Survive | Minimalist U.I Maximum Survival Sim

"Survive is a Survival Simulation game created by Juuso Hietalahti originally for a Ludum Dare Challenge. It is Available on Android and Is expected to be ported to IOS and Steam." 

"It all begun as a brief canoe trip. Experts advice that you should tell somebody where you are going and when you are getting back, at minimum. 

What if you'd skip that part? 

What if you'd go somewhere, and then even take a detour. And what would you do when the worst case scenario happens? 

What if you lost your knife? 

Imagine going off-route and losing your cellphone. Matches? 

Yeah, maybe you have that one match. But how will you start fire after that? 

How you will get to safety?

What are your survival priorities?" - 'What are your Survival Priorities', Survive Website

Survive has been on the App store since at least 2016 and was actually one of the first games I played when I first clicked on the app store on my LG Rebel lite. At the time the game was bare bones recently just updated from a ludum Dare rough draft I recently saw the game again suggested in the app store and I considered downloaded it again. One of the unique advantages of the mobile platform is the prevalence of continuous updates. Some games such as Subway Surfers or Leap Day receive frequent updates while other games like Survive are updated as part of the development process of independent game developers watching the base game they enjoyed become more refined and dynamic throughout the years. Survive has 'grown' a lot since my first playthrough becoming a much more robust and enjoyable game. Also a portion of the game is free-to-play however there is a Full Version for 4.99 USD, (or 8.99 USD if you want to feed the Dev), which takes off Ads, and unlocks new locations, items, and such. 

Before I can properly discuss the bulk of the gameplay I feel it necessary to discuss the User Interface. As Hietalahti states on his website, "[Survive] is not about graphics. There's no fancy 3d models. There's practically almost no animations. There is audio, and some effects and little bit of graphics. This game is not about visuals. This game is about letting you the player imagine and experience the survival situation." Looking at the game one could dismiss the content when compared to the beauticous landscapes of other popular survival games such as Terraria and Don't Starve however one of the unique aspects of the gameplay is through the minimal graphics and the U.I. Survive makes use of 9 menus, (Shelter, Fire, Get Water, Get Wood, Crafting, Inventory, Explore, Traps/Hunt, and Travel), to account for the various actions you as the player can take. Some of these menus such as crafting and inventory act as traditional menus while other such as explore are actions with randomized effects. Other aspects are the day/night counter and your various health counters. The menu design is intuitive similar to the verb menus of Later IF games. Depicting the actions and menu options as circles with infographic symbols creates both a enjoyable minimalist aesthetic while also being extremely easy to navigate.

The gameplay itself is extremely complex. Like other popular survival game there is no hand holding or tutorial rather it is up to the player to learn the intricacies and best practices to play. While this is not the most gratifying to admit I myself have yet to beat a game session. The gameplay is open ended allowing at least to the best of my knowledge several different ways to play the game with multiply ways to secure food and start fires. There is a lot of minute decisions to make in the game and controlling ones myriad resources as one faces difficult decisions like whether their need to use their precious time to either build shelter or find the barest minimum of sustenance to consume for the day. Survive has a level of realism when it comes to the survival aspects that are not always found within the genre. Food poisoning, Realistic Caloric and Water Intake, and Exposure are all real tangible threats that have to be combated throughout the game. The game like many others in the genre rely on a vague narrative but allow for a  evolving "experienced" narrative as the player in essence creates their own story through their actions and misadventures. Overall Survive has a complex and robust game system which makes an enjoyable gaming experience.

While as I've mention before I tend to play games with the sound off I can honestly say that survive has excellent sound design. The games music is only played in the world menu with the actually sound design for the game proper being replaced with immersive folley work. Sunrise is signaled with the sound of birdsong while you can hear your campfire as you manage your inventory or craft a handbag out of a deer's stomach. The sound design acts as a background to the gameplay created an atmospheric environment for your survivalist pursuits.

Survive is a complicated, difficult, but ultimately satisfying survival game made unique by its minimalist U.I. If you enjoy games such as Don't Starve for their realistic and unforgiving gameplay then Survive is the game for you.