Survival: Fountain of Youth

I rarely ever leave reviews, but I needed to for this game. Survival Fountain of Youth scratches every survival itch in just the right place. So many of the games in the survival craft genre are slapped together with nothing deeper than laborious crafting. This game feels like the completed version of those games. One thing people may not like is the time to craft system. Where in a lot of other survival crafts you would physically right or left click your axe on the tree to cut it down, in SFOY you're met with a screen that tells you how long it takes to chop down the tree and how much tool durability you will use. This took some getting used to for me, but by the time you leave the first real island, you understand why they did it this way. They wanted to mirror the time some of these tasks take without the player actually having to sit there swinging their axe into a tree for hours like you would have to in real life. This creates an increased need to hunting and gathering as, the more you do, the faster get hungry and thirsty. I love this system because it really makes you plan and think before setting out to do something. You need to prepare for journeys in this game if you want to survive. There's also a semi complex medical system that makes having ailments somewhat challenging to deal with. If you're not proactive about medicine, you will often find yourself sick and being able to do less each day. Pros: [list] [*]Really engaging story (something many games in this genre lack) [*]Excellent crafting progression - I never felt like I was stuck too long without any advancements and the things that unlock as you find new resources are incredible. [*]Combat - fighting in survival games in never great, but I enjoyed the combat system here. It can be frustrating sometimes, but worth learning. [*]Ship building - It's the best feeling when you unlock the resources to make a new type of boat. Nothing feels better than the boat upgrades as you progress through the game. [/list] Cons: [list] [*]Difficulty and game modes could be more descriptive. I'm always wary to play on permadeath modes in these games since I don't have a lot of time to restart. SFOY has a semi permadeath mode that I wish I had played on. If you're getting this game for the first time, don't be afraid to play on this mode. Basically you lose 10% of your health each time you die, but you can regain it back from finding special items while exploring, so it's still very low risk. [*]Mild jank - This is still an indie game so there will be times when you encounter some jank. If you've played Bethesda or STALKER games before, you will be well prepared. [/list] ****MAJOR STORY SPOILERS BELOW***** The only other thing that bothered me was the ending. I was predicting about halfway through the game that our PC was in fact Ponce De Leon. My issue is that all the bodies you find along the journey are extremely decomposed. I was expecting a twist (and think it would have been great) if Ponce had been trapped on the islands for many many years and he was in fact the killer after discovering the fountain of youth. I think this would've been a more interesting ending than "It was the first mate all along!!". Ultimately a minor gripe and I do really like the story they did, just felt like it could've been taken a little further.

Has the makings of a good game, but just isn't very fun. I spent most of my time just killing dogs while looking for simple items like sticks and stones that should be everywhere.

Great singleplayer survival game. Challenging at first, lots to discover and decent storyline

I've played a lot of survival games, and so far only Subnautica and Green Hell have made it onto my favorites list. But now, this one joins them. It's seriously challenging just to stay alive—you really have to plan your days and trips away from your main camp carefully. The game features different regions with their own weather, resources, and wildlife, constantly throwing new challenges your way. What really makes it stand out is how time itself is a resource. Every action costs time, so you have to think ahead. Even small details matter—like crafting at night might hurt you if you can’t see what you’re doing. I love those little touches. That said, it’s not perfect. I ran into a few minor bugs, like special items still showing on the map even after using them. They're annoying, but not game-breaking. I’d also love some quality-of-life improvements—being able to pin recipes, having a minimap, or at least marking locations would help a lot. Then again, maybe that’s part of the whole raw survival vibe. Overall, the game has me completely hooked—I just can’t stop playing.

Common mechanics of the genre, nothing new or special. Assets are really basic, could have been such a beautiful game if this was worked more properly. Crafting is interesting though, but it comes with a horrendous inventory management. And seriously, those tropical groundhogs are moving like ninjas? Point is, to give this survival aspect to the game, they included a lot of these unrealistic annoyances...and yeah, it's annoying and boring, thanks. Few bugs, just uninstalled the game because of one of them; was crafting something, injured myself in the process, the screen got stuck on the crafting progress...had to ALT-F4, I was not in the mood the restart all over. The fact it was inspired by historic events got my attention, I was hoping for a nice discovery, those tropical ninja groundhogs quickly disenchanted me. But, this seems to be the first opus of this studio, I hope my small purchase will help them, among all the others, and help them progress.

OVERALL: 8.5/10 Narrative/Story - 7/10 I'm probably about 85-90% through the game at this point, and I like the narrative thus far. There's enough story to hold the world together, but it doesn't dominate the ability of the player to create their "own story." It's pretty good. Characters - NA There aren't many characters to speak of, but I will say the Narrator's voice acting is so horrible it's kinda hilarious and enjoyable in its own weird way. Combat - 7/10 There are a variety of weapons to choose from, and you can actually tell a lot of difference in accuracy/distance/etc in the higher level weapons. The dangerous creatures do scale up and while the earlier ones are really straightforward, some of the higher-level creatures dodge and are a bit harder to hit. I will say that I'm not super at games with a lot of technical combat, so I'm not sure the combat here would satisfy those who like combat-heavy games. There is actually an additional element of hunting which requires some stealth, which is kinda fun. I do wish there were more quests/achievements related to actual hunting. Puzzles/Quests/Collectibles/Etc - 8/10 I will say the quests and challenges are mostly straightforward, but are still pretty engaging. There are a decent amount of collectibles, many of which are relevant to gameplay, making them all the more satisfying. Resources/Crafting - 7/10 There are a lot of different resources scattered about the world and different ways to collect them. I will say there are a lot of different tools needed to collect the resources (axes, hammers, shovels, etc), which adds to the weight you're carrying if you want to go to a region away from "home". That said, you are given a few options of carts that can be hauled in order to carry more weight, as well as bags with bigger inventory. Overall, I didn't find managing my carry inventory too taxing. As with collecting the resources, crafting not only requires the machine to craft, but often requires an additional tool (saw, mortar, needle, etc). While this can be a pain the backside to remember, it does add a little to the realism (considering gameplay crafting in general involves more resource gathering rather than...skill). Skills Tree - 9/10 Speaking of skills, the skills tree system is nice. There are actually two: one that is solely XP based and gives perks like quicker crafting, more stamina, etc., as well as fun things like no longer needing to use a firestarter to start a fire (less in my backpack), and less (or no) damage when skinning a kill. A lot of these were really helpful. The other Skills Tree is based on Survival Points and the perks are player chosen. You can gain more and more complexity to the Concentration Skill (PUT YOUR POINTS HERE), as well as developing resistance to disease, less thirst, hunger, etc, and learning to craft specialty potions/recipes. A bonus are the collectible books - when you read them you get a variety of perks! Logistics/Organization - 4/10 This is where the game is truly let down. There are a variety of types of boxes which have different capabilities, but the "upgradability" of the boxes is limited - you have to remove the box (after emptying it), and then build a new one. All of the boxes in the near vicinity do load for all of your crafting machines, which is nice (no running back and forth to craft every little thing). That said, there is no way to sort the boxes or inventory. This is a pretty basic ability in pretty much every game where crafting/resources/etc is a thing, and to have it missing here is a huge miss. It's not enough to ruin the game for me, but it can be a headache. Deserving its own mention are the logistics of the Ark vessel. It's super awesome that they included a space where one can build and add machines, storage, etc, but the "Living Quarters" and the ship are considered two different "places" and your machines on the boat do not pull from the boat's generous storage, making them fairly useless. Audio/Sound Effects/Music - 6/10 There's not really a soundtrack so much as a bit of "ambient music" and that's really all you can say about that aspect. That said, the wildlife sounds are pretty realistic, and the thunderstorms have made me jump a few times. Art - 7/10 No complaints. Pretty realistic without hyper-realism. World Design - 8/10 Very nice variety in environments/flora/fauna. Having different regions with their own climates makes the story more engaging, and being able to explore on foot and by boat is a nice touch. Replayability - 7/10 I'm not done with my first playthrough, but I can see myself playing through again on a harder setting at some point. Overall Synthesis - 8.5/10 I'll probably put this in A or B tier. Engaging overall. There are lots of different things to do. Tired of gathering resources? Build a base. Had enough crafting? Explore the ocean and find treasure. And you can always follow the story along as well. The variety keeps things interesting.

A pretty decent survival game. People complain about the collecting mechanic, but they don't seem to realize that the it turns time into another resource to be managed in an interesting way. What it does good: Exploration is fun and the right amount of challenging. The difficulty ramp is perfect. At first you are barely holding on to life and everything is grindy and hard. At the end you are a god and the world is your playground. Getting there feels like real progress and is very natural. Sailing is done well and is great fun. What is does not so good: Building is uninspired and limited. Conan Exiles this ain't. The insistence on lame, and very hard, boss battles was not welcome. It does not fit with the the rest of the game. The combat isn't the greatest. The plotline is serviceable at best.

Great game!

if you play the long dark you will be familiar with this game as they are very similar in the mechanics , you can say this is a summer version of long dark ! yes i recommended this game specially to play it on summer time :-)

Very nice survival game, easier than green hell, but same style, kind of.. Still i really enjoyed. highly recommend.

I'm playing on easiest mode bc I'm not that good at combat on PC, but I am enjoying this game. You can really go at your own pace, and build, build, build, survive, or follow the story. I'm doing a little of both. The story is good and engaging. I'm not even 25% through the story, but so far, it's been a lot of fun.

10/10...I can't praise this game highly enough! So many single player survival/crafters these days are just ok, either too small or limited in resources/buildables... this game delivers. A real gem in this genre.

Very fun game, mechanics a little different from other survival games, but it works and it makes the game unique. Well thought out maps and lore.

A little disappointing this is single player. It would be very good for 2/3 player co-op with free roam. There is not much i can say i wasn't happy with on this game. The combat was a little basic but better than a lot of survival games. The survival aspect was great, one of the best i've played. its not 'The Forest' but its close. The Story was superb and fit the era they set it in. Build was very UE style, and while it maybe a cool idea to build in a cave, it doesn't like building to close to the walls (didnt stop me either :D). If you like survival games, and no one else is playing then well worth picking up. Oh and like any good survival game, you will want to restart it 2/3 times before your happy with what you doing.

Very nice balance between exploration and grind. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A castaway survival game without zombies or crazy monsters. At last.

Survival: Fountain of Youth is a standout in the survival genre, offering a perfect mix of exploration, crafting, and storytelling. Set in a stunning 16th-century Caribbean world, it pulls you in with its atmosphere and keeps you hooked with rewarding gameplay. Every discovery feels meaningful, making it a must-play for survival fans.

No frankly no ! Spending hours just to find basic resources is not fun. I like challenge but this is a pure waste of my time !

Still needs to cook some more. Movement and combat are pretty barebones and slow.

Hit the sweet spot for me. All the building and cooking goodies you want, enough crawlies and danger to keep you on your toes, yet chill enough to not be always worrying about your frickin' electroytes or whatever. A simple story to add to the exploration, progression smooth enough to keep you looking for that next material, and just long enough so when your interest starts to lag you get to the finale.

The gameplay looks exciting, but the crafting is so boring it makes me quit.

Prolly the best survival game OAT. Ive played many and ts is peak.

Games super fun. highly recommend

Excellent survival game.

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