First Impressions of Don't Starve.

Keeping current with the gaming as always, today was my first encounter with Don't Starve. I’m not sure if it’s saying something about me or the game when I immediately run up against contextually plausible actions I can think of but not execute...but given the nature of some of these attempts, I’m going to assume it’s me.

“I’m gonna make him eat some buffalo crap!” – nope.
“I’m gonna chop that skeleton!” – nope.
"Hah, I’m gonna arson that pigman’s house!” – n'arrr, matey.
“Fine, then I’m just going to light your whole stupid forest on fire!”
Absolutely welcomed and encouraged, good sir! Here are some special graphics just for the occasion! Froooosh.
And of course, my guy promptly burned to death.

At that point, Don’t Starve officially had my interest. It’s not often it only takes four attempts to find something a game will let me do – hence my love of roguelikes in the first place. After trying to swipe an egg and being chased by a towering bipedal eyeball the description insisted was 'one tall bird', hunting bugs in the manner of the Muskokan (with a forest fire), and gamely leaping Sierra-style into what was clearly a sandworm’s deadly maw (but not just getting killed for the effort), I’m willing to forgive it not indulging all of my more arbitrary moments of sociopathy.

It definitely says something about me that a friend saw this reviewed and I was "the first person that came to mind". I am officially unsettled. Steam Gifts are awesome, though - while it's not quite the same experience as getting barbecue^* chips all over the couch and debating who gets stuck with the NES Max, they capture some of the spontaneous fun of a buddy showing up with an unexpected game rental.

* Actually Ol' Grandad's Mexican Jalapeno, but that's a little wordy for the body text. Besides, I'm not Dinosaur Dracula over here. Children of the 80s, follow that link and you will find something to make you acutely, painfully aware of days gone by.