Opinion: I think you should play Enshrouded

Survival games are fun

Khumail Thakur 1 Sep 2025 06:43 PM

Survival games and I are not friends. You’ll usually find me running a mile from anything that asks me to punch a tree for my dinner. Adulting is hard enough, and frankly, surviving Mumbai is a real-life game I’m already playing on hardcore mode. I gave Valheim a go once and binned it in less time than it takes to make a chai. So, when the very same friend who championed that Viking ordeal asked if I had Enshrouded, I was sceptical. Still, a quick peek revealed it was nestled in my Steam Family Share (a truly beautiful invention), and I reluctantly gave in. What kind of games journo would I be if I didn’t occasionally dive headfirst out of my comfort zone, eh? 

Well, I’m absolutely happy to report that Enshrouded has completely rewired my brain on the whole survival thing. It’s not one of those games that boots you into the deep end and expects you to swim. Here, survival is more about the joy of building and roleplaying, not a constant, nagging worry that your character might wither away. Some hardcore fans might scoff at the lower barrier to entry, but I’m here for it with open arms.

So, what is Enshrouded? Good question. Imagine chucking Skyrim, Elden Ring: Nightreign, Valheim, and Minecraft into a blender and getting a perfectly delicious gaming smoothie. I’d even say its world design gives Breath of the Wild a run for its money, with new areas, bosses, and secrets peppered all over the map. It all starts very Skyrim: grab a sword, batter a Draugr-looking foe, find shelter, and start plugging points into a skill tree. But to get properly good, you first have to play rescue ranger, hunting down a gang of crafters who unlock new ways to spruce up your base and forge better gear. The game cleverly shifts from mere survival to building an empire, and that’s where the Valheim influence kicks in, sending you off to find ingredients for your next big upgrade. Luckily, Enshrouded gets the balance spot on. I never once felt like I was grinding for hours; materials just seemed to fall into my lap as I explored. Even the most random-looking tat had a use, and our crew quickly got a sixth sense for what was essential loot and what was rubbish.

Now, you’re probably wondering about that Nightreign comparison. Remember the ever-shrinking circle of death from battle royales? Well, this is basically that, but inverted, and always present. Dotted around the map are areas covered in a 'shroud', and the moment you step inside, a timer starts ticking. You’ve only got a limited window to explore the low-visibility, enemy-infested fog for unique materials before that sense of impending doom forces you to leg it. This, paired with the brilliant map design, makes you properly use your noggin, planning entry and exit routes before you dare venture in. I never thought my ICSE Geography education would come in handy, but reading the topographic map is a genuine skill here, letting you know if you’re facing a gentle slope or a sheer cliff face. And if you’re ever faced with a ledge that’s just a bit too high? Simply whip out your pickaxe and dig yourself a step. It's a proper Minecraft moment that harmonises beautifully with the rest of the game. My mate spent his skill points on a fancy double jump; I just channelled my inner badger and dug my way up. 

 

Between the stress of a shroud run and hunting for materials, the building is wonderfully therapeutic. I’ve lost hours carving out my own personal Batcave that opens onto a cliff, overlooking the world below. The ability to transform the terrain with such incredible precision is bewilderingly good, scratching a creative itch I haven’t felt since building the perfect penguin enclosure in Zoo Tycoon two decades ago. There’s a bonkers amount of stuff to build, from hidden doors and useful lamps to bookshelves and fossil displays. Honestly, you could lose hundreds of hours just building your dream home without ever touching a quest.

The quests themselves are also cleverly designed, avoiding a simple to-do list. Most of the time, you stumble upon objectives by reading letters and books you find while exploring, which handily glow red. There’s always something to do, with a new point of interest popping up every few minutes. It’s a design that practically begs for ‘one last objective before bed’, and before you know it, several hours have vanished while you’re chasing what’s over the next hill.

I could honestly ramble on forever about why you should play Enshrouded, but I’ll leave you with this: if you do decide to jump in, for goodness' sake, pull in a friend. Exploring these sorts of vast, beautiful worlds is always better with a mate to share the load and soften any monotony, if it ever dares to set in.

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