After a period of quiet since the initial announcement in June 2024, fans of the survival game Don't Starve Together have been given an update that brings both disappointment and excitement. The disappointing news is that the game will no longer be coming to Netflix Games. However, the silver lining is that Don't Starve Together is still slated for a mobile release on iOS and Android.
Playdigious, in collaboration with Klei Entertainment, continues to work diligently to bring this gloomy, Tim Burton-esque survival experience to mobile devices. In Don't Starve Together, players find themselves stranded on an island teeming with hostile wildlife, tasked with gathering resources and surviving as quirky, oddball characters—all while making sure not to starve.
Originally planned as an exclusive release on Netflix Games, Don't Starve Together will now launch globally on both Google Play and the iOS App Store. While an exact release date remains under wraps, both Klei Entertainment and Playdigious have assured fans that more information on the launch will be forthcoming.
The decision to pull Don't Starve Together from Netflix Games suggests a potential shift in the platform's strategy regarding indie titles. The loss of exclusivity for such a prominent indie game like Don't Starve Together, alongside other indie exclusives like Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, raises questions about Netflix Games' future commitment to indie developers. Despite this, Netflix's indie catalogue has been a significant draw for many subscribers, and this move could impact the platform's appeal to fans of indie gaming.
For a deeper dive into the implications of Netflix's strategic shift towards its own properties and away from indie titles, check out my analysis of the launch of Squid Game: Unleashed and its potential impact on the indie scene on the service.
