Valheim and Tomb Raider collide in limited-time free Steam survival game

The survival genre continues to dominate modern gaming, with a new title in the midst of holding a free major playtest you can currently get involved with on PC.

Developed by Nordic Trolls, Under a Rock blends the gameplay loop of Valheim with the tropical exploration of Tomb Raider, with the end result being a vibrant take on the oftentimes punishing survival genre.

Playable alone or with up to nine friends, Under a Rock will see you explore a gorgeous island, “populated by exotic creatures, oversized wildlife and curious natives”.

It perhaps goes without saying that alongside exploration, you’ll need to build a base, craft and acquire materials, and fend off foes.

“You are an early 19th century explorer who has just been stranded in a strange new world, a hidden world that few can travel to (and from!), with a different evolutionary path,” begins the game’s synopsis.

“Dark caves, underwater environments and a vast surface world awaits, all filled with their own unique challenges and resources.”

Under a Rock’s world is procedurally generated, so you’re not going to run out of new nooks and crannies to explore anytime soon.

Outside of fighting for your survival, there are also more relaxing elements to the gameplay experience where you can farm and fish, for example.

“Prefer a simple life by the ocean or making enemies out of the natives? The choice is yours,” devs tease.

Gameforge 4D GmbH

Base-building is pretty extensive with no limitations placed on how much room you can occupy or how many decorative items you can place.

Most excitingly of all, Under a Rock features an awesome creature collecting system where you can actually tame and care for the island’s various creatures.

In turn, they’ll help you in combat or with traversal.

A free playtest is underway ahead of Under a Rock’s launch in early access

Under a Rock is due to launch on PC via Steam in early access soon, although a specific date is yet to be pinned down.

What can currently do, however, is enjoy a free playtest which is open to everyone worldwide.

The playtest is in the midst of running and is set to draw to a close on September 7 at 10am PT, so there’s plenty of time left to get involved.

All you need to do is head over to Under a Rock’s Steam page where you’ll find a button to ‘Request Access’ to the playtest.

Press this and wait to receive further information and you’re (hopefully) in! It’s that simple.

Spots on the playtest are limited but devs have noted that they’ll be adding more and more players as the playtest period progresses so if you request access now, you should be in with a decent chance of getting time with the game ahead of the September 7 cut off.

Don’t miss out on some of Steam’s other free treats:

• The best battle royale of all time makes huge comeback with new free game
• Steam drops free retro-inspired RPG for limited time that screams classic Pokémon

The playtest includes access to large but size-limited island, as well as Tier 1 of building, resource harvesting, recipes, crafting, and combat.

It’s also worth noting that the playtest is single-player only.

Still, this looks like a cheery little survival game that stands out from some of the hardcore takes on the genre out there, so get involved if you like what you see.