Indie · December 15, 2014

NEO Scavenger (2014)

local_offer-75% current discountgroup1M–10M ownersrecommend4.3k recommendations
NEO Scavenger is a game where you must survive in the wasteland long enough to figure out who you are. Each turn, you must decide where to go, how to scavenge for supplies, and how to deal with anything and anyone you encounter. And with each passing minute, the pit in your stomach grows, your dehydration worsens, your muscles tire, and your body temperature drops in the cold autumn air. Choose your starting abilities carefully, because they and your wit are the only tools you have in the apocalypse! Features Unique Setting - Near-future, post-apocalyptic Michigan with local cryptids and folklore. And something else beneath the surface... Turn-Based Play - Take your time with each turn, and play at your own pace. Save and quit when you want, and resume later. Permadeath - If you die, that's it. NEO Scavenger is balanced around a single difficulty level: permadeath. Your save will be deleted if you die. So choose every action carefully! No Grinding - There is no XP in NEO Scavenger. No levelling-up. Instead, progress comes from learning how to play the game better, and using your strengths to your advantage. Semi-Random - Much of the map is randomized each game, including the location of ruins, creatures, weather, and certain quest branches. Sandbox or Story - Search for clues to your identity, what happened, and who's hunting you. Or simply test your mettle against man and nature alike. Play how you want! Abilities and Flaws - Choose abilities and flaws each time you play. Different combos unlock different abilities and quest branches. Crafting - Extensive crafting system which allows for substitutions of similar items. Make a rifle scope from half a pair of binoculars, or a noise trap from a pill bottle and pebbles. Desperate Combat - Detailed combat with moves like 'Tackle,' 'Lure,' 'Kick While Down,' 'Demand Surrender,' and 'Threaten.' Realistic Wounds - Creatures have complex wound simulation, with multiple wound locations, infection, bleeding, and pain management. Realistic Metabolism - Hypothermia, fatigue, thirst, hunger, disease, intoxication, shelter...everything is tracked. Realistic Inventory - Complex inventory system with slots for holding, wearing, containers, and more. Fit items in grid spaces, and manage encumbrance. Hex-Based World Map - Navigate ruins, hills, forests, and plains in a hex-based map. Line-of-sight, elevation, and daylight matters. Tracking - Creatures leave their tracks and spoor on the map, which can be followed by others. Players can also hide their tracks. Hiding - Players can use hiding to avoid being seen while traveling the map, as well as during story encounters. Hunting - Trap small game for food and fur, or track and kill larger prey on the map for butchering. Hacking - Use hacking skills to unlock scavenged laptops, cellphones, smartphones, and tablets. Mine them for paydata, or snoop through personal files. Foraging - Search for edible plants and water, and use special skills to identify what's safe to eat. Haunting Soundtrack - Music composed by Josh Culler, specifically for NEO Scavenger, plays periodically, lending an atmosphere of loneliness and desperation. (Also accessible as mp3s outside game.) Creature AI - Wandering creatures go about their own business, hunting, scavenging, and hoarding. Morale affects their choices, and some will gang-up and cause trouble. Dynamic Weather - Temperature, rainfall, and night/day are based on real-world data for autumn in the area. If you live long enough, you may see snow fall. Detroit - Take refuge from the wasteland in one of mankind's last bastions of safety. Buy supplies, get medical care, and seek clues in a cyberpunk-styled city. Trading Cards - Collect NEO Scavenger trading cards, badges, emoticons, and profile backgrounds!

Indie releases from 2014

27 Indie titles launched in 2014 — top 6 by review volume.

Community Tag Signals

Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.

  • Survival · 477
  • Post-apocalyptic · 375
  • Rogue-like · 289
  • RPG · 281
  • Turn-Based · 276
  • Crafting · 238
  • Procedural Generation · 234
  • Perma Death · 231
  • Indie · 230
  • Strategy · 183
  • Inventory Management · 169
  • Difficult · 166
  • Sandbox · 154
  • Open World · 152
  • Realistic · 147

Peer Indie titles

Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.

Position in Indie

MetricThis titleGenre position
Review volume5.2k Steam reviewsTop 47% in Indie
Positive rating90% positiveGenre average: 87% — this title sits in top 50%
Metacritic77/100Genre average 77 — top 53% of Indie titles
Engagement hours16 h averageTop 42% for session depth among Indie

Reception Metrics

Steam community

90%Very Positive · 5.2k reviews

4.7k positive · 523 negative

Metacritic

77/100 critic aggregate

Open Metacritic page

Metacritic user score

7.7/10

Curator recommendations

4.3k

Press Quotes

“one of the best single player turn-based RPGs I’ve played for a long time.” Rock Paper Shotgun “In short, this game is terrible...Buy it.” TheMittani “It may be a little hard to get into for some, but it's absolutely hard to put down.” JayIsGames

Engagement Profile

All-time avg

16h

moderate (15–40 hours)

Median

5h

Typical completion time

2-week avg

4h

Current engagement

Release & Availability

Release dateDec 15, 2014
DeveloperBlue Bottle Games
Base price$3.74 -75%
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
Estimated owners1M–10M
External linksOfficial site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected]

Content Notes

Gore - Injuries to your character appear as realistic, low-res cuts, bruises, and blood on their body. Violence - Fights in the game involve text descriptions of violent acts. Alcohol Use - There are alcoholic items in the game that can be consumed. Cannibalism - Descriptions of cannibalism are in the game, as is human meat. Horror - Being a…

Features & Capabilities

Community

  • Steam Trading Cards

Other

  • Single-player
  • Family Sharing

Editions & Packages

  • Buy NEO Scavenger