If you’ve played This War of Mine, you’ll instantly be rather familiar with Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days. This zombie survival game uses a very similar formula: your group of survivors need to go out scavenging in order to find enough supplies to not only eat but also to keep their hideout safe. You’ll need to upgrade living spaces, reinforce doors and windows, and generally keep yourself and your HQ as strong as possible. It’s easier said than done, however: in my first run, my married couple of survivors lasted all but seven days.
Unlike This War of Mine, the actions you carry out within your hideout don’t happen in real time. Over two periods, day and night, you’ll need to assign each of your characters tasks to do. One of them might need to rest while the other is reinforcing barricades. Once everyone’s been assigned a task you can simply fast-forward time and find the tasks have been completed. Easy.
But with a lot of things to try and manage, it can be difficult to work out the best way for your characters to spend their time. They may need a good night’s sleep, but their supplies might be dangerously low. Is it worth risking a trip out into the dangerous world in order to find life-saving food and supplies? It’s always your call — but Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days doesn’t go easy on you. These really are the Darkest Days, and your only goal is to survive as long as possible.
There are some nice mechanics baked in here. When you’re out scavenging, you can find new hideouts, which may offer you better protection, or more space. Clear them out from any threats, and they’re yours to claim. You can also use telescopes you find while exploring to scout the area for potential new locations to scavenge. There’s always something on your map to be explored — providing you’re brave enough.
In This War of Mine, your threat was other humans, ready to fight you in their own desperate struggle for survival. Here, you’ll also find desperate, dangerous humans — but you’re also up against zombies who’ll stop at nothing to tear you to pieces. Before you head out to a new location, you’ll be given a rough indication of how dangerous it is. You’ll want to pay close attention to that, but even a low-risk area might prove fatal if just one zombie catches you off-guard. Without a weapon equipped, you’ll default to using your fists. But your survivors aren’t born fighters, and dodging incoming swings and lunges is tricky. You’ll take more damage than you deal, and it’s very easy to get caught out.
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days tries to be realistic, too. Even if you’ve got a health kit in your inventory, you won’t automatically heal. Like real life, it’ll take time for medication and bandages to take effect. So if you find yourself in a pickle while you’re out and about, sometimes it’s worth turning around and trying to run back to your hideout, supplies be damned.
If one character dies, that isn’t game over. As long as survivors remain in your hideout, you’ll need to try and pick up the pieces. Along with the struggles of trying to stay alive, those left behind will also have to deal with the side effects of grief. When you’re down to just one person, you’ve got your work cut out for you: balancing all the tasks that need doing becomes even harder. Good luck, because you’re going to need it.
If everyone in your hideout dies? That is game over. You’ll need to start again, hoping that you’ve learnt from your mistakes, with a bit more knowledge under your belt in order to survive a little longer. Every moment you spend with Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is fraught, but there’s satisfaction in survival, in overcoming the odds.
As dangerous as it may be, the highlight here really is going out into the world, scavenging for goods. As long as you’ve got a good weapon equipped, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about threats, at least early on. The longer you survive, however, the more dangerous the world around you becomes, so you’ll need extra protection: armour, better weapons. Knowing how to craft is key, and making sure you’re well prepared before you head out can be the difference between life and death.
Like This War of Mine, exploring in Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days happens on a 2D plane. When you walk past an item that can be examined, a button prompt will appear, and you’ll be able to search for loot. Your inventory is limited, though, so you might need to be selective about what you pack in your backpack. Whatever you don’t manage to take home with you will have to wait until next time — providing you’re strong enough to make it out again.
Considering it’s still in Early Access, Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days already feels whole. There’s a significant amount of content here, all of which feels polished and well-realised. But over the next year or more, developer PikPok plans to add new survivors, additional scenarios, a larger, more detailed world, and a whole lot more. For an idea of what to expect, check out the full Early Access roadmap. Jump in during the Early Access period and not only can you get the game at a lower price, but you can also provide your own feedback to the developers in order to shape the final product.
I’m certainly looking forward to seeing how Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days shapes up over the next few months. There’s promise here, for sure. Is it a little too derivative of This War of Mine? Maybe — but it’s more than a decade since 11 bit studios released their critically-acclaimed war survival game. We’re ready for something new, and it’s safe to say that if you were a fan of This War of Mine, you’re going to want to check this out, too.
Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is available now on Steam in Early Access.
