''Scum'' is an upcoming

multiplayer online A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

survival game Survival games are a sub-genre of action video games, which are usually set in hostile, intense, open-world environments. Players generally start with minimal equipment and are required to survive as long as possible by crafting tools, weapons ...

, developed by Croatian studio Gamepires, available under the

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

Early Access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

program. The game is described as a "

prison riot A prison riot is an act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against the prison administrators, prison officers, or other groups of prisoners. Prison riots have not been the subject of many academic studies or research inqui ...

survival game" and will feature an open world. It entered

early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

program on 29 August 2018, with a full release initially scheduled for sometime in 2021. , the game is still in early access. The game uses

Unreal Engine 4 Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game ''Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genre ...

Gameplay

The gameplay takes place in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

where up to 80 players per server will attempt to survive and get off the island by first removing the implant which prevents them from leaving. The player will earn fame points through participation in various action-driven events or simply by surviving in a hostile environment. These fame points allow the player to be cloned back in case of death, and used as currency to purchase or trade in various safe zones. Players will be able to fortify existing structures and points in order to secure positions or store items when needed. Characters possess four main attributes: strength, dexterity, constitution, and intelligence. These help players create characters to suit their preferred playing style. It aims to simulate the human body, and thus has an interface called the "BCU monitor" to track character's calories, vitamins, health, and other stats. Players can choose to ignore these elements of the game, or can delve deep into these systems in order to improve the character's performance (speed, stamina, carry weight and so on). Another aspect is digestion; for instance, if a character gets all of their teeth knocked out, they will have to find a way to liquefy food to digest it. Toilet activities leave physical evidence that could be used to track that player. Aspects such as combat depend on the player's own skill, but also are affected by stamina, health, and so on. Wetness, smell, medicine, cooking, hacking, crafting, hunting, and poison also play a major role in the gameplay. Players can easily alternate between third and first-person perspectives, yet prevents third-person peeking by hiding anything not visible from the first-person. SCUM also offers a realistic nightvision that simulates photons hitting the lenses and the infrared light emitting from the goggles.

Development

''Scum'' was first announced in August 2016. The game was released into

on August 29, 2018, its current stage is 0.8 and is currently half way to its release.

Reception

The game was named as one of the best indie games of

PAX East PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia in the United States; and Melbourne in Australia. PAX wa ...

2018 by

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...

. It received similar attention from

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

, listing it as among the most noteworthy games of PAX East 2018. The game sold over 250,000 copies within its first 24 hours in early access, 700,000 in its first week, and over one million sales by the third week.

References

External links

* {{official, http://scumgame.com/ Upcoming video games Early access video games Multiplayer video games Open-world video games Survival video games Tactical shooter video games Third-person shooters Unreal Engine games Video games developed in Croatia Video games set on fictional islands Windows games Windows-only games Devolver Digital games Video games set in Croatia