Among Trees Review

Everyone has those days when you want to give up on society, grab an empty backpack, and move out into the wilderness. Fortunately, with FJRD Interactive’s new game, Among Trees, you get to live out that experience without having to deal with all the real issues that would come along with living permanently in the wilderness.

Among Trees is a crafting/survival game focusing on your intrepid explorer who moves to the wilds of England, eats wild mushrooms without dying, and builds a cabin very easily. There’s not much story or plot to go on, but that actually ends up giving it a very zen sort of feel. You can choose what order you wish to do things in, there are no designated story paths and once you unlock a few items to give you upgrades, there’s quite a bit of freedom afforded to the protagonist. There’s also an absolutely adorable fox that you befriend, who stays by your side as your companion, scavenging buddy, and all around good company.

As someone who doesn’t have extensive experience in crafting and more importantly, survival games, Among Trees is perfect for beginners in the genre or those looking for a calming distraction. Even on Normal mode, the game is generous with spawns and there are few predators around, but you still have to manage your energy and resources fairly tactfully. The game, however, doesn’t force you into situations where you’re struggling to survive unless you really screw up. A few times I almost died of dehydration, but that was entirely my own fault for overestimating how far away from a water source I could get without a canteen.

Crafting is essential for survival, allowing you to make things like maps, tents, and axes, but also comes with its own difficulty. Some items are incredibly rare spawns that are needed for upgrading your equipment, and the hardest part of the game will be finding those four Chicory plants you need, or that one last stem of Dogsbane, since things don’t tend to respawn in exact locations. Finding the blueprints so you can make everything in your crafting room is also hard work, but it’s a good incentive to force you out of your comfort zone and out to explore the map.

The graphics in Among Trees are gorgeous, reminiscent of Fe, but with a less vivid color palette. Things have a blocky kind of feel to them, but the world is deep and detailed, with gorgeous waterfalls and huge stretches of forest to explore. The fog and running water are particularly gorgeous, but the fox is the cutest thing in the entire game. Among Trees’ background music is also incredibly relaxing, with so many calming nature sounds to help destress you as you frantically search for the last Metal Pipe that you need to make a Metal Plate so you can finish your Greenhouse expansion and finally use up the last of the Ruby Beet seeds that are taking up too much space in your attic.Part of the game's charm is simply hiking through the woods and seeing the wonderful scenery.

Among Trees is a gorgeously atmospheric survival game. While it doesn’t have the challenge levels to hold the attention of genre gurus, it’s great for anyone looking to get into crafting or survival games, or for those looking for a nice, relaxing diversion with a cute fox.

TechRaptor reviewed Among Trees on PC with a copy provided by the publisher.