The Base Game contains the complete Survivalist experience and supports 2–6 players.

The Big Box is the definitive edition. In addition to the Base Game, it includes all three major expansions - Summitbound, Pack Hunters, and Forsaken Few - plus the Grizzly End Upgrade and an exclusive Big Box slipcase featuring deluxe artwork.

With hundreds of additional components, new gameplay systems, solo play, wildlife encounters, and expanded content, the Big Box is designed for players who want the complete Survivalist experience from day one.

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At its core, Survivalist is a competitive game. Players are all fighting to survive, but only one player can ultimately emerge as the winner.

That said, the Forsaken Few expansion included in the Big Box introduces a robust solo experience in which five survivors must work together as an expedition group to overcome the wilderness. While designed for a single player, many groups choose to divide the characters between multiple players and enjoy it as a fully cooperative adventure.

If you prefer cooperative games, the Big Box gives you that option.

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Absolutely.

Survivalist has been extensively tested for years with children ages 6-13 through our partner program at Brooklyn Game Lab, and it consistently creates the kinds of moments kids love: suspenseful bag draws, dramatic close calls, exciting discoveries, and plenty of cheering around the table.

The rules are intuitive, turns move quickly, and once players know the game, a typical session takes about 45 minutes. Plus, despite the theme, there is no player elimination!

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Yes - and it’s much more than a traditional Automa.

The Forsaken Few expansion included in the Big Box adds a fully developed solo experience featuring over 150 additional components, unique systems, new challenges, and an entire deck of Hardship Cards designed specifically for solo play.

Rather than simulating another player, Forsaken Few reimagines Survivalist as a desperate expedition where a small group of survivors must work together to overcome the wilderness.

We’re incredibly proud of how this mode turned out, and many playtesters have told us it feels like an entirely new way to experience the game.

NOTE: The base game does NOT contain a solo mode.

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One of the things we’re most proud of is that Survivalist plays exceptionally well across its entire player range.

The Base Game supports 2–6 players, while the Big Box expands that range to 1–6 players through the Forsaken Few solo experience.

Many games become slower or less engaging as more players join the table. Survivalist was designed differently. Because turns are quick, tension remains high, and player interaction stays meaningful, the game shines at both low and high player counts - including the often-difficult 5- and 6-player experience.

Whether you’re playing with one survivor or a full expedition, Survivalist delivers the drama, tension, and tough decisions that define the game.

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Once players know the rules, a typical game of Survivalist takes about 40–60 minutes.

We intentionally designed Survivalist to deliver the tension, drama, and uncertainty of a wilderness survival experience without requiring a three-hour commitment. Every bag draw matters, every decision feels meaningful, and the stakes remain high from beginning to end.

The game’s shorter playtime also means players are free to take risks, experiment with different strategies, and immediately jump into another adventure if they want to try again. Survivalist is designed to be the kind of game you play twice (or more) in a single session.

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There is exactly enough uncertainty to make Survivalist feel like survival.

A completely deterministic game can be interesting, but it rarely creates the moments people remember years later. The gasps. The cheers. The desperate last-second recoveries. The entire table leaning forward as someone reaches into the bag and hopes for the best.

Those moments only exist because the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

In Survivalist, players spend the game preparing for uncertainty. You gather resources, learn skills, craft tools, stockpile medicines, set traps, manage threats, and make difficult decisions that improve your chances of survival. The goal isn’t to eliminate risk entirely - it’s to be better prepared than everyone else when risk inevitably arrives.

Just like real wilderness survival, nobody controls the weather, the wildlife, or every twist of fate. What players do control is how ready they are when those challenges appear.

Most importantly, that uncertainty keeps every player engaged until the very end. In many strategy games, everyone knows who is going to win long before the game is over. In Survivalist, players spend the game shaping their odds, but the final outcome is never guaranteed. The survivor who prepared best will always have the advantage - but everyone still has a reason to hope, to watch, and to care.

For us, that’s where the excitement comes from!

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Not during the main game.

One of our core design goals was to keep every player engaged until the very end. Nobody gets knocked out early and spends the next hour watching everyone else play.

Throughout the game, players accumulate injuries, illnesses, and other hardships that make survival increasingly difficult, but everyone remains in the fight until the final rescue attempt. Only then do players discover whether they have successfully survived the wilderness.

This approach allows Survivalist to deliver all the tension of a survival game without the frustration of traditional player elimination.

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During development, we worked directly from the U.S. Army Survival Manual, studying hundreds of pages of real-world survival techniques to identify the most important skills, tools, threats, and decisions a stranded survivor would face. The result is a game featuring 28 authentic bushcraft skills, each carefully researched and integrated into the gameplay.

Want to learn how to build a debris hut? Start a fire with a bow drill? Craft a fishhook from natural materials? It’s all in the game.

Every skill card includes educational flavor text, allowing players to learn real survival concepts as they play. While Survivalist is first and foremost a fun and accessible board game, many parents, scout leaders, outdoors enthusiasts, and survivalists will appreciate how much genuine bushcraft knowledge is woven into the experience.

If you’ve ever wanted to introduce someone to the world of wilderness survival, Survivalist is a great place to start.

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Each expansion was designed to enhance a specific way people enjoy Survivalist.

Summit Bound is built specifically for the 2-player experience. Rather than trying to make one ruleset perfectly serve every player count, Summit Bound adds new systems, locations, and decisions that create a deeper, more satisfying game for one-v-one play, especially gamer couples.

Pack Hunters expands the 3–6 player experience by introducing dogs, wolves, and new strategic considerations. Your dog becomes a true part of your survival plan - not a side mechanic. The rules are simple, but the decisions it creates ripple through nearly every aspect of the game.

Forsaken Few introduces a fully developed solo experience, transforming Survivalist into a desperate expedition where a group of survivors must overcome the wilderness together. While designed for solo play, many backers also use it as a cooperative mode by dividing the survivors between multiple players.

Together, these expansions don’t just add more content - they make Survivalist better across every player count from 1 to 6.

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A lot.

At its core, Survivalist is a game about adapting to an unpredictable wilderness. The resources you discover, the threats you face, the gear in the drop zone, the skills you acquire, and the choices your opponents make ensure that no two expeditions unfold the same.

The Big Box dramatically expands that variety with three major expansions, additional systems, new strategic considerations, wildlife encounters, solo and cooperative play, and hundreds of additional components.

For players looking for even more variety, the Skills & Scars upgrade introduces unique strengths and weaknesses that shape how each survivor approaches the wilderness. With hundreds of possible character combinations alone, every expedition begins with a different story waiting to unfold.

The wilderness doesn’t follow a script - and neither does Survivalist.

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Shipping will be charged after the Kickstarter campaign ends through our pledge manager.

This approach allows us to use the most up-to-date shipping rates available at the time of fulfillment rather than estimating them months in advance. It also gives backers additional time to confirm their shipping address and finalize their order.

As always, we’ll communicate shipping timelines and costs as clearly as possible throughout the process.

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Maybe - but we wouldn’t count on finding the same version.

Our primary focus is delivering Survivalist to Kickstarter backers, and many of the items included in the Big Box are specifically designed to make the crowdfunding edition the definitive version of the game.

While a retail edition may become available in the future, it may differ in content, packaging, or availability. If you want guaranteed access to Survivalist and all of its major expansions, Kickstarter is the safest way to secure a copy.

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We currently plan to ship to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and countries within the European Union.

Our goal is to make Survivalist available to as many backers as possible, but shipping conditions and regulations can change between now and fulfillment. If any changes become necessary, we’ll communicate them promptly and transparently.

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Yes.

After the Kickstarter campaign ends, you’ll receive access to our pledge manager, where you’ll be able to confirm and update your shipping information before fulfillment begins.

We understand that people move, travel, and change plans. We’ll provide plenty of notice before addresses are locked so that backers have time to make any necessary updates.

As always, we’ll communicate important deadlines well in advance.

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Survivalist is being published by Homestead Games, a New Zealand-based publisher with roots in New York. The company was founded by Bob Hewitt, originally from New York, and is now headquartered on New Zealand’s North Island.

For manufacturing, we’re working with experienced industry partners who specialize in producing premium tabletop games. We’ll share additional production updates throughout the campaign and during fulfillment as manufacturing milestones are reached.

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No.

Every illustration in Survivalist was created by a human artist. The game’s artwork was produced by Caroline Church, whose distinctive scraperboard style gives Survivalist its unique visual identity. We proudly showcase her work throughout this campaign and encourage you to explore the artwork featured in the Kickstarter story.

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We hope so.

At the moment, Survivalist is being produced in English, and our focus is on delivering the best possible experience to our Kickstarter backers. Additional language editions may be considered in the future depending on demand and publishing opportunities.

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Yes - backers in New Zealand will have the option to pick up their copy in Auckland and avoid shipping costs. We’ll provide pickup details, dates, and the collection location closer to fulfillment.

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