Project Winter is a social survival game, one where you and a group of fellow explorers have to build shelter, infrastructure and communication tools to call in rescue before the hypothermia sets in. Only, some of your party seem fresh off a vacation on The Ship, and their murderous antics are as much a danger as any cold snap or mountain wolf.
Matt took our very first early look at Project Winter when it was announced last January, and seemed hesitant of betrayal games where you can’t see the looks on your co-conspirator’s faces. I’ll admit similar concerns - so much of Battlestar Galactica or The Resistance lies in those knowing glances and mind games. But it sounds like Project Winter has its own ways to sow fear and distrust. Like any good horror flick, surviving often means splitting the group - risking your being left alone with players who could easily be plotting behind your back. You’re encouraged to not sit on discord, but instead use the game’s set of proximity chat and private radio chatter to keep tensions high. Plus, it’s not enough to just plan a bloody betrayal - you’ve gotta pull off those perfect murders yourself, out of sight and out of mind. Either way, it sounds like Matt’ll be giving it a proper bash this weekend while it’s going for zero pennies. I expect to start hearing tales about unfortunate repair trips and mistaking fellow survivors for polar bears in the coming days. We’re in a somewhat unprecedented era of all your mates finally having time to play games online with, which unfortunately also means everyone is too busy playing games with other people. Still, if you can manage to wrangle eight willing participants for a night of frozen bloodshed, though, Project Winter is free to try on Steam ’til April 27th. It’s also going for 65% off right now, at £5.42/€5.87/$6.99.
