Beloved 2022 Survival Adventure ‘Stranded Deep’ Is Free This Weekend

First released in Early Access back in 2015, the survival crafting title Stranded Deep has since cultivated a devoted community, racking up more than 20,000 reviews on Steam. If you enjoy the genre and need something to fill your weekend, this is a great moment to dive in: the game is free to play on Steam until 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 19.

Stranded Deep is an open-world multiplayer adventure in which you take on the role of a plane-crash survivor marooned on a Pacific island. Fell trees to construct sturdy shelters and other structures, then fashion spears, axes, bows, and even (against all logic) spearguns to make catching fish and giant crabs far easier. Your hunting, cooking, and crafting abilities improve the more you put them to use.

Unlike plenty of other survival games, Stranded Deep offers a true ending. You’ll need to keep a close eye on your health, hunger, and thirst while dodging sunstroke, all so you can hold out long enough to be rescued.

Although many players have applauded the game’s distinctive features and co-op play, some recent reviewers complain that it’s buggier now than it was at launch, and one claims two-player local co-op no longer functions. On Steam, the game holds a Mostly Positive rating, with 74% of reviews favorable. Critics were less generous: when it first arrived on PS4 and Xbox One in 2020, it earned a middling Metacritic average of 65. After its Early Access debut in 2015, Stranded Deep reached its full Steam release in 2022.

Is Stranded Deep getting a sequel?

Last month, Beam Team Games unveiled Stranded Deep 2 with a reveal trailer showcasing alligators and murderous hippos. The follow-up remains an open-world survival crafting experience, but it trades the tropical island for a desert wasteland. Built around an “endless river world,” it lets players kayak their way to fresh canyons, dunes, and valleys. The game is scheduled to launch in Early Access on Steam in 2027.

Source: Polygon