The world is a vast, beautiful and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunk to the size of an ant. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?
Players can navigate a vast, explorable backyard environment divided into distinct biomes, ranging from the lush Grasslands to the scorching Sandbox. Traversing this world requires carefully maneuvering through towering blades of grass, hopping across dandelion puffs, and even swimming through the depths of the Koi Pond. The sense of scale and the level of detail in the backyard setting captivates players, making exploration a significant part of the experience.
Survival is a core gameplay element, as players must manage their character's hunger, thirst, and stamina while fending off a variety of dangerous insects and other creatures. The combat system emphasizes timing and strategy, challenging players to learn the attack patterns and weaknesses of their foes to overcome them effectively. Crafting weapons and armor from harvested resources allows players to tailor their loadout to their playstyle, providing a sense of accomplishment when defeating powerful enemies.
The base building and crafting systems are highly polished and intuitive. Players can construct elaborate bases, complete with functional furniture and defenses, by harvesting resources and unlocking new blueprints. The ability to "hot deposit" items into nearby storage and have the game automatically sort them streamlines the crafting process. The wide variety of items and structures that can be built, combined with the freedom to customize one's base, enables players to express their creativity and build the perfect home in the backyard.
The robust character progression system encourages players to explore and experiment. As players defeat enemies and analyze resources, they unlock new Mutations and Milk Molars, which can be used to enhance their character's abilities. This system allows players to tailor their playstyle, whether focusing on combat prowess, resource gathering, or other specialized builds. The sense of progression and the ability to continually improve one's character captivates many players.
The game can be played solo or with up to three friends in online co-op. The shared world feature allows players to seamlessly join and leave each other's games, with progress and base structures persisting even when the original host is offline. Cooperative play adds an extra layer of strategy and communication, as players can divide tasks and work together to overcome the backyard's challenges. The ability to share the experience with friends is a significant aspect of the game's appeal.