DaRmaZat Early access survival games are everywhere, but few dare to step into Valheim’s territory. ASKA, developed by Sand Sailor Studio and published by Thunderful Publishing, tries exactly that. The premise is simple: you’re a Viking survivor of a shipwreck. From there, it’s all on you—and the villagers you summon—to carve out survival in a hostile world.
Shipwrecked but Not Alone
The world is ending, the gods have turned their backs, and yet one Viking has been given a second chance. Aska opens with your ship shattered by a towering golem, leaving you stranded on a desolate shore.
The giant wanders off into the ocean, but its shadow lingers—an early reminder that mythological threats are never far away. From here, survival begins with little more than the clothes on your back, and it’s up to you to rebuild a tribe strong enough to resist both nature and nightmare.
Building from the Ground Up
At its core, Aska blends survival RPG mechanics with colony simulation. Hunger, thirst, temperature, and health all demand constant attention. Neglect them, and death returns you to the beach. Early progress means gathering wood, fibers, and stone just to spark a fire. Structures can be “ghost-placed” as placeholders, then fed resources step by step—a system reminiscent of Medieval Dynasty. Resources fall into small, medium, or large categories, with bigger items carried physically rather than stashed in inventory, a design that adds both immersion and micromanagement.
The UI remains clunky, with no proper search function in the compendium, and some menu slots are still just placeholders. Even finding basic sticks during early sessions can feel unbalanced, leading to frustration before you’ve crafted a weapon. Yet this harsh introduction is also the point: Aska is a world that doesn’t handhold, one where learning by doing slowly reduces the sting of cold, hunger, and exhaustion.
It Takes a Village
Unlike many survival games, you are not meant to endure alone. With Jotun blood you summon villagers, each with unique traits that make them natural builders, gatherers, or defenders. They share the same needs as you—shelter, food, warmth—but also scale your village into something sustainable. Assigning tasks feels like walking through a living Age of Empires town, only from ground level.
Villages can grow to dozens of inhabitants, though NPC death is permanent. Their survival becomes yours, and with each home, workshop, and palisade built, the settlement feels more alive. The longer villagers survive, the more skilled they become, turning them into invaluable allies in both resource gathering and combat.
Defending What You’ve Built
The wilderness hides more than passive resources. Skeletons, raiding parties, and beast packs roam freely and escalate as your settlement grows. Some attacks target your gates directly, damaging structures and undoing hours of work if left unchecked. Combat itself is still basic, lacking enemy-lock mechanics and relying on straightforward melee and archery roles, but the stakes rise when invasions arrive at night.
Thankfully, villagers can be trained for battle, and Aska supports up to four-player co-op. Whether dividing tasks between exploration and management, or standing side by side on the walls, multiplayer eases the grind and injects chaotic fun into defense.
Visually, Aska is polished enough to impress, with dynamic weather that shifts from blinding storms to serene sunsets. Villager AI, however, still needs work—workers sometimes wander or stall, leaving resource chains vulnerable. On PC the game runs generally smooth, though occasional unexplained stutters can disrupt the flow during intense sequences. That said, as an Early Access title, rough edges are expected, and updates have already begun to address balance and stability.
Preliminary Thoughts
Aska is an ambitious hybrid: part survival grind, part colony builder, and part mythological defense game. The foundation is already solid, even if the rough onboarding, clunky menus, and uneven balance keep it from flowing smoothly. Yet the village system and the promise of cooperative play set it apart from survival contemporaries.
With time, polish, and more content, Aska could grow into a survival sim that doesn’t just rival Valheim—but carves out its own space in the Viking pantheon. For now, it’s a game worth watching, especially if you enjoy survival titles that challenge both your patience and your planning.
Additional Information
Release Date: June 20, 2024 (Early Access)
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency.
Developer: Sand Sailor Studio
Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
Website: Play ASKA
Relevant links: ASKA on Steam
