[Indie Game Field Notes] The Survival Log You Write Yourself: ‘IfSunSets’ 2024-11-26

Some genres are simply bound to grab attention. Mix construction, survival, multiplayer, progression, and combat, and you’ve got a winning recipe. The fancy name? A sandbox open-world survival RPG. Throw in some vampires, collectible monsters, dinosaurs, and zombies, and you've got instant buzz. Add engineering mechanics? You're on your way to ‘GOAT’ If it’s a teaser trailer from a publicly traded company? It’s straight to the moon.

These games are incredibly difficult to make — but easy to dream up. That’s why so many developers take a shot, from pixel-style indies to full-fledged AAA packages. Many test builds fall short and get dropped. Even if a version launches, harsh criticism can force some dev teams to shut down entirely.

In this landscape, ‘IfSunSets,’ available on Stove and Steam (Global), managed to launch successfully despite being built by a small team. The first impression is strong — the game mostly achieves what it set out to do.

That means there's already a whiff of “GOAT” in the air. Of course, whether that smell is from real banana milk or artificially flavored banana drink — you’ll only know if you taste it yourself.

<How did you know I was an idiot?>

‘IfSunSets’ is a survival game set on a deserted island. After a shipwreck during a storm, you’re stranded. In the daytime, you gather resources. At night, you defend yourself against incoming threats.

The premise screams “perfect for survival journaling and roleplaying.” You can play it as your own version of ‘Lost’, ‘Dynasty Warriors’, ‘Project Zomboid’, or even’ Senran Kagura’. It might sound like a trap, but imagination knows no bounds.

During the day, you explore the island and gather resources. But survival doesn’t feel urgent at first — the island seems like a tropical resort. Swaying palm trees and gentle waves soothe your ears. If not for the annoying fairy companion giving you tasks, you might ask, “Wait, why am I even here?”

You have to build your survival base by collecting sticks, stones, and fish. You’ll build, cook, and craft weapons by hand. You’ll even make your own tools for gathering. Building a campfire, workbench, and bed feels like Stardew Valley — and yes, farming comes later.

<Is this what it felt like growing potatoes on Mars?>

Like you, your character needs to eat. You can eat raw or cooked food. You also need clean water. And you must craft and upgrade your weapons and armor to continue exploring.

Just when you wonder, “Why am I working after work?” danger hits. Wild animals chase you. Your first encounter with a four-legged predator shows how brutal nature can be. You understand why humans developed tools. Without fire and tools, we’d have never survived the wild.

Eventually, you realize it's not the monsters but the limited inventory and endless grind that truly terrify you. You want to expand your house but can't — just like in real life. It pushes you to gather even more. Fail a fishing attempt and it mirrors real life again: you go for the thrill, but end up just eating sliced sashimi at a team dinner.

The game’s slightly pastoral vibe flips the moment the sun sets. At night, you must defend yourself from waves of enemies.

Zombie-like enemies swarm in from all sides. You have to use traps and terrain to fight them off. At first, only slow-moving drowned corpses appear. Later, flying stingrays drop bombs, and bunker-buster types appear who seem laser-focused on you.

Combat is simple yet tense. When you switch from fists or spears to a bow, you can’t help but think, “I must be Jumong’s descendant.” Seeing enemies shredded by your traps makes you feel like Zhuge Liang playing Go. Of course, when an enemy bypasses everything and appears right in your face — all that pride disappears instantly.

After surviving the night using traps, weapons, and your own instincts, the beautiful deserted island once again unfolds before you as if nothing happened. After the relief of fending off the drowned and monsters, you’re left with recovery and survival. You must repair your traps and gather food and water again. As defense becomes more difficult each day, building strategically becomes critical. That sense of accomplishment from defending every night and constructing your own fortress from the spoils feels incredibly rewarding.

<It’s not “APART, APART”♪, but hey — it’s my debt-free home.>

In short, the nighttime cycle in ‘IfSunSets’ is the main reason you keep playing. And it’s a strange feeling — the exhilaration of “I did it!” every time you defeat enemies comes with the exhaustion of “Let’s just eat now.” It makes you keep going, day after day, in-

Eventually, monotony sets in — because of the day/night cycle and the typical sandbox problem of ‘not knowing what to do’ or ‘doing the same thing repeatedly.’ ‘IfSunSets’ addresses this with tutorials and quests. You might be tasked with rescuing Laura or given long-term goals via the skill tree. Skills are divided into specialized active and passive types, offering direction and a sense of growth.

I’ll never forget the line after I rescued Laura: “Yes, money! The one true purpose of my life! The most beautiful gift mankind has ever created!”... I don’t even have time to mine crypto, yet here I was, grinding in a game — not even relaxing, but working. And I weirdly enjoyed it. That’s why I kept investing in skills. I could feel the system working just as the developers intended.

<I’m scared when I’m alone.>

Despite the overall satisfying experience, the biggest drawback is multiplayer. Right now, the game only offers up to 2-player multiplayer — and in a somewhat unstable environment. It’s not even a fighting game, yet it’s capped at 2. Even ‘StarCraft’, which I played in middle school, supported 8-player matches.

What makes the lack of full multiplayer more disappointing is that even just two players can offer a vastly different experience.

For instance, the same sunset that feels routine in single-player suddenly feels different in multiplayer. Alone, no one interrupts your meditation. But in multiplayer, your friend might nag you about slacking off. You reply, “The sunset’s beautiful — just look.” They sit beside you, and you share stories about your day at work.

Of course, my friend and I didn’t have such a wholesome moment — we exchanged some very colorful language. Still, it reminded me of the old ‘Mabinogi’ campfire vibes. As the game progressed, we focused more and more on efficiently gathering and defending, but that one conversation during a sunset stayed with me as a genuinely pleasant memory.

In real life, I rarely see that friend anymore because of parenting. So hanging out in-game was a real treat. One night, we played while drinking a can of beer. That beer turned into soju, then whiskey. Whether it was the booze or the game, we ended up making so much noise we both got scolded by our wives. Naturally, I can’t help but think — if two of us had this much fun, how awesome would it be with four?

<I build it alone, taste it alone, and judge it alone.>

Despite fun elements like multiplayer, ‘IfSunSets’ still has a lot to improve. Optimization is lacking, and bugs are frequent. Still, it’s early access — that’s understandable. The developers are listening to feedback and updating regularly. While I struggle to survive in-game, they seem to be struggling to keep the game itself alive. I’m excited to see how it evolves with ongoing updates and community input.

Overall, ‘IfSunSets’ inherits the strengths of previous open-world survival games, making it feel familiar even to newcomers. If you enjoy survival games, creatively building bases, and battling the environment, this might be a fascinating choice.

If it fits your taste enough to write your own survival log while playing? It’s absolutely a game worth hundreds of hours. And by sharing your survival log, others will get to enjoy your stories too.

▶Explore IfSunSets◀