Finally, a crafting game that solves the early game tree-punching problem

I’ve played so many survival and crafting games that I have the opening routine down to a science. Here’s how it usually goes: I wake up in a new environment and get straight to punching trees. Sometimes, I don’t even get to punch trees — I have to pick up sticks and rocks and make a makeshift axe, and then I can start chopping down trees to get logs. I am so tired of punching trees and gathering sticks. Overthrown, a wacky kingdom-building simulator designed to be enjoyed with friends, manages to shake up that stale formula.

The first thing I do in Overthrown is claim a crown marked with a beam of light, which seems like a poor system of government, but it lets me find my footing. Then, I have to start getting some wood to start building my settlement. Sure enough, I have to punch trees, but developer Brimstone made the basic movement and combat of this game smooth and quick. So I don’t just punch trees; I combo-strike them, spin dash into them, and beat the shit out of those mighty oaks. I don’t have to upgrade my axe to level 3 to attack a big tree; I just need to pummel it persistently.

Once the tree falls, the log rolls away, and I have to chase it down and hope it doesn’t tumble down a cliff. I can also pick the log up and throw it into a sawmill to get instantly ground up into wood chunks. Convenient!

This is the big appeal of Overthrown; it’s got room for a lot of physics-based antics. As I build up my base, I can move an awkwardly placed building by picking it up and tossing it. My base attracts NPC villagers, who help out with the day-to-day jobs. I can pick them up too, so if someone’s a little too sleepy, I can simply hurl them into bed like the benevolent monarch I am.

Overthrown just entered early access, and I haven’t had the chance to try it out with a pack of pals, so I’ll have to see whether the game continues to tickle my funny bone. For now, I’m just pleased that I don’t have to gather sticks and painstakingly build my first axe. If you’re going to make me punch trees, at least make punching trees a little bit novel.