A base-building open-world survival shooter that replaces your typical base with a giant drill. Alone or with friends, explore an island plagued by eruptions, upgrade your drill, and fight robots to uncover what's been hiding beneath the surface.
Players can burrow underground and resurface at designated locations, allowing them to navigate the island's hazardous volcanic landscape with a sense of freedom and flexibility. This dynamic approach to exploration is a standout feature, as players uncover new areas, resources, and secrets using their customizable "drillship" - a massive, steam-powered drilling rig that serves as a mobile base.
At the heart of the gameplay is the ongoing process of upgrading and expanding the drillship. Players can craft and install a variety of modules, from defensive turrets to resource processing units, to create increasingly complex and powerful configurations. As they progress through the game's tech tiers, they unlock new module types and drillship components, fostering a strong sense of ownership and investment in the development of their mobile base.
The game's combat system blends first-person shooting with the challenges of survival. Players must fend off waves of hostile robotic "COGs" that patrol the island, using a variety of weapons and defensive measures to protect their drillship. The need to balance resource management, module maintenance, and strategic positioning during these encounters adds an engaging layer of tension and decision-making to the gameplay, rewarding players with a sense of accomplishment when they successfully repel these threats.
As players progress, they unlock new crafting recipes and drillship capabilities that allow for greater levels of automation and efficiency. This includes the ability to set up mining drones, refining stations, and even automated turret systems, freeing up the player to focus on exploration, combat, and further upgrades. The sense of progress and optimization is a significant draw, as players enjoy the challenge of streamlining their drillship's operations.
The game supports up to four-player cooperative gameplay, allowing friends to team up and tackle the island's challenges together. This collaborative aspect introduces new strategic considerations, as players can coordinate their roles and utilize each other's specialized skills and resources. The shared sense of exploration, base-building, and survival is a major appeal for players who enjoy cooperative experiences.