Horizon Zero Dawn Meets Valheim in New Steam Freebie

Steam Next Fest is officially once again underway, bringing with it so many incredible games to sample.

You don’t have long left to get involved as Next Fest draws to a close on Monday 20 October.

Before then though, I highly suggest you check out THE SIGNAL: Stranded on Sirenis, a single-player survival crafting game developed and published by Goose Byte.

As a survival title, this one will certainly appeal to Valheim fans; its blending of technology and the natural environment though feels more akin to what you’ll experience in Horizon Zero Dawn or its subsequent sequel.

THE SIGNAL: Stranded on Sirenis sees players partake in all of the usual survival fare including scavenging for resources, building a base, extracting materials, and essentially doing everything required to survive.

The game is set on a strange, sentient alien planet.

The player character was originally sent to space to find a lost loved one but ended up crash landing on the planet of Sirenis.

“Scavenge, build, extract and survive your way through a complex world as you reveal the true intentions of this sentient planet -- and why it has brought you here,” reads the synopsis.

“Can you uncover the unknown forces that power the planet? Will you escape from its clutches?”

I do enjoy when survival titles include a narrative and don’t simply drop you in the deep end with no other aim than to survive.

As for whether you’ll encounter other survivors, well, that appears to be a question you’ll need to answer by exploring.

By all accounts, it looks as if you’ll be able to use this strange planet’s technology, flora, and fauna to buff yourself with some cool, useful skills.

THE SIGNAL: Stranded on Sirenis doesn’t yet have a release date although it aims to launch in early access in 2026.

As I said, you can sample a brand new free demo during Next Fest.

This is actually an improved demo if you have tried previous iterations, introducing enhanced signs of hunger, thirst, and encumbrance, various bug fixes, as well as a “balance pass on building, crafting, research costs, enemy loots, creature placement, and respawn rates for resources and enemies”.

It’s perhaps also worth mentioning that THE SIGNAL: Stranded on Sirenis is being funded on Kickstarter where £7,923 has been pledged against a £24,079 goal.

That may well be worth taking a look at if you enjoy what the demo has to offer.