The new co-op survival game ASKA is set to release in 2023 on Steam (PC) and showcases its connections to Norse mythology in an initial trailer. The first alpha test starts next week, on November 24.
What kind of game is this? ASKA describes itself as a “Multiplayer Viking Survival Tribe Builder” and is essentially a survival game in the style of the hugely successful Valheim, but with some peculiarities.
You play as Vikings alone or with up to 4 players, managing your village, commanding villagers, and exploring the world. ASKA comes from the Romanian indie studio Sand Sailor Studio.
Visually, ASKA strongly resembles Valheim, released in 2021, but with significantly better graphics. Valheim features a very unique pixel look that may not appeal to everyone. ASKA instead opts for realistic graphics and visually elaborate environments.
In the first trailer, ASKA shows its connection to Norse mythology with one of Odin’s heraldic animals, a raven, and a monstrous giant:
In ASKA, you build your own village and prepare for winter
These are the features: Two of the core features of ASKA are building your village and the weather and seasons system. You play in third person and manage your villagers, build forges, mines, farms, workshops, and defense facilities to develop your village.
In caves, you can find special loot and resources, and with your own dragon ship, you sail across the seas and discover new lands in the procedurally generated world. You can also build new villages, creating a true Viking realm.
In doing so, you collect supplies for the “Dead Winter,” a mechanic where you not only have to fight against the weather but also face particularly strong enemies. Other features include:
- Survival elements like food, drink, rest, warmth, and companionship for you and your village
- a dynamic weather system
- customization of houses and villages with furniture and decorations
- skills and “powers” for your character
How good the combat system will be, we cannot say yet. Combat was one of the great strengths of Valheim, which ASKA is obviously inspired by. The developers promise “intense, skill-based combat” against “mythical enemies.”
When and where is ASKA releasing? The release of ASKA is planned for 2023 for PC on Steam. A more specific date has not yet been announced. If you want to get a glimpse of ASKA beforehand, you can test the single-player alpha, starting November 23, 2022, and you can sign up for the test through the ASKA Discord server.
Whether ASKA will also be released for PlayStation and Xbox has not yet been revealed – presumably, this will not happen. Indie studios usually focus on the PC as the main platform, at least for the beginning. Even with the exceptionally successful Valheim, it took a year and a half for an Xbox version to be released:
Steam hit Valheim is finally coming to Xbox – and to Game Pass
