Steam Free Download is the Child of Fallout and Valheim

Bearing in mind how grim the actual post-apocalypse would be, it's maybe a little surprising just how much we want to see what it's like in video games. From Fallout to Metro, it's difficult to stop us taking on irradiated enemies, scavenging for tinned foods and building rudimentary shelters in the blasted wastes.

Fortunately, a new game has come along that could scratch that itch once again. VEIN has just dropped a new demo on Steam that should give players a good look at its take on the post-apocalypse survival genre, combining several staples that will undoubtedly make for a pretty compelling overall package.

Excitingly, it's not a standard, limited access demo. Instead, it's serving as a sort of pre-early access, in which the full game to date is made available to players, before it's officially complete enough to enter Steam's Early Access program.

So what can you expect if you do decide to take the plunge and jump in? Well, in the first instance, VEIN is a complete sandbox, so you shouldn't find yourself too restricted in potential choices. There is all the usual crafting fare, where players need to gather supplies to survive and make a life for themselves with shelter and defences in the dangerous world the developers have created.

There are also zombies for the Walking Dead fans in the audience (again they are similar to Fallout's Ghouls in appearance), all operating under an AI that allows them to see, hear and even smell you if you let them get too close.

VEIN also has a completely dynamic environment and seasons system that changes the world as you play through, with additional random events that further alter different runs through the game.

No word yet on when exactly VEIN will enter early access proper, but the game is currently in Version 0.0.2, so it's still very early days.