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Don't Starve Together is a multiplayer roguelike survival game. It has a very stylistic macabre artstyle, with gameplay that hinges on a deep and varied crafting system. If you can think of it you can probably craft it, which keeps the game pretty accessible.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Deep and varied crafting system with hundreds of items
To be successful, you must learn to craft a variety of things, ranging from farms, to ensure a steady supply of food, to items like weapons and armor that help you survive the various evils you encounter while exploring. The crafting system has a lot of depth to it and there are hundreds and hundreds of things to make.
Pro Sense of progression is pretty rewarding
The basic gameplay revolves around gathering resources for crafting, in a wilderness where the flora and fauna are constantly trying to kill you. Levels are procedurally generated each time the player dies, which will be a lot. The gameplay itself requires a lot of trial and error, by design, which can be rewarding when you finally progress past your last death.
Pro Gameplay stays fresh thanks to random generation
With randomly generated (customizable) levels, different characters, ever-unfolding story elements, and permadeath, the game offers a lot of variety as you strive to survive as long as you can.
Pro Maintains depth while still being accessible
The game starts out easy. There is very little in terms of mechanics and the only objective is not to starve. Then, over time, new mechanics are introduced as you explore more of the game world. The game provides very little guidance, leaving players to figure out how things work for themselves. Goals and story elements are also unveiled organically over time.
Pro An organic story generator that never gets old
Goals and story elements are unveiled organically over time, and they are different in each playthrough.
Pro Unique mix of 2D and 3D art offers a change of pace
Don't Starve has a very unique art style that places two-dimensional characters in a three-dimensional setting. Even the waves in the sea look like cardboard cutouts used in a puppet show. The hand-drawn look and feel to the graphics is a nice change of pace from ultra-realistic games.
Pro Tweak the gameplay settings to fit any skill level
The game gives you a lot of customization options. You can change the length of day, weather patterns, and spawn rates for resources and monsters. This allows you to adjust the difficulty level to suit your skill and preference.
Pro Great replay value
Don't Starve Together has randomly generated (customizable) levels, unlockable characters, a story mode, and you can also play it with up to 5 other friends. All of this helps keep subsequent attempts/playthroughs fresh.
Cons
Con Constant restarts can be drawn out and boring
The game is a roguelike, so permanent death is something that will be encountered often. The beginning of a playthrough starts out pretty slowly, which is exacerbated by the fact that the player will need to restart so many times.
Con A lot of grinding
The game requires quite a lot of grinding in order to gather materials that can be used to craft needed items. It is a slow process that becomes even more repetitive when you consider the fact that you will have to start gathering from scratch any time your character dies.
Con Steep learning curve
The first few attempts will last only a couple of in-game days. This is because the game has various punishing mechanics, which you can only learn through trial and error. One such mechanic is the darkness, which will kill you in under a minute if you don't have a light source. Followed by packs of hounds that randomly spawn to kill you. In most cases preparation is key and you can't prepare without knowledge.
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Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro Unique mix of 2D and 3D art offers a change of pace
Don't Starve Together has a very unique art style that places two-dimensional characters in a three-dimensional setting. Even the waves in the sea look like cardboard cutouts used in a puppet show. This look and feel to the graphics is a nice change of pace from ultra-realistic games.
Pro Deep and varied crafting system
The crafting system has a lot of depth to it and there are tons of items to make. Starting with the recipe for a torch and a pickaxe. You can also make weapons, armor, and various laboratories that enable new technologies. Building new stuff and advancing is the key to surviving the coming winter.