Prologue: Go Wayback! is the new Rust-inspired survival game from PUBG creator PlayerUnknown, and players can now sign-up to participate in a closed beta test running until May 14.
The game is billed as a hardcore, single-player roguelike survival game where every playthrough is different thanks to procedurally generated maps and dynamic weather. Players start in a cabin and are tasked with surviving a several kilometers trek across the map to reach a weather tower. Along the way players will need to manage their body temperature, hunger, and hydration, with a heavy emphasis being put on a player’s ability to stay warm.
Those interested in participating in the Go Wayback! closed beta can sign-up on the official PlayerUnknown Productions Discord server.
In an interview with the Epic Games Store, PlayerUnknown himself, Brendan Greene, said that unlike most other survival games, Go Wayback! emphasizes body temperature as a key factor of survival. For that reason the game features a robust fire simulation, where players will need to pile together kindling and spark a flame to create fire as opposed to simply selecting “campfire” from a crafting menu. Objects that seem burnable in the game, even items in the cabin like books and drink coasters, probably are, giving players freedom in how to approach the game’s survival situations.
While a game in its own right (one that will launch in early access on Steam and the Epic Games Store), Go Wayback! is also a testbed for a larger, more ambitious game PlayerUnknown Productions calls Project Artemis. It’s a currently more ephemeral idea that Greene describes as a blend of Minecraft and “3D version of the internet” where players will be able to create worlds, towns, and cities and have thousands of other players populate them.
Go Wayback! serves as a systemic foundation for Project Artemis. A playable engine showcase called Preface released for free last year and shows off the planet-generating tech that will power Artemis. A currently untitled game, one that Greene describes as “Command & Conquer but first-person” and with tens or hundreds of players, will come next and also serve as a component of what will ultimately become Artemis.
As for Go Wayback! itself, Greene was heavily inspired by the popular survival game Rust and its emergent gameplay. Scott Davidson, Rust’s former art director, now works as Go Wayback’s creative director. Though Go Wayback! is currently a single-player experience, Greene said he does want to eventually add co-op multiplayer. The team is currently estimating the game will be in early access for around two years.
