Smalland

Smalland (2023): Survive the Wilds is a survival adventure where you are a tiny character in an overgrown wilderness. You work with other players to make your way in the living breathing world full of hazards and opportunities. It stands out for the openness of how you can progress along with reframing the human heroes at the bottom of the food chain.

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Smalland plays with scale, letting you experience the wildlife of your backyard from a new and intriguing angle. This brings opportunities as well as dangers. Even a gust of wind or a rain shower can prove perilous when you're this small - not to mention hailstones. Trees are colossal but can still be climbed. Watch out for rodents, birds and large insects - but some of them may become your friends and let you ride on their back.

The outsized world is also dynamically changing, not only with the weather, seasons, day and night but also in response to what you do. It's as beautiful as it is intimidating and dangerous. Unusually, the world is also full of societies with their own factions, religions and traditions. You and up to 9 friends are thrust into this world and must work with it, and the people you meet, if you are to survive.

You work to find water, food and shelter to survive. In the game, you jump, glide, and swing around to reach new areas and avoid danger. Use crafting, building, hunting and combat to survive at the bottom of the food chain. It also features cooperative gameplay, where you can connect with other players and help one another against the environment. Your character can be personalised and your skills specialised.

The result is a game about the challenges the world presents. Not only the out-sized insect threats but even getting around the world feels like an achievement. It's a beautiful way to experience the wilderness from a completely new perspective.

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Our examiner, Goran Wallgren, first checked Smalland 4 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.