Survival Kids is flying under the radar. It’s actually a Nintendo Switch 2 launch day exclusive title, and one of only a handful of Switch 2 games with an all-ages audience in mind. Perhaps that speaks to the demographic of those buying the console. Perhaps it’s all down to market saturation, and the sheer lot of games that arrived on Switch 2, day one. Whatever the case, it’s an adventure that shouldn’t be overlooked, particularly by those with younger kids in mind.
This title is actually a reboot of a classic Konami series, also titled Survival Kids. Like its predecessor, it follows a kid (or a group of kids) stranded on a series of islands, with waves bringing them from one port to the next, on a journey through increasingly complex terrains. You can play this game solo – for review, this is how I played – but you can also connect with up to four players in local or online co-op, for an experience more focussed on teamwork.
Playing solo, I had a lovely, cosy time, but I can certainly see how having added helpers on each island would streamline puzzles, and create more fun while exploring. In solo mode, it’s more about the ambiance, and figuring out where your next steps will take you.
Survival Kids is for everyone
The premise here is that you are a young adventurer who becomes shipwrecked during their travels. On awakening, you find yourself on a lush island, where resources are plenty. A mysterious narrator guides your adventure, telling you where to go, and what you’ll need to move on. So, you’ll set about gathering various items by chopping trees, smashing rocks, and dragging items to various crafting boxes.
This is a bit ‘baby’s first survival sim’ in approach, but that doesn’t make the game any less enjoyable. It’s a breath of fresh air, with simplistic gameplay and a small learning curve feeling perfect for younger audiences. It’s the sort of game younger kids will voraciously devour, particularly for the chance to play alongside their siblings or friends in co-op.
It’s also worth noting the game’s simplicity does eventually give way to more head-scratching puzzles, with islands becoming progressively larger, and filled with more challenges. At first, you’ll only have your axe and pickaxe by your side, to put together ropes for climbing, or bridges. Then, the game adds in fishing, which lets you gather meals to build your strength. On later islands, you get a fan, which helps to solve various physics-based puzzles, a trampoline, and special bomb fruits grow, to be plucked for use as explosives.
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The introduction of this ramping difficulty is carefully handled, allowing you to grasp the basics of each item before you’re tasked with moving onto the next new development.
In story, you’re consistently floating along the ocean, and getting wrecked on new islands each chapter, forcing you to build and rebuild. That sense of repetition may frustrate adults used to more intense, diverse survival experiences, but turn your focus to relaxation, and you’ll find peace in the game’s flow, and its sense of slow-moving puzzles.
For me personally, it actually brought up memories of my time with The Sims 2: Castaway, a novel spin-off where Sims are shipwrecked in similar fashion. Here, you must also gather resources to survive your new life, completing various quests to advance, unlock new abilities, and travel new pathways. Thinking of this game as Castaway for kids, I found myself enjoying the ride, with a touch of nostalgia.
While the game does occasionally feel a bit too slow, relying on hand-holding where I’m sure smart kids would work it out for themselves – if you spend too long on a puzzle, the narrator will blab the answer or provide a very crisp clue – I do think it’s a rich first survival experience. There is a compelling hook in the overarching narrative that keeps the action humming along at a steady pace, and new item discoveries are well-introduced, at a pace that leaves room for understanding and application.
The world needs more simple, fun games. In Survival Kids, young players can learn problem solving, whether solo or with friends, and learn to puzzle their way through a variety of ever-more-complex terrains. While older players will find the lack of challenge grating, there’s ample fun in letting go, and indulging in light-hearted exploration.
Three-and-a-half stars: ★★★½
Survival Kids
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Unity
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: Available Now
A copy of Survival Kids was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.
