Among Trees is an inviting survival sandbox hitting early access this summer

Among Trees looks far too serene to be a survival game, but even the most welcoming wildernesses can be dangerous if you forget to fill your stomach or you saunter into a cave filled with peckish animals. That's a couple of the things you'll need to worry about when you move into your new cabin in the woods this summer.

First announced back in 2018, Among Trees was due out in early access last year, but updates were sparse and the early access version never surfaced. In January the Twitter account confirmed it was still in development, however, but that game development is "long and unpredictable."

There's still no release date, but it's now due out this summer on the Epic Games Store. Exactly what the early access version includes hasn't been revealed, but it looks like survivalists will be able to nurture plants, catch fish, cook up some food and go for lovely walks through the forest.

The systems seem like standard survival fare, but the vibe isn't as conventional. It's cosy and peaceful, like the sort of place where you'd choose to live there instead of just getting stranded. There are shades of The Long Dark with its survival mechanics, dangerous animals and other threats that appear when the sun goes down, but it's just as evocative of Firewatch and other walking sims.

As well as exploring the forest and rooting around for food and crafting materials, you can improve your rustic home. Most survival games make you work hard to net yourself a house, but it looks like Among Trees will put a roof over your head right away, and then let you start expanding it with new rooms that let you craft and cook.

Home ownership and an unspoiled, seemingly human-free, forest to explore sounds pretty tempting. You'll be able to head off to the forest this summer when it launches on the Epic Games Store, but there's also a Steam page, so you can expect it to appear there eventually.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.