We Love It's Guide to…
As Wilson, stranded in a hostile, procedurally generated wilderness, gather resources, craft tools, and fight to survive.
Released 23 Apr 2013
Manage Hunger and Sanity
Craft Survival Gear
Learn From Each Death
Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style.
Developed by Klei Entertainment · Published by Klei Entertainment
You play as Wilson, a scientist trapped by a demon in a mysterious wilderness. Gather what you need to stay alive and explore the world as you search for a way home.
Hunt, farm, research, craft tools and structures, and fight dangerous creatures. Keep an eye on survival needs such as hunger and sanity, and prepare for darkness and changing conditions.
Each new world is procedurally generated, and death can end a run, making what you learn useful for the next attempt. Different playable characters have distinct traits, while open-ended survival and Adventure Mode offer different ways to play.
Reviewers often enjoy the tense survival loop, describing resource gathering, exploration, and learning through failed runs as satisfying reasons to keep playing. Many also praise the hand-drawn art and eerie atmosphere, along with the variety of worlds and character traits. Some players find the lack of in-game guidance frustrating, and a recurring complaint is that the single-player version receives fewer updates than Don't Starve Together.
Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic.
You play as Wilson, an intrepid Gentleman Scientist who has been trapped by a demon and transported to a mysterious wilderness world. Wilson must learn to exploit his environment and its inhabitants if he ever hopes to escape and find his way back home.
Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style. Play your way as you unravel the mysteries of this strange land.
Uncompromising Survival & World Exploration:
No instructions. No help. No hand holding. Start with nothing and craft, hunt, research, farm and fight to survive.
Dark and Whimsical Visuals:
2D characters and odd creatures inhabiting a unique 3D world.
Randomly Generated New Worlds:
Want a new map? No problem! At any time you can generate a new living and breathing world that hates you and wants you to die.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
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| Age ratings |
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| Players | From 1 (maximum not specified) |
| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | The store features list identifies Don't Starve as single-player. The provided descriptions do not describe built-in multiplayer for this version. Multiple reviews consistently describe Don't Starve Together as a separate multiplayer/co-op version or standalone expansion, including playing with friends, other people, and joining servers. |
| Multiplayer & mods | Steam Workshop support is listed for Don't Starve, but the provided information does not confirm any specific multiplayer mod support for this version. Reviews mention mods generally and separately describe Don't Starve Together as the multiplayer product. |
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 4 listed on Steam |
| Metacritic | 79/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
