The upcoming Steam secret Above Snakes mixes survival with construction and board game elements. An exciting concept that we have tried out.
I know, I know: While the word “survival” makes some people jump up enthusiastically, it makes others shrug their shoulders. Because the genre is obviously not for everyone. But what would you survivalists say if I told you that Above Snakes mixes its genre with building strategy and board game elements?
When I had the chance to play the upcoming insider tip in advance, it became clear to me: This is more than the usual survival game from next door.
What is Above Snakes about?
Prairie, cacti, tumbleweeds: Above Snakes sets you in a fictional Wild West where you fight for your survival from now on. Well, it’s not all that dramatic at first, because Above Snakes starts very comfortably and lets you get to know all the mechanics at first: the classic gathering of resources, the first crafting of a workbench and finally the construction of floors, walls and doors to build your first dwelling.
In these aspects, Above Snakes is strongly reminiscent of Valheim, only from the isoperspective. Provided you have the appropriate materials, you can also build very nice dwellings on the map with a garden, roof terrace, several floors and clever constructions.
And when you run out of space? Then move to the edge of the board and cash in resources to uncover the adjacent space. You choose from three random tiles that can contain biomes such as forests, mountains or mines, and an indicator tells you how much water, food and material is available. With your choice, you gradually assemble your map yourself. On certain tiles, quest givers are waiting for you, to whom you have to procure a certain item or material.
And finally the moment comes: You uncover another piece of map, run unsuspectingly towards the next tree to enthusiastically chop wood and suddenly – you come face to face with a zombie.
For whom is Above Snakes exciting?
Yes, that’s how I looked when I ran into the first undead. Because at first glance, zombies don’t seem to fit into the peaceful nature setting at all. On the other hand, the mixture of Wild West and undead was already successful in Red Dead Redemption.
And whether it’s zombies, mythical monsters or wolves … the fight with enemies is one of the challenges Above Snakes confronts you with. The others are your hunger, thirst, fatigue and mental state indicators. Water can only be replenished at water sources, and when hunger strikes, cooked meals are more valuable than raw berries. However, if you are overcome by madness, a good home-rolled cigar can help.
If one of the indicators drops to zero, it will affect your life indicator. After you die, however, you keep everything you have built yourself. That means all buildings, weapons, meals and tools. Resources, on the other hand, disappear and all the tiles you have uncovered up to that point are gone.
Thus, Above Snakes is not only a very humane survival game, it also offers a lot of exciting mechanics that go far beyond the genre: Quests, building, and cleverly assembling your own map.
What do we like so far? What remains unclear?
What do we like so far?
- Motivating map system: Do we use our resources for a quest tile or do we urgently need a water source instead? Do we choose a special biome to find resources for our desired tile? Creating your own map is motivating and creates a good game flow.
- Nice graphic style: The isoperspective and the crisp colours make you want to explore the Wild West.
- Intuitive and creative building: Build rustic cabins or complex structures on the prairie with just a few clicks of the mouse.
- Enjoyable game flow: There is always something to do and each milestone completion brings new goals.
What remains unclear?
- Long-term motivation: Where the quests will take us in the final game and how long the principle will keep us in front of the screen remains to be seen.
- Combat system: Since we haven’t been able to try out all the weapons yet, we can’t say anything about the balancing and the combat feel.
The survival secret tip doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but it should be out soon on Steam, where the developer is currently giving regular updates.
Editor’s verdict
Meanwhile, I love Survival, but in all honesty: It wasn’t always like this. I first had to be gently nudged into the genre by the Valheims of this world. Because it’s games like Valheim and possibly Above Snakes that lure players out of their comfort zone – as they soften the boundaries of their genre.
Well, and then I’m also just into board games. Assembling your own map with strategically placed quest points, water sources and dwellings is an idea I haven’t experienced before in survival and is an exciting mechanic all its own.
Add to that a nice atmosphere, a pleasant game flow and an exciting building system: Above Snakes is now on my watch list!
