Among the messy deaths and intense challenges in survival-horror games, 2013's Don't Starve stands out. The indie game is frequently described as "Minecraft meets Tim Burton" and it's one of the only titles in the genre that can be conquered purely through the power of the player's mind.
At first glance, Don't Starve doesn’t seem the sort of game to warrant being called a survival-horror -- the art style is cutesy and the characters are all voiced by instruments. However, the style makes it stand out and adds a sense of whimsy, which actually serves to underscore the super creepy plot.
The crawling horror seeps in once the game gets going -- literally, as one of the three meters players must manage is their sanity. Let it get too low and They start to come: Shadowy creatures that slip and slide along an interface-screwed screen to do damage to the player character. In the game's extensive lore, They require more poor saps to torment.
Unfortunately, staying sane won't save players in Don't Starve. Board king Maxwell -- who is as much a slave to Them as the rest of the cast -- drops the player into the middle of the wilderness with one task: Find something to eat before night comes. This is the only instruction provided in the game -- the rest requires players to figure things out alone or rely heavily on how-to guides. XP is only gained during the character's death, so the longer players survive, the more XP they gain and the more new characters they can unlock.
And there's no shortage of ways to die -- surviving the second hound wave is an accomplishment in and of itself. Surviving the first day is an accomplishment, as is surviving the first night. Players must have a light source, or the Night Monster kills them.
The fauna they encounter range from indifferent to murderous and at night, giant snakes and spiders hunt for lost souls. Weather is a constant issue, whether too hot or too cold, and in the DLC getting too wet can result in death as well. Not even the plants are safe -- chop down too many trees and one pops up to wreak green vengeance. Despite the title, starving to death is one of the rarer ways to die in Don't Starve.
After surviving the first 24 hours, it's easy for players to get cocky and try for something beyond their current capabilities, then die a messy death. This is a game that requires deep thought and careful consideration. It really doesn't take much for players to fall into the lore or to believe something is actively working against them as they attempt to survive.
Despite the increasing distress of staying alive, Don't Starve has plenty of charm in its music, artwork and cast. Wilson, the starting character, is the most balanced of all of them, but the others have their own unique strengths. Willow can withstand fire and gains sanity from it; Wolfgang is mighty; Webber is friends with spiders and so on. Maxwell's the guy players love to hate, but after the strain of unlocking him, he too becomes a playable character with his own take on things.
Some creatures can be befriended and after the initial shock of his appearance, Chester becomes this game's companion cube. Literally everything in this world is interactive and the crafting and collecting mechanics have unique twists.
The lore is rich and varied too, with alternate reality add-ons that allow players to dig in deep. Thus, the fan community surrounding Don't Starve is massive and thriving, especially since developer Klei Entertainment continues to update the title with new content on a regular basis, seven years after release. For those tired of starving alone, Klei made a multiplayer version, Don't Starve Together, which also receives regular, meaty updates.
Don't Starve stands head and shoulders above the rest of the survival-horror genre -- it's quirky and cute and still not above sending icy terror straight through a player's core. It's available for a reasonable starting price on Steam, making it a worthy addition to anyone's library.