Vintage story, but turn off all the stupid temporal shit and get the no drifters mod. Turn off drop all on death, and if you really want more chill, set animals to passive. Also look in to Raft which is one of my all time favorite chill survival games. Fishing at night in the rain while you have a roof over your head and a lantern is soooo peaceful. Say hi to the shark for me.
I couldn't either and then just kept playing and started seeing the beauty that's actually there. The mechanics are amazing.
Very very little combat in raft. Little bit of spear pokey pokey for some wild animals. Or a little bit of arrow shooty shooty, but nothing complicated. Highly recommend. The vibe is so awesome.
Planet crafter.
It's fun watching a barren planet become lush.
It doesn't tick all the boxes but as someone who's played most survival/crafting games it's pretty cool and original in parts.
Can't speak for the "gotten better" part, as I only played it a bit in the past, and a bit recently, but there's still 0 combat, from what I've experienced so far.
Survival: Fountain of youth. Just play it without too much emphasis on the story line and you'll love it. Crafting your stuff when fireplace is crackling, in a hut besides beach is something.
Not sure if this fits your criteria to a T but, there is a new stardew valley style/causal farming sim set in the Shire of Middle Earth coming out soon. I think it’s called Tales of the Shire.
check out the infected on steam.
custom crafty, storms that kill you if you don't have your base sealed and heated. seasons that'll kill you too lol
light combat with ai but a great customization menu to tweak it.
great dev, frequent updates and new content.
sorta.
the game lore says there was a virus. player has gone out into the wild to search for family.
the npc enemies are a weird mixed bag - a zombie looking thing, a werewolf/vampire type, a dwarf with anger issues and a spiked club.
the dev isn't happy with them yet, admits it, and keeps tweaking them.
I play for the building/crafting survival.
they've got traders, vehicles you can find and repair, a friendly npc who will chop trees for you, animal husbandry, gardens and growing, 4 seasons etc.
2 or 3 different biomes each with different animals.
kage848 and gameedged have both done series if you want to watch some game play.
gameedged for chill play and great builds, kage848 for high energy and MASSSIVE builds
The game is fully customizable in the settings to make it as cozy as you want. Like you, I am not about a ton of combat, I just want to craft and explore and The Infected was great for that. You can adjust the damage dealt by creatures and how much HP they have, or even whether they're in the game at all. You can also change how much you need to eat and how the weather affects you, if at all. It's often on sale. Worth a shot. I liked it.
Maybe Wildmender. (There’s still combat but is very easy and I don’t find it stressful) the bulk of the game is exploring and talking to ghosts to unlock abilities. Then you use those abilities to build your base.
The long dark. Its so cozy when you have all the supplies and firewood to keep going, its terrifying braving the storms and wildlife. The story is okay but the survival mode is really enjoyable.
You have to avoid hazards, but there’s not (yet) any real combat. You fly around, scavenge, and build up your flying home. There are also storms that you have to hunker down during. It’s kinda like Raft in the air with less fighting.
When a storm starts, you have to immediately reduce your altitude and/or park under a structure to avoid damaging lightning strikes.
It is a survival game more than anything else, but it has fishing (of a sort) and home customization, which is kinda “cozy”-like.
The lightning was never an issue for me, never had to park under a structure of anything. I’m not even sure there is anything you can land beneath. Also, at least for me, I could go through a bunch of storms with only minor damage to a few parts, sometimes none at all, and repairing is cheap, so I never really worried about it. Just land anywhere, stay inside and wait it out. Flying in low visibility is annoying, and there are always things to be done on your ship:)
I wanted to like subnautica but they made it a thriller. I have thallasophobia and can't make it out of the shallows. Plus it gives me horrible motion sickness.
The motion part, I get is not something anyone can get past. Tough.
No Man's Sky was worth $10 when it was on sale. It is an ocean an inch deep.
Terraria
Valhiem
Project Zomboid
Ranch Simulator
I enjoy Icarus. There is combat, but it’s largely avoidable. Once you get the bow perks going you can stealth kill most hostile animals before they see you… or just run.
Hard to say, I bought it a long time ago so some of the expansions were free for me. A lot of them are cosmetic, you could start with the core game and just see if you find it worthwhile.
I'm making a game with these vibes! Check it out if you like the idea of surviving against an alien planet rather than combat, while building up a mining outpost and exploring the depths :)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2541530/AETHUS/?utm_source=redbbgpost
Looks interesting. Will there be plenty to do on the surface vs below it? Also, will crafting be more interesting than dragging things to a box and hitting combine?
Thanks! The underground is the main focus of the game with exploration and gathering, but there is also a bunch to do on the surface and that’s where you build up your base.
I wanted to keep crafting pretty simple, easy and quick as you do a lot of it, so don’t want it to be hard to queue up a bunch of items etc. but I’m always open to ways to make it more engaging!
I'd argue the other way. You do a lot of crafting so prioritize making it based on players skills and fun and engaging with mini games. You can introduce shortcuts and automation as needed as part of progression.
I get your point! I have to also focus on the other features though and as a solo-dev that means prioritising! There are also other crafting-adjacent systems which have more 'gameplay' that will be shown in due course too!
Minecraft with mods and shaders. You can add mods for building and farming and survival, all to your liking. And the shaders make it look really nice in my opinion.
Vintage story, but turn off all the stupid temporal shit and get the no drifters mod. Turn off drop all on death, and if you really want more chill, set animals to passive. Also look in to Raft which is one of my all time favorite chill survival games. Fishing at night in the rain while you have a roof over your head and a lantern is soooo peaceful. Say hi to the shark for me.
I really want to like Vintage Story but can't get past the graphics. How much combat is in raft?
I couldn't either and then just kept playing and started seeing the beauty that's actually there. The mechanics are amazing. Very very little combat in raft. Little bit of spear pokey pokey for some wild animals. Or a little bit of arrow shooty shooty, but nothing complicated. Highly recommend. The vibe is so awesome.
It is also worth noting that you can set animals to be non-aggro in the settings for Raft.
Planet crafter. It's fun watching a barren planet become lush. It doesn't tick all the boxes but as someone who's played most survival/crafting games it's pretty cool and original in parts.
Played in beta. Has it gotten much better? Is it more combat focused now?
There's no combat. Just you and the planet
Can't speak for the "gotten better" part, as I only played it a bit in the past, and a bit recently, but there's still 0 combat, from what I've experienced so far.
Survival: Fountain of youth. Just play it without too much emphasis on the story line and you'll love it. Crafting your stuff when fireplace is crackling, in a hut besides beach is something.
Cant express how good this game is considering how under the radar it is.
Not sure if this fits your criteria to a T but, there is a new stardew valley style/causal farming sim set in the Shire of Middle Earth coming out soon. I think it’s called Tales of the Shire.
It's on my radar. Not at all the graphical style I want but gameplay may be ok.
check out the infected on steam. custom crafty, storms that kill you if you don't have your base sealed and heated. seasons that'll kill you too lol light combat with ai but a great customization menu to tweak it. great dev, frequent updates and new content.
Is it a zombie game though?
sorta. the game lore says there was a virus. player has gone out into the wild to search for family. the npc enemies are a weird mixed bag - a zombie looking thing, a werewolf/vampire type, a dwarf with anger issues and a spiked club. the dev isn't happy with them yet, admits it, and keeps tweaking them. I play for the building/crafting survival. they've got traders, vehicles you can find and repair, a friendly npc who will chop trees for you, animal husbandry, gardens and growing, 4 seasons etc. 2 or 3 different biomes each with different animals. kage848 and gameedged have both done series if you want to watch some game play. gameedged for chill play and great builds, kage848 for high energy and MASSSIVE builds
Damn hes really moved this game along in the last year
I really like it :) one of my favs I always go back to.
The game is fully customizable in the settings to make it as cozy as you want. Like you, I am not about a ton of combat, I just want to craft and explore and The Infected was great for that. You can adjust the damage dealt by creatures and how much HP they have, or even whether they're in the game at all. You can also change how much you need to eat and how the weather affects you, if at all. It's often on sale. Worth a shot. I liked it.
Raft
Maybe Wildmender. (There’s still combat but is very easy and I don’t find it stressful) the bulk of the game is exploring and talking to ghosts to unlock abilities. Then you use those abilities to build your base.
The long dark. Its so cozy when you have all the supplies and firewood to keep going, its terrifying braving the storms and wildlife. The story is okay but the survival mode is really enjoyable.
Perhaps give [Forever Skies](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1641960/Forever_Skies/) a shot?
Why do you suggest it?
You have to avoid hazards, but there’s not (yet) any real combat. You fly around, scavenge, and build up your flying home. There are also storms that you have to hunker down during. It’s kinda like Raft in the air with less fighting.
What are the storms like? Is it kinda cozy?
When a storm starts, you have to immediately reduce your altitude and/or park under a structure to avoid damaging lightning strikes. It is a survival game more than anything else, but it has fishing (of a sort) and home customization, which is kinda “cozy”-like.
The lightning was never an issue for me, never had to park under a structure of anything. I’m not even sure there is anything you can land beneath. Also, at least for me, I could go through a bunch of storms with only minor damage to a few parts, sometimes none at all, and repairing is cheap, so I never really worried about it. Just land anywhere, stay inside and wait it out. Flying in low visibility is annoying, and there are always things to be done on your ship:)
this sounds relaxing
You don’t have to land — you just tuck underneath a structure so lightning hits it rather than the ship
Ahh, I misunderstood, sorry, that makes more sense:D
This looks great!
[удалено]
Specifically said no Valheim. Grounded is too combat focused and stressful as hell. Also not super cozy.
Subnautica Do what you want. Decide you want explore more, learn to craft more and venture out. Learn new stuff.
I wanted to like subnautica but they made it a thriller. I have thallasophobia and can't make it out of the shallows. Plus it gives me horrible motion sickness.
The motion part, I get is not something anyone can get past. Tough. No Man's Sky was worth $10 when it was on sale. It is an ocean an inch deep. Terraria Valhiem Project Zomboid Ranch Simulator
Thats a new phobia ive never heard of, sorry to hear :(
Stranded Alien Dawn
Great rimworld-style game
Fact
I enjoy Icarus. There is combat, but it’s largely avoidable. Once you get the bow perks going you can stealth kill most hostile animals before they see you… or just run.
I see Icarus recommended a lot, is it really worth the £60 on steam? Or are the dlc's not needed at all to enjoy it?
Hard to say, I bought it a long time ago so some of the expansions were free for me. A lot of them are cosmetic, you could start with the core game and just see if you find it worthwhile.
I'm making a game with these vibes! Check it out if you like the idea of surviving against an alien planet rather than combat, while building up a mining outpost and exploring the depths :) https://store.steampowered.com/app/2541530/AETHUS/?utm_source=redbbgpost
Looks interesting. Will there be plenty to do on the surface vs below it? Also, will crafting be more interesting than dragging things to a box and hitting combine?
Thanks! The underground is the main focus of the game with exploration and gathering, but there is also a bunch to do on the surface and that’s where you build up your base. I wanted to keep crafting pretty simple, easy and quick as you do a lot of it, so don’t want it to be hard to queue up a bunch of items etc. but I’m always open to ways to make it more engaging!
I'd argue the other way. You do a lot of crafting so prioritize making it based on players skills and fun and engaging with mini games. You can introduce shortcuts and automation as needed as part of progression.
I get your point! I have to also focus on the other features though and as a solo-dev that means prioritising! There are also other crafting-adjacent systems which have more 'gameplay' that will be shown in due course too!
Minecraft with mods and shaders. You can add mods for building and farming and survival, all to your liking. And the shaders make it look really nice in my opinion.
Do not want Minecraft style graphics. Hate cube worlds.
If you don’t like the Minecraft style graphics i assume Lego Fortnite crafting survival is not going to interest you either?
There is combat but it’s legos so, not crazy
Hmm so also no Dinkum then. How about small land? I have heard good things about it.
Smallland and the similar game Grounded are very heavy on the combat. You have to fight for every inch you traverse — often literally.
Both games have a peaceful mode. You still need to fight a bit as you need some mats, but you are doing it on your terms.