Survival Kids is a sometimes satisfying but overall lacking survival game that struggles a bit with its concept. It can be fun to traverse islands and solve puzzles for a bit, but the repetitive nature of the game and some odd design choices keep it from being a standout Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.
Survival Kids
Developer: Unity Games
Price: $50
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch 2 code for review.
Probably the most prominent new third-party title to launch with the Switch 2, Survival Kids was developed by Unity Games and published by Konami. There have previously been other titles in this series released for consoles like the Game Boy Color and Nintendo DS (which were called Lost in Blue abroad), but I admittedly knew little about it. This seemed like a good place to start, and though there’s some enjoyment to be had, it’s a bit rough around the edges.
The main mechanics of Survival Kids revolve around gathering resources and putting them in specific bins to create things like bridges or climbing walls, as well as tools like a fishing rod or umbrella. It can be pretty satisfying to gather resources like wood and rocks to build these things at first, though it quickly becomes a matter of doing the same thing again and again as you traverse different islands. This feels repetitive sooner than later, as all the (fairly lengthy) levels start to blend together.
The tools are implemented in a neat way, as you can use them to solve slightly more complicated puzzles or to take part in platforming sections. Having to build them at every stage can be a bit annoying, but it’s pleasant to fish or move items through puzzles using a huge fan. None of the puzzles are especially hard, but a few of them are enjoyable to solve. Fulfilling certain tasks also grants you new customization items for your avatar, which motivates you to explore a bit more while gathering objects.
“I do like the game’s narrator, though, who gets continually more impressed by how bad you are at sailing as you keep crashing into turtle islands.“
I was a bit frustrated with the stamina system, which makes you slow down when dragging objects after a set period. You can boost it by eating food found or cooked at your base camp, but it’s a pain to juggle your stamina when dragging something and being shot at by turret statues that can knock you and the item away to reset your progress. It just feels a bit unnecessary since even the boosted stamina goes back to normal after a bit, which is especially an issue since the pause button didn’t seem to work properly for me, making the timer and my boosted stamina drain away even after managing to pause.
One peculiar choice in Survival Kids locks the final level behind earning a certain number of stars. These stars are earned by beating levels quickly or finding well-hidden treasure stones. I was never really stumped by any of the stages and mostly got two stars out of three on each stage, which wasn’t enough to progress. This meant I’d have to replay the numerous 30-60 minute stages to find several treasure stones or somehow climb the islands more quickly, which wasn’t an exciting notion given how repetitive it felt the first time. I wish you were able to simply play the final level, with stars being used for some form of rewards or cosmetics instead.
Survival Kids has a simplistic art style.
The visual style of Survival Kids isn’t my favorite, as it’s a bit simplistic and not especially appealing. It looks more like a mobile title than a stylized launch game for a new console, which is a bit disappointing. I do like the game’s narrator, though, who gets continually more impressed by how bad you are at sailing as you keep crashing into turtle islands. He never goes into full-on snark mode, but his little quips and comments make the game feel a bit more lively.
The Final Word
Survival Kids can be fun to play for bits at a time, but some peculiar choices and the game’s repetitive design make it hard to recommend to most. Kids may enjoy the multiplayer aspect with friends and family, but it’s not the best game of the Switch 2’s launch library.
MonsterVine Rating: 2.5 out of 5 – Mediocre
