Wildlands is an upcoming survival game that you should definitely keep an eye on if you enjoyed Ark or The Forest. While it doesn’t have mutant cannibals or roaring dinosaurs, Wildlands places players in the midst of the beautiful yet dangerous wilderness. You can play alone or with friends while you try and not only survive but also thrive among the animals. It has all of the essential components that make up great survival experiences, from endless exploration to crafting.
With over 65 animal species from all over the globe and the ability to tame them, Wildlands offers you the opportunity to truly live among nature. That’s right, you can fight alongside animals instead of simply engaging in combat against them, just like in Ark. They can carry your items and even act as mounts. Since there are so many unique species, there are also 14 separate biomes to support them. From the Arctic to the tropics, it’s no small world.
Ahsen Games also boasts a character customization system with “innumerable possible combinations of physical options.” Once you’ve crafted your identity, you’ll get to explore a variety of caverns, ruins, sunken ships, temples, and more. The developer describes the world as one “full of hidden places and secrets,” with natural resources to gather and use found all over.
Aside from its immersive building, cooking, crafting, farming, and forging systems though, Wildlands also has an interesting RPG-like progression system. The dev says players can advance their characters “through more than 100 levels by completing various activities.” There isn’t a specific release date yet, but Ahsen expects its launch sometime in 2024. You can check wishlist Wildlands now directly on Steam to track its progress.
I’m personally excited to see how the more cozy aspects play out in Wildlands, too. You’ll be able to farm and build an entirely automated greenhouse. The housing system seems like good fun, too, as Ahsen says there are hundreds of “building pieces, decorations & interactable objects allowing you to truly customize your home to your image.” I also can’t wait to check out the hunting, fishing, and ranching gameplay.
If Wildlands seems like your kind of game and you want to look into some other great hidden gems, browse through our roundup of the best indie games out there. For more things to look forward to, you can alternatively check out some of our most highly anticipated upcoming PC games while you wait for Wildlands.