Smalland: Survive the Wilds is a new survival game from Merge Games that is set to release on Steam Early Access on March 29, 2023. We received early access to the game and have been very impressed so far. Smalland: Survive the Wilds has a twist to its story… and we mean a twist. Players are the vanguard of the tiny people who live in the undergrowth, places that we “giants” don’t usually pay much attention to. But between the blades of grass and rocks, there is a fantasy world to explore. In this story, you embark on a journey to find out who stole the key to the treasure vault that contains the elixir to save the queen.

The little people rarely venture out into the world, but as a powerful vanguard, they must brave the elements, use their survival skills, and of course, fight to the death against the dangerous insects and creepy crawlies that lurk among the rocks. I love a good survival game with good exploration and base building elements. If the developers have designed the game right, you can spend hours wandering around the game, figuring out how to build a new base home, and fighting enemies that you can fight now that you have unlocked a cool new weapon.

When I logged into the game for the first time, I was amazed at the detail in the environments and the rich colors that bring Small Land to life. The developers have also captured the size and feel of being as small as the characters very well. I followed the path from the starting point and clicking on the owl statues gave me hints and instructions on how to survive. It’s information that’s extremely helpful, as the game basically throws the player in the deep end and lets them go out and explore and figure things out on their own, rather than being handed information like in many games today.

Ok, let’s go into the unknown… but wait… what about tools, weapons and armor? Where do you start? Luckily, you’ll meet NPCs who can help you craft your first basic armor so you’re not left naked in the wilderness. But after that, you’ll need to explore the world and figure out how to use the resources you find in the wild to create new and exciting items. Or you might meet a stranger in the wilderness, who might have a useful item you can craft.

I found the character sheet very easy to use when managing your character, with lots of handy little tabs that will come in handy throughout the game. The “Inventory” tab shows everything you’re carrying, as well as character information like stats, current armor and weapons. There’s also a tab for basic crafting items like torches, axes and protective clubs – all very practical things for your first encounters in the world.

The creatures you encounter are well designed and thought out; some are downright terrifying. My first encounter with a creature from the world was with a ladybug. It flew away as soon as I got close, but I was very happy to see an insect that I rarely notice in my everyday life. So I happily collected tree branches and leaves to make equipment and decided to find a place to start building my first base.

I found a place and thought, “Yes, this is the right place.” However, the ants did not like my idea and decided to chase me away. Combat in Small Land is dynamic and challenging. You need to use your stamina well to land quick or powerful attacks on your enemies, but also conserve it so you can avoid their attacks. On my first attempt, I faced off against a cow ant and lost.

If you die, you will come back to life at your spawn point. For me that was the starting area, but as the game progresses, you can use crafted beds to create multiple locations that can be used as spawn points. The crafting element in Smalland: Survive the Wilds is great. The developers provide players with a wealth of parts to build all kinds of buildings, from large base camps to makeshift shelters to escape storms. We think the game has a lot of room to add even more functionality to buildings, and hopefully this will come in future updates after release.

The weapons, armor, and items you unlock as you progress through the game are well designed, especially the special armor sets you can build. The artistic design of the luxury suits is just stunning. I’m currently wearing a suit that my daughter calls “Bug Batman” because it looks dark and mysterious, like the caped crusader. I hope more armor and weapon content will be added to the game as well.

Another aspect I love about this game is the map. As you discover new locations the fog of war spreads, but what I love is that you can create location markers with your own labels. Found a spider’s web? Mark it so you don’t accidentally walk into it at night and become their next dinner. Did you find a strawberry field? Mark your strawberries so you can go back later and harvest them as they grow. It’s helped me countless times when trying to remember where I saw a particular resource or dangerous area.

The atmosphere in Smalland: Survive the Wilds is spot on so far. The soundtrack is great and captures the theme of the game well, even in the tense moments. Exciting moments, you say? Yes, like when a thunderstorm comes and you have to take shelter quickly or you will be destroyed. The sound effects of the storm combined with the music capture the feeling of being so small in a moment of absolute terror.

Night is another aspect I love about the game. The sounds of insects, the surrounding environment and the onset of darkness create some truly hair-raising moments. Especially the sound of a surly spider sneaking up behind your character to turn him into a midnight snack.

An expert tip for you. If you can build a torch in the game, you should probably use it. Because it’s pitch black at night, really dark. For example, if you’re trying to find your way back to camp, you can only see a few meters without a flashlight. You zigzag when you should zigzag, and if you zigzag, you’ll end up in a den of wolf spiders and killer bees.

Did I mention mounts? Yes you can get mounts. You can even tame grasshoppers, geckos and ladybugs to use as pack mules, it’s really worth doing. I think there will be more mounts like spiders coming at or after release (no way!)

Smalland: Survive the Wilds offers a small-world experience, but we can imagine it will be a huge success. For an Early Access title, the offering is fantastic, making you feel like a very small presence in a vast world waiting to be explored. Danger lurks around every corner, especially during storms and at night, but the weapons, armor, and bases you can build will help you survive and thrive. We had some issues connecting to the multiplayer, but we’re looking forward to plenty of cooperative survival sessions.