Steam Open World Survival Crafting Fest 2024 is here ... ... and we welcome you into the far north with a discounted price! In case of UnReal World it's hard to imagine more suitable Steam Fest to participate in. First released in 1992 the game sports more than 30 years of active development with still no end in sight and has got Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition (2019) recognizition for being the first open-world survival game. Yes, these titles are always debatable but the content and eligibility is not. UnReal World is a unique low-fantasy roguelike game set in the far north during the late-iron age. The world of the game is highly realistic, rich with historical atmosphere and emphasized on survival in the harsh ancient wilderness. For newcomers we'll highlight a curiosity that the game is created by devs who tend to practice what they code also in their real life. The ways of their ancestors, primitive and wilderness skills, traditional builds and crafts of many sorts.
From left to right, Erkka (co-designer) and Sami (creator) of UnReal World building something else than a computer game. Steam Open World Survival Crafting Fest is about games where you start with nothing or very little, and eventually end up with... well, maybe still nothing. If you survive long enough though, you might find yourself with a nicely decorated base. But the threat of all of that coming down around you is ever-present. UnReal World is completely open-ended and it's up to you how you decide or manage to live off the land. If you wish to, you can pick one of the varying start-up scenarios to send you into the far north with different conditions and rough plot to follow. Here's a brief introduction about what you would start with in these scenarios, and where they may lead you. But in the end, everything is up to you, and in the procedurally generated world not even the start-up equipment is always the same.
The Village Starting at the village provides a safe way to start playing. You may equip your character carefully before going out to the wilderness and have a safe place to return to if you face setbacks or dangers on your journeys. Villages are also sources of quests which may lead you into looking for water spirits, encountering forest maidens, returning lost village animals from the wild, assisting with village chores, and so on.
Runaway slave Having been slave to Njerpezit for years you finally take a step to escape from your captors. You are lightly dressed, carrying only few weapons. If you manage to escape, surviving in the wilderness like this, without supplies, may get very hard. On the other hand fighting against superior enemy may be more foolish - even though they are carrying equipment you too could use.
Unfortunate hunting trip Your father lies dead on the ground and the beast who killed him is still present. If you manage to down the beast or even escape from it you are on your own in the middle of the wide, unfamiliar environment. The equipment of your late father may become very useful to you if you manage to pick them up - and that way even though you are alone in the world now, your family will be with you.
Lonely settler You find yourself alone on a foreign ground with two unfinished cottages. You may want to finish the cottages on your own and settle here - whatever you do there's much to learn about life and making your livelihood. However, the area where your father brought you feels like home to you now more than the unfamiliar wilderness around.
Hurt, helpless, and afraid Wounded and left for dead, you struggle to survive in the wilderness. This is a difficult scenario, as you have suffered rather severe injuries, making you incapable of walking. You also lack anything but your knife and a few pieces of clothing. It is very possible to die from the injuries you have suffered.
Traps and trapping Your character is equipped with various traps and tools to make traps including wooden stakes for building fences and a shovel. Even if you can't make your livelihood immediately learning to use traps can be very interesting.
I want to be a fisherman One night you sneaked into the fishing shed and took all the equipment you could carry. "I know enough to make my living by fishing alone", you mumbled as you left your home for good. The days after that weren't easy but little by little you began to learn to use you your fishing tackle better - and the further you travelled the more friendly the waters seemed to be.
Abandoned trap-fence You find an old trap-fence in the wilderness. This scenario gives you an idea of what kind of trap-fences you should build yourself and encourages you to learn by using this starting trap-fence. It will only need repairing and improvement rather than construction from scratch by yourself.
Abandoned camp You find an old camp with a shelter, firewood and useful items. What brought you here and what kind of your past is like is a matter of your imagination. You are at a camp where to ponder about the path to take. You can take items lying around as a hint, or you can make a fire and throw them into it one by one... as always everything is up to you.
Agriculture You posses some valuable seeds and are ready to try out your agricultural skills. At the age of sixteen you left your home not only with some clothes, weapons and necessary equipment but also with some valuable seeds. When you find a nice place to settle down you can start growing your own crops.
There be robbers! You encounter a band of ruffians in the wilderness. This scenario puts you face to face with possible danger. Will you take the offensive or try to escape with your skin intact? The next step is up to you. Keeping your starting equipment means risking your life and fighting the bandits off.
Not all who wander are lost You set out into the unforgiving wilderness with a four-legged companion. Left alone with only the supplies and tools you carry and your four-legged companion you set out into the unforgiving wilderness, just another wanderer looking for their place in the UnReal World. Congratulations for reading this far! If this all sounded like a lot to digest now bear in mind that this just scratching the surface. Feel free to go discover - the fest and discount is on. Cheers! urw_sage