not now, sleep, my settlement just told me thomas the tank engine is orbiting the planet again

deceptively complicated, conceptually simple.
survive, thrive, swim in garbage bags and locked chests

where the hell did my day go

yes i am still playing it, no i do not recommend it necessarily and really wish i could give a neutral review.
it's an extremely rough time solo, probably not all that much easier with friends, very much not newbie-friendly. that said, if you can get past or even enjoy the stylised graphics, clunky isometric point-and-click movement, discovery-driven systems and intense grind... you may find it worth trying

the community definitely seems intimidating on the surface if you go by a lot of the PvP centric discussion on forums and in other reviews, as well as the in game chat in various realms. i have met some very kind players, helpful ones... whether this is because they're fattening me up like a pig for the slaughter or because i lucked out and got some cool neighbours i won't know for some time, but i feel like the overall philosophy of the player base is less "kill or be killed" and more "we'll help you if you help yourself". that feels about my experience anyway. (for reference, i play solo and largely maintain myself, i don't get involved in other people's business but do check in on the neighbours and occasionally trade and chatter)

it took a bit, from my own research and from others teaching me in game, but i managed to eventually figure out more efficient defense building, mining, a bit more about the cooking/food system, and also the combat system (which is... surprisingly engaging actually!)... they're very complex systems that don't come off as inherently intuitive, but they click pretty well once they DO click. progression feels rewarding, it isn't something you can necessarily rush or go in half-assed about. can err dangerously close to chore-work for some tastes, but it certainly scratches an itch for me.

i will say: go in with low expectations for survival. take each life and experience in and of itself, and expect only to come out of the whole thing with knowledge. nothing is permanent, nothing is forever. this is a game that is less about the destination and more about the journey.

really hits me in the nostalgia, feels just like one of those early 00s social games built in flash, much like the humble origins of club penguin and the likes. so much love has been poured into this game and i can't wait to see how it grows as undoubtedly it will, but honestly it's more than worth the price tag as is, packed with features and fun and a very friendly community

fantastic character customisation, cute characters, lots of decorative freedom, and my god the water is beautiful. just going out on my boat and sailing around and admiring the view is great. not having the constraint of time limits on the game as a whole is wonderful... i'm really enjoying this game and looking forward to seeing how it grows and develops!

EDIT (15/07/2024):
I have heard the conversations that have been occurring between players and devs, and, while I'm not confident in changing my review just yet, I am keeping in mind that they are listening to their playerbase, having conversations, and making changes. This is a good path and I hope it continues along this path.

INITIAL:
This could have been an amazing game. But making an MMO with gear progression, involved base building and all the social aspects that come with those... only to have it wipe every 6 weeks?

Yeah, no. You shot yourselves in the foot before you even set off for the race with this one.

10/10 best version of suika watermelon game

give me a Pet button for my companions like i have for the weird dogs i've adopted
(a hug would be fine too)

it's the sims but all your neighbours hate you and want you dead

Behaviour Entertainment has 0 respect for its playerbase, its content creators, its teams and any of the people who work with/for them