"Is this game fun?"
Just as Hannah was about to explore new areas, Zack, who had just finished killing Yhorm the Giant, pulled up a chair behind her and asked curiously.
"It's really fun! The main gameplay is collecting, building, and surviving," Hannah replied.
Even though she had only made it to Day 8 so far—and just barely getting by at that.
Still, Hannah had started to feel some of the fun in Don't Starve.
Collecting, surviving, and getting stronger—these three things are in almost every game.
Even story-driven linear games have them.
In those kinds of games, even if there's no collecting, no survival, no leveling system, the main character still grows stronger or gains something important. As players, we naturally put ourselves in their shoes.
But Don't Starve uses survival as the driving force, letting players feel the need to collect and grow stronger, and that sense of progress brings satisfaction and joy.
"Uh, what's that sound?" Zack asked, curious.
Because the night atmosphere in the game felt so creepy, Hannah had switched the sound from her headphones to the speakers.
Just then, a low rumbling came from the speakers, sounding a bit like thunder and a bit like some wild beast howling.
At the same time, Wilson in the game started mumbling to himself.
"I think I heard something. Did you hear that? I've got a bad feeling about this."
Reading those words on the screen made Hannah tense up too.
Because by now, she had a rough idea of the game mechanics.
If Wilson spoke up, there had to be a reason.
"I don't know, probably nothing, right?" Hannah replied to Zack, standing still and waiting carefully. After about a minute with nothing happening, she relaxed, though she still felt puzzled.
"That's weird. Could it be that my sanity's too low? Maybe that's why Wilson feels in danger and starts acting all paranoid?" Hannah wondered out loud as she got ready to look for flowers and green mushrooms to boost her character's sanity.
Just as Hannah was about to gather resources and pick some flowers—
Suddenly, the sound of dogs barking came from the game, and two vicious hounds appeared at the top of the map, charging straight at Wilson.
"What the—what are these things? There weren't any monsters here before!" Hannah froze as the two hounds lunged at her. "I just passed through this area! When did these things show up? Where did they come from?"
But that question wasn't going to get answered this run.
Under the hounds' bites, Wilson, who wasn't even at full health, didn't stand a chance. The dogs were fast and hit hard.
Even though she tried to fight back with her axe, it was like scratching an itch. After two rounds, Wilson collapsed in a pool of blood.
[Beware of Hounds] (Trust Wilson's instincts)
Hannah stared at the achievement pop-up, speechless.
Now you tell me!
He's already dead!
"That's it? He just dies like that?" Zack said in shock.
"I should've made armor and weapons first. I wasted too much time wandering around!" Hannah reflected on her eight in-game days and turned to Zack. "Stop talking and get online!"
Hearing that, Zack quickly jumped up. "Okay, I'm on it!"
Back in his room, Zack opened the Nebula Games platform and started downloading Don't Starve.
.........
Just like Zack and Hannah, lots of players jumped into the game as soon as it launched.
But in their first survival run, most players only experienced a tiny fraction of what Don't Starve really offers.
Building bases, unlocking tech, and other complex mechanics didn't even come into play.
The only thing they experienced was all the different ways to die. No matter how carefully you plan, the game always finds a way to surprise you and end your journey.
On the community forums, many early players started posting about their experiences.
"This game has so much content! Played for over two hours and I've barely scratched the surface!"
"Same here! I've been playing all afternoon. Haven't even survived more than ten days yet, but it's still super fun!"
"Haha, so true! My first death was when I stole a bird egg and got pecked to death by that tall bird."
"LOL, I got gored by a herd of red-butted buffalo in the grasslands!"
"Anyone else set themselves on fire while trying to burn down a forest?"
"I'm dying here. Am I the only one who got killed by something in the dark because I didn't make a fire at night?"
"Got killed by the darkness too, +1! That's how I died as well!"
"It's just a small game, but it's so much fun! Especially when you're picking up junk with friends — before you know it, a few hours are gone."
"Yeah, totally! Playing with friends makes it way better."
"Haha, when you play online with friends, you really need to divide the work. The first time the hounds came, it was just a couple of them, then suddenly a whole pack showed up and killed us all!"
"Yeah, those hounds are brutal! How do you even fight them?"
"The first time isn't too bad. Just make a grass armor and dodge a bit, then you can take them down. If you want to be safer, craft a spear."
"Everyone, listen up — don't let your sanity drop too low! If it does, you'll start seeing these dark shadow monsters, and they're insanely strong. That's how I died!"
"I don't think the game's name fits at all. It's called Don't Starve, but I've never died of hunger!"
Players kept sharing tips on forums — or rather, sharing all the ways they died.
And the hounds, the newbie killers, were unsurprisingly the top cause of death.
When players are still figuring out what to do and how to play, even two normal hounds can deal massive damage.
As players posted about all their weird deaths in Don't Starve, many agreed: despite the name, almost no one actually dies of hunger. Most deaths come from random accidents.
So really, calling it Don't Starve is a lie. The real name should be "100 Ways Wilson Can Die!"
(End of The Chapter)
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