makes me want to break the computer and send the developers of this game to jail for this game. Unless someone can give me a mod to prevent losing all of your work on death - I will uninstall this infuriating game. Hate Hate Hate Hate. Never buy it - just save yourself and save your money.

the game is one of those where you like the visuals. but you absolutely don't understand what to do and how to play it properly
without wiki there is no point in playing. and with wiki you spoil it for yourself. sad.

The game is very well-made and for being one of the original "craft & survival" genre games, it's noteworthy for its still-solid game design and its unique aesthetic. The big reason why I am not recommending it is maybe universal to most crafting/survival games - there's no over-arching goal to the game.

Beyond mastering the basic necessities of survival and finding the gubbins needed to progress to the next world (which is the same but randomized), there's no reason you should do anything. There are dungeons you can explore and bosses you can defeat, the pinnacle of which will be the ability to build a turret that defends you against monster waves. There's another game mode inside the main game, the completion of which will reward you with a unique playable character. There's experience for each day surviving, which unlocks yet more characters - but still without an end goal.

I guess if the game had an actual plot, or if the world felt more independently alive, it would be more enticing to play. But unfortunately that's not the case, so after cracking the basic survival curve I lost interest in continuing.

The only upside this has over DST is the Adventure mode, which is a super fun challenge. The DLC are really fun but you can just download mods for DST.

This is a game where you will laugh to yourself after all your hard work goes up in flames.

This game is like being beaten near to death on your way to work everyday without fail, it's perfect.

A very good game, but I just don't recommend buying THIS game, unless you're buying it to play one of the (may I add very good) DLCs. You should instead buy Don't Starve Together.

With 500+ combined hours on this and Don't Starve Together, i can say this is a phenomenal game.
If you want a fun, hard, game to play with friends, play DST.
If you want the definitive don't starve solo experience, then play Reign of Giants.
If you want new and interesting Don't Starve experiences, try the Shipwrecked and Hamlet DLCs.
And the OG DS game still holds up! Its why they let you play without RoG, despite that just being an all out Upgrade and enhancement of the original game.

this is the best game ive ever played and ill love it to the end of time

banger game it resides in my autism riddled mind. adventure mode makes me want to curl into a fetal position and cry but it's okay because it's fun good game 10/10

The Hamlet DLC is a dam virus, I cannot get past it....

Classic, unforgiving survival game, the game actively punishes you for any mistakes you make, making every day survived feel like another victory... until you die horribly.

I will forever love the art style and characters of this game.
I enjoyed playing it alone (& together) eventhough everything in this world seems to hate you.

The crafting menus and some other aspects of the UI are better in Don't Starve Together, but the original game is just so great as it is. DST is kind of going in a bunch of different directions with boss fights. DS is focused. Really great game. Hamlet would be good if it weren't *so* hard. Shipwrecked is really good, but they have just a few too many resources and tools. Worth playing just to hear Wlani's surfing theme though.

Vanilla Don't Starve is better than DST. I said it. You can link RoG, Hamlet, and my personal favorite Shipwrecked all together. Tweaking the settings a bit and you've got the perfect chill cozy game with occasional attacks and endless base building options. I've had this game for maybe a decade - I don't play as much as I used to, but it's always there when I need it.

Such a awesome game, always giving u a new challenge each time u play.

You work for hours to setup a base, then an overpowered giant comes along and either one shots you or wrecks your entire base. This is not fun at all.

This game is fantastic.

It combines roguelike and survival gameplay, dumping you in a strange territory to explore, forage, learn, craft and progress on your own terms. For the most part, the controls and interface are intuitive, so it's simply a matter of deciding where to go or what to do.

The game is called Don't Starve, and hunger is indeed a major theme. If you go a few days without food, you will die. That said, there are plenty of other things to kill you - a variety of animals and monsters, environmental hazards, and your own dwindling sanity. To battle this, you rely on building your own equipment, consumables and structures, ranging from weapons and armor to crock pots to unwholesome magical devices.

Don't Starve can be brutal, so you should expect to die, but just making good progress is rewarding in itself. You unlock new characters as you play, each with little touches or specialties to diversify your experience. And while there are some pretty powerful or useful items you can make, there are still a lot of ways to play, and they're all valid (which is good, because sometimes you don't have much choice.)

If you're bored or frustrated, you can change your experience by starting a new game and adding or removing features. If you're tired of fighting certain monsters, you can just turn them off. I haven't messed with this myself, as I like the feeling of surprise, and playing the game as-is, but the developers have left the doors wide open for custom play experiences. In the same way, you can make use of a wealth of user-created elements.

There are a few things I missed for awhile, like the fact that you can view a map of everywhere you've been so far, but overall the game doesn't suffer much from lack of tutorial or hand-holding. You can go read everything on a wiki if you prefer, but this is a game where I don't actually begrudge trial and error learning. Encountering strange new things and deciding what to do with them is a ton of fun, even if it sometimes gets you killed.

A warning (at least from my perspective) - this game is so immersive, I prefer to keep playing it for hours on end once I start. It's not a game I enjoy having to stop, unless I come to good stopping point like dying at the end of a long survival run. In fact, sometimes I forget to eat for a long time when I play this. So, yeah. Irony.

this is an interesting game. something appealing about its curious nature keeps drawing me back
if youre thinking of buying id recommend watching a couple of videos on youtube first as this can be as much frustrating as enjoyable.

I don't know what to say but it's really fun game and cool to add modes on it with the steam deck

A great survival game with a long learning curve. Sure, you'll die, die die and die over and over again. But you must learn to survive, before you learn to thrive.

I'll summarize my adventure in 1 sentence: making you lose 1 hour of progress because the game does not tell you a certain food item decreases your HP

It's a game about trial and error, where nothing shows you that you are making a mistake until you die and have to google why you died

If you find that fun, this game is for you. Not for me, though

Don't Starve is a survival crafting game about burning down forests and everything living in them. It's pretty cool.

I have never had to struggle and toil endlessly, day-after-day in this game. This shit will challenge you and force you to be on top of EVERYTHING.

It may feel overwhelming for a newcomer but , the more one plays the game the better it gets!!

Some games aim to entertain you. Don’t Starve isn’t one of them. This unholy cocktail of survival, science, and black magic doesn’t care if you live or die. In fact, it’s rooting for the latter. It doesn’t just throw you into the wilderness—it flings you headlong into a cruel, unforgiving abyss, armed with nothing but your wits and a vague sense of impending doom. The world of Don’t Starve is a grim fever dream. Everything feels slightly off, like an old woodcut illustration come to life and then twisted by madness. The trees whisper ominous secrets, strange beasts skulk just beyond the firelight, and the shadows themselves seem alive, conspiring against you in silence. Survival here isn’t about thriving; it’s about clawing out an existence one desperate day at a time. You start by gathering twigs and grass, feeling like an idiot Boy Scout lost in the wrong dimension. Then, the hunger sets in. Always the hunger. The clock ticks, the darkness creeps closer, and you realize too late that your fire’s gone out. That’s when the real monsters come—unspeakable horrors lurking in the pitch-black void. There are no tutorials, no hand-holding. The game doesn’t care if you starve, freeze, or get mauled by an eldritch abomination. It only asks one thing: how long can you last? Each death feels both inevitable and deeply personal. You’ll curse yourself for every bad decision, every wasted morsel of food, every poorly timed encounter with the game’s rogues’ gallery of bizarre creatures. And oh, the creatures. They’re not just obstacles—they’re characters in this Lovecraftian nightmare. Tallbirds, Beefalo, and the dreaded Deerclops, each as strange and unpredictable as the world they inhabit. You’ll study them, fear them, and occasionally eat them, knowing full well that their vengeance is always one misstep away. But beneath the brutal surface lies a perverse beauty. The game is a work of art, with hand-drawn visuals that evoke the haunted sketches of a deranged Victorian naturalist. The eerie music, the dry humor, the way the seasons shift from oppressive heat to bone-chilling winter—all of it conspires to create an experience as mesmerizing as it is merciless. Don’t Starve is not for the faint of heart. It’s a game for masochists, for those who find beauty in despair and glory in the struggle. It’s less about winning and more about embracing the chaos, the uncertainty, the knowledge that every triumph is fleeting. So, light your campfire, hold your torch high, and pray to whatever gods might listen. The wilderness is vast, unforgiving, and utterly indifferent to your suffering. Welcome to Don’t Starve.

Such a hard yet rewarding experience, can't wait to try the expansions! P.S. I would die for Chester

Love the stylish graphics and music.

really my life sim but a lil less hard core survival mechanic 11/10 best art style in any game on Jah <3