SurrounDead continues to capture me, and the sole indie developer has proven that a small indie game can indeed be developed and extended well while also being fun and fairly stable.
It takes a lot for me to really embrace early access games; Star Citizen is the only other one that I (currently) am enjoying, but SurrounDead? That’s a game I’m always happy to enjoy, and have yet to have a bad experience.
The frequency and quality of updates always impresses me; Recent updates include zombie dogs (that are an absolute nightmare, as they should be), fishing, a more detailed health system, and much more.
As development continues the developer regularly solicits feedback and feature requests from players.
What really makes this game succeed, however, is how the game has such a well-defined scope.
SurrounDead doesn’t have a lot of excess bloat, and the developer isn’t taking on too much (as far as I can see) by themselves.
By using stock assets and limiting the gameplay loop the developer has a much easier time crafting the world and gameplay within it. When the scope does increase, it’s done with consideration to the existing world and mechanics, and is done well with minimal jank while in early access.
That’s just.. Unheard of, in my experience.
I’ve sunk over 30 hours into SurrounDead, and I plan to play a lot more.
Get SurrounDead on Steam here.