This new desert island survival game sends you to the Pacific to battle your inner demons

Modern life, as Blur would say, is rubbish. It’s too complicated, there’s too much going on, it’s all too busy and fast and simplicity is impossible to find. That’s why the call of the desert island is so strong, being dropped on beautiful sands with no worries other than shelter, food, and water, seems increasingly seductive. Thankfully there are games like Project Castaway to let us know that it’s not all flowers and roses, especially when you’re losing your grip on what remains of your sanity.

The background to Project Castaway is simple. You’re lost on an island deep in the Pacific with nothing to your name. In fine survival game tradition, you’ll have to make everything by gathering resources, putting them together, and crafting tools and shelter. Despite your island being a stunningly beautiful locale, it gets very cold at night and rain can make it even colder, so getting yourself a little place to call home is utterly essential.

You’re not only limited to being on the one island, however. Chop down some trees, lash them together and you’ve got a raft. To be able to find what you need you’ll have to paddle from island to island, ensuring you gather what you can from the disparate locations you’ll be able to discover. You’ll fish, hunt animals, learn to make ever-more complex tools, and uncover a story as you carve out a small desert island fiefdom for yourself.

While this is a very Robinson Crusoe meets Tom Hanks take on survival, there’s also a bit more going on under the game’s hood. You see, you might also be going a bit mad, alone on these islands. If you don’t look after your mental and physical health, drinking and eating enough, getting plenty of sleep, you’ll begin to see things degrade. Let it go too far and creatures will appear – unnatural monsters that bring a taste of the supernatural to your desert hideaway. If you’ve ever played Lovecraftian fishing game Dredge you might already be a little familiar with how this might play out, so make sure you stay sane, or else.

Project Castaway is out now in early access, along with a hefty patch that updates a ton of things from the last beta build. Head over to the game’s Steam page to learn more.

Should you need something else in your life, our guides to the best RPGs and the best open-world games should make sure your gaming hunger levels are satisfied.

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