Unreal World would be the Dwarf Fortress of survival sims, if the genre were large enough to make such a distinction. It’s a roguelike with no dungeons, quests or magic wands. It’s a detailed simulation of life in Iron Age Finland, developed over the past 20 years by Sami Maaranen. The wilderness is vast and civilisation is scarce. You’ll have to kill your dinner before you can eat it, and possibly wear its skin to stay warm through the winter.


(Yeah you can eat those guys too if you want)

The menus are decorated with photos of the developer and his friends LARPing in the woods.



I will be venturing into this harsh environment and presenting my findings here for your entertainment.

Juhani is a young man of the Owl-Tribe, a nomadic people from the extreme north. He’s accompanying his father on his first hunting trip, together they’ve ventured far from his native lands...