Summary
A cozy-looking game calledDinkumhas been released on Steam following years of early access development. Between its elaborate survival mechanics and plentiful life sim elements,Dinkumappears reminiscent of bothMinecraftandStardew Valley.
Made by indie developer James Bendon,Dinkumoriginally debuted as aSteam Early Accesstitle back in July 2022. While neither survival games nor life sims are exactly scarce on Valve’s storefront,Dinkummanaged to stand out from the competition in several ways, including its unique setting inspired by the harshest parts of the Australian outback. Shortly following its launch, the game peaked at nearly 13,500 concurrent Steam players—a highly respectable figure for an indie title.
Dinkumreceived a full-fledgedSteam releaseon April 23, nearly three years after first debuting in early access. While it’s common forindie gamesto see price hikes after leaving early access,Dinkumis still retailing at its original price of $19.99. That said, picking it up for even less shouldn’t be overly difficult, as the game has averaged a sale every six weeks over the past three years, dropping to as low as $13.99.
Dinkum May Soon Be Coming to Consoles
For the time being,Dinkumis still a PC exclusive, though that might not be the case for much longer. Back in 2022, Bendon said console versions of his survival life sim were planned after the early access period. It’s unclear whether that’s still true three years later. The closest fans can currently get to a console experience isplayingDinkumon the Steam Deck. While it lacks the optimal “Steam Deck Verified” certification,Dinkumis classified as “Playable” on Valve’s popular handheld.
Dinkum’s gameplay loop combines resource gathering, building and socializing. Players can engage in farming, fishing, mining, and hunting, and take part in other resource-gathering activities to earn materials and money—or “Dinks,” in the game’s jargon—needed for upgrading their town. Similar toStardew Valley,Dinkumfeatures realistic seasons that influence which flora can be grown and which fauna can be encountered.
Another similarity toStardew Valleyis thedesign ofDinkum’s mining system, which requires players to navigate underground caves in search of precious minerals. The game’s art direction somewhat resembles the style ofAnimal Crossing. Along with single-player,Dinkumsupports co-op multiplayer for up to six players. Its minimum PC system requirements are fairly accessible, with the game being playable on any rig sporting at least 8GB of RAM and the GPU equivalent of the aging GTX 1650.
