Don’t Starve is getting a board game spin-off

The beloved survival game Don’t Starve is being adapted into a board game. Glass Cannon Unplugged, a studio known for creating tabletop renditions of other series like Frostpunk and Diablo, will lead creation of Don’t Starve: The Board Game in partnership with the original video game developer, Klei Entertainment. The game is set to launch via a Kickstarter campaign “near the end of the 3rd quarter in 2024,” a release said.

Don’t Starve: The Board Game is being designed by part of the team behind Frostpunk: The Board Game. Rafał Pieczyński, lead developer of the Frostpunk: The Board Game, is designing the Don’t Starve adaptation. Jakub Wiśniewski (designer on the board game version of This War Of Mine) and Natanel Vo-Apfel (Into The Outside: Prelude) will also provide narrative direction on the game. You can check out more details on Don’t Starve: The Board Game on the Kickstarter page.

A photo of an early-game version of the don’t starve board game. It shows a character standing on square tiles.

The original Don’t Starve follows a scientist named Wilson who suddenly finds himself in a dark, grim world called the Constant. The gameplay pairs fast-paced roguelike mechanics with survival gameplay elements like building and crafting. The series is known for its quirky but dark world and unique 2D art style that almost looks like a Tim Burton movie. Since its debut in 2013, Don’t Starve has become a staple for survival gaming fans, and Klei Entertainment has continued to release DLC for the game and updates more than ten years after its release.

Each game in Don’t Starve: The Board Game will take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to play and will allow for 1-4 players. According to the developers, the game’s visual design will fully embrace “the unique, whimsical art style long cherished by fans of the series.” Players will assume the role of characters from the video game as they work together to outsmart the elements and fight to survive against the Constant’s large assortment of monsters. The board game’s mechanics will highlight aspects of the source material like “player choice, dynamic combat, and open-world exploration in night and day conditions,” the release said.

According to the press release, this board game won’t be the end of it. The team also plans to offer additional content via “expansions, add-ons and future retail releases.” So if you’ve got the itch to be eaten alive by a monster, well, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so.