MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller is a fan of shooters and survival games. He is also incredibly stingy, which is why he bought Don’t Starve Together for only €1.50 in a sale on Steam. However, he likes the game so much that he feels for the first time that he paid too little for a game.
I love survival games. I am captivated by games like ARK or Sons of the Forest. The constant feeling of threat and the need to build a safe shelter make me a fan of the genre. First-person titles are my favorite, as I appreciate the stronger immersion.
For a long time, I avoided Don’t Starve Together. Despite the relatively low price, I could never bring myself to buy it because I thought the game lacked aspects that I value in survival games. And oh my God, I was so wrong.
I knew that the game was supposed to be good and had received a lot of praise, but I just couldn’t imagine that I would enjoy the design – even though it only costs €15.
After much hesitation, I finally decided to buy Don’t Starve Together on sale. It was reduced from €14.99 to €1.49 until May 5, 2023. You can’t even get an ice cream for that in parts of Germany. If I don’t like it, it won’t hurt my wallet – or the stingy person it belongs to.
But I was not disappointed. On the contrary, I was impressed. Don’t Starve Together is fantastic – in its own way. I actually like the game so much that I am ashamed of having paid so little for it. It is worth much more than €1.49.
The quirky lumberjack and his first attempts
My hope with Don’t Starve Together was that I could play the game for a few minutes while waiting for my teammates before we dive into shooters like Rainbow Six: Siege or Overwatch 2. That’s how my first session came about.
Without reading up properly, I chose Woody as my first character – a quirky man with a beard and lumberjack look who has a special aversion to trees.
Shortly after, I strolled off and was immediately captivated by the atmosphere and the musical accompaniment. My quirky lumberjack also proved to be the perfect choice for me, because which survival player doesn’t happily set off to collect a ton of wood?
So I chopped down tree after tree, grabbed a carrot or berries here and there to satisfy my hunger, and explored the first meters of the map. My attempts to catch one of the nimble birds with the axe failed, and soon I found myself fighting a bee.
However, this nasty bee was not alone, and despite my beloved axe, I was relatively weakly armed and even worse protected. There it was, my first death. It didn’t take long to happen.
Over time, I also tried other characters but returned to the lumberjack. Woody may not get back up when he falls, but he always indulged in his fascination for chopping wood. And the survival player in me did the same.
A sudden end in the cold winter
Eventually, Woody and I even made it to winter. Although it brought deadly cold, it looked good that we would survive the icy season. We were well prepared and had thought of everything – except for problems we didn’t know about yet.
I’ll put it this way: I was once again surprised by this merciless game, and while you are reading this, Woody and I are probably starting over. Winter didn’t end as planned, but that makes Don’t Starve Together a special experience and a bargain purchase that I do not regret.
Now I also know what MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider was talking about when he said Don’t Starve Together broke him.
Brutally difficult survival game broke me, yet it looks like it’s for children
Woody’s death turned out to be permanent and because I was playing alone on the server, I went straight to a newly generated map. On to my second attempt.
New Woody, new luck?
Curious as I am, I once again set off with Woody and his axe to explore the vastness of the forest – and died again. However, I don’t remember what exactly killed Woody this time, as there were several failed attempts to learn about the dangers of the map.
There’s an unbelievable amount in Don’t Starve Together that can end your game – much more than just hunger. As I found out, darkness also counts.
Once again, I was on an exploration tour and by now knew some dangers to avoid. The first day passed, and before I knew it, night fell upon me. “Okay,” I thought, and wanted to spontaneously light a torch or a campfire – but it was already too late for me. In a matter of seconds, Woody was gone, and another respawn was imminent.
Piece by piece, I learned about the surprisingly many facets of the game. I made progress only through failure, accompanied by various sound effects and melodies that reflected my tragic attempts in Don’t Starve Together.
Over time, I also tried other characters but returned to the lumberjack. Woody may not get back up when he falls, but he always indulged in his fascination for chopping wood. And the survival player in me did the same.
A sudden end in the cold winter
Eventually, Woody and I even made it to winter. Although it brought deadly cold, it looked good that we would survive the icy season. We were well prepared and had thought of everything – except for problems we didn’t know about yet.
I’ll put it this way: I was once again surprised by this merciless game, and while you are reading this, Woody and I are probably starting over. Winter didn’t end as planned, but that makes Don’t Starve Together a special experience and a bargain purchase that I do not regret.
Now I also know what MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider was talking about when he said Don’t Starve Together broke him.
Brutally difficult survival game broke me, yet it looks like it’s for children
