We’ve had a mild autumn so far in the UK, so much so that I’ve still been able to go for morning walks in a pair of shorts. Don’t see this as an act of hubris; I’m fully aware that we’re only one Arctic gust away from less favourable conditions, as is the case for most of the year when living in the UK, even during the summer. As such, I am very much prepared for the weather to turn; SAD lamp plugged in, parka rolled up in my bum bag (fanny pack for you Americans), gloves at the ready. Winter Burrow, self-described as a cosy woodland survival game, is all about being prepared to endure harsh weather conditions and is the perfect accompaniment for those of us in the northern hemisphere bracing for another winter.
In Winter Burrow you play as a mouse returning to their sylvan family home after living in the city for much of your life. After your parents pass, depressingly from working in the city mines (yay capitalism!) in order to provide a better life, you return back to the woods to the hollow in a tree where you grew up to reconnect with your aunt and other inhabitants of the forest. Unlike other survival games that rely on emergent gameplay to tell a story, there is a narrative in Winter Burrow with quests to complete and a clear progression. In between these quests the moment-to-moment gameplay is all about acquiring the tools and items to withstand the elements and stave off the creeping cold of the snowy forest that surrounds you.
Winter Burrow gets off to a great start; the gameplay loop is immediately apparent and addictive but, similar to 2023’s Dredge, the core mechanics don’t really expand or evolve beyond those which you’re introduced to from the get go. I didn’t find this to be an issue because the loop, whilst repetitive, is so satisfying. It follows the typical Minecraft formula; forage for items, construct tools (shovel, pickaxe and hatchet), forage for new items, knit warmer clothing, trek further afield, forage for new items, construct better tools…rinse and repeat. Winter Burrow is far more structured with tools being locked behind quests and far more contained with a smaller world to explore. The biomes aren’t nearly as varied as in Minecraft and you never gain access to a world map, so whilst the game world isn’t huge, it’s annoyingly easy to get lost amongst its diverging paths, which is exacerbated by the fact that the quest log isn’t always clear so you’re sometimes backtracking to areas because you unknowingly neglected to go through additional dialogue with one of the game’s side characters.
These are probably the only frustrations to be had in Winter Burrow. For those of you whose eyes glaze over at the mention of survival in a video game (I do the same for anything that is a roguelike or procedurally generated), don’t fear. Winter Burrow isn’t The Long Dark or even something less sadistic like Don’t Starve. It definitely leans on ‘cosy’ more than ‘survival’ and is a much more forgiving experience than your average survival game. Much more lighthearted like The Wind in the Willows than say, the often brutal The Animals of Farthing Wood.
The best way I can describe Winter Burrow is frictionless. Although you’re limited by your thin clothing, weak tools and small inventory space in the opening hours, it never becomes punishing. You can run away from combat encounters with the forest’s creepy crawlies (there’s an arachnophobia mode as well, which is nice) and even felling the biggest of foes only takes a few whacks of one of your trusty axes if you do decide to engage. Getting caught out too long in the cold and losing all of your health apparently only results you in waking up back in your home with the choice to go retrieve your items. I say apparently because this never happened to me as I always managed to fight critters unscathed and get back to the warmth of my indoor fire to thaw my freezing paws just in time. Even the UI is intuitive and has smart quality of life features like the ability to pin and track quests and recipes or rearrange your home furniture (that you’ve crafted) on a useful grid system.
At the beginning of Winter Burrow there was enough tension and friction to the survival gameplay that made progression all the more satisfying but this tension and friction had mostly subsided towards the middle and late game when I had ample supplies, clothing and inventory space to keep all of the mouse’s needs in balance. Whilst some survival aficionados might find this disappointing, it very much aligned with my expectations for the game. When I first saw a trailer for Winter Burrow, my first thoughts were, ‘that looks delightful, I hope it doesn’t lean to much into the survival aspect’. Honestly, a hard difficulty curve wouldn’t mesh with Winter Burrow’s aesthetics. The delightfully charming, children’s storybook art aligns much better with the direction of the gameplay, which thankfully lands on the more cosy and relaxing end of the survival spectrum.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Winter Burrow so much so that I finished it over the course of two evenings. It was the perfect game to cosy up to with my Steam Deck (played via Xbox Game Pass) as the nights were drawing in and with Storm Claudia on the horizon. Whilst the story in Winter Burrow is brief, it still reminds you that winter isn’t always about survival and you can take joy in the cosy vibes, whether that’s in knitting a jumper, taking time to make your indoor space more comfortable or enjoying a nice meal around the dinner table with family and friends.
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