"THE DEAD WE KNEW: Open World Survival," an open-world survival game developed by MAY19 STUDIO, launched in Early Access on PC (Steam) today, October 23. However, it has gotten off to a slow start, with its Steam reviews currently rated "Very Negative."
Complaints about unfriendly design and clunky combat
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this open-world survival crafting game challenges players to survive against zombies and hostile humans, supporting both solo play and online co-op for up to four players.
In the game, players gather supplies from ruins and forests to craft equipment, and build and fortify bases to ensure their safety. While keeping an eye on hunger and thirst, they hunt animals and cook their meat, or grow vegetables in fields to stave off starvation.
In a world where day and night cycles and weather conditions change, zombies become particularly aggressive when visibility is reduced by thick fog. As enemies attack from the darkness and fog, you’ll work with your teammates to explore and defend your base while dealing with these threats.
According to pre-release announcements, this game had surpassed 350,000 wishlist entries (as shown in the banner image of the article). Early Access launched with high expectations, but as of the time of writing—on the first day of release—the Steam reviews totaled 338, with 13% rated “Very Negative.”
A look at the actual reviews reveals that dissatisfaction stems from confusing basic controls and bugs—such as unfriendly design choices like a lack of clear crafting instructions, the absence of a quick-slot feature making item usage cumbersome, and crashes upon launch.
Additionally, some users have raised concerns about the inability to fight back against zombies with bare hands, as well as the clunky combat and zombie behavior. While some users have expressed hope for future updates, there is widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of the core gameplay.
Furthermore, since there have been no posts on the official X account and only two teaser videos on the official YouTube channel, some users appear to have felt distrust due to the lack of communication. In a pre-release post, the developer apologized for the insufficient engagement with the community and lack of information sharing up to that point.Stating that there are many areas for improvement and lessons to be learned, the developer outlined a plan to grow the game alongside players by responding to questions on the forums and gathering feedback.
The Early Access period is scheduled to last approximately one year, though this may change depending on development progress and feedback. In addition to adding new weapons, vehicles, fishing mechanics, and exploration areas, the developers plan to improve and optimize existing systems.
“THE DEAD WE KNEW: Open World Survival” is currently available for PC (Steam) and supports Japanese. A sale offering the game at a 15% discount—2,678 yen—is also underway through November 6.
