Darwin Project
Darwin Project is a third-person Battle Royale built around compact matches, survival pressure, and a clever twist, a live “Show Director” who can meddle with the arena. Ten contestants enter a frozen wilderness, gather materials, craft tools, and try to outplay each other while the environment steadily punishes poor planning.
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Publisher: Scavengers Studio Playerbase: Medium Type: Battle Royale Release Date: March 9, 2018 Pros: +Standout Show Director layer that changes how matches unfold. +Controls are approachable and easy to learn. +Short, energetic rounds with little downtime. +Generally welcoming community vibe. Cons: -Takes time to truly read fights and master the meta. |
Darwin Project Overview
Set in the icy Canadian Rockies, Darwin Project frames its matches as a brutal reality show where ten “inmates” are dropped into a hostile winter arena and told to survive until only one remains. The core loop mixes quick PvP skirmishes with constant scavenging, since you need materials not just to fight, but also to keep yourself alive in the cold. If you neglect warmth and basic supplies, the environment can end your run just as decisively as a rival’s axe.
Instead of focusing on huge lobbies and sprawling maps, Darwin Project leans into smaller-scale encounters and readable third-person combat. You roam the map collecting resources, then craft gear to shape your playstyle. Advanced electronic parts let you build higher-tech tools like energy shields and stealth cloaks, giving you tactical options beyond simple chasing and trading hits. Matches can be played solo or in duos, which changes the pacing considerably, since coordinated pairs can control space and recover from mistakes more reliably.
The game’s signature element is the Show Director role. One player can join as a kind of match overseer, influencing the arena with powerful interventions. Depending on how the Director chooses to play, they can stabilize a close fight with a timely heal, push action by triggering a manhunt, or escalate chaos by sealing zones, altering gravity, or even dropping a nuclear strike. Even after elimination, players can still participate through spectator voting, which helps steer how the Show Director spends their influence and keeps downtime from feeling entirely passive.
Darwin Project Key Features:
- 10-Man Battle Royale – a smaller lobby and tighter arena create brisker matches than many large-scale battle royale titles.
- Survive The Environment – gathering and crafting are not optional, they are central to staying warm and combat-ready.
- Hunt And Survive – track opponents through the traces they leave behind, or set traps and play patiently for a decisive ambush.
- Show Director – step into an overseer role with high-impact powers that can aid, punish, and reshape the flow of a round.
- Spectator Interactions – eliminated players can still influence the match by voting on how the Show Director uses abilities.
Darwin Project Screenshots
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Darwin Project Featured Video
Darwin Project Review
Darwin Project stands out in a crowded genre by building its battle royale around two kinds of pressure: the usual threat of other players, and a constant fight against exposure and resource scarcity. Because there are only ten contestants, rounds tend to move quickly from looting to confrontation, and it rarely feels like you are wandering for long stretches without meaningful decisions. The compact scale also makes each elimination matter more, since every fight noticeably changes the rhythm of the match.
Combat is built for clarity in third-person, with a focus on positioning, timing, and committing to engagements. The controls are straightforward, so new players can start swinging and crafting without wrestling the interface, but the learning curve shows up in the details: reading footprints and other tells, choosing when to craft versus when to hunt, and understanding when a retreat is the correct call. Good players do not just win duels, they manage their time, keep warm, and control how and where fights happen.
Crafting is the glue that ties the match together. Basic resources support your survival needs and core tools, while electronic parts open up more specialized equipment that can swing engagements, such as defensive options or stealthier approaches. The result is that looting is not just a checklist, it is a strategic choice, since what you build telegraphs your plan for the mid and late game. In duos, this becomes even more interesting, because teammates can cover each other’s weaknesses and coordinate ambushes, but it also means that poor teamwork can collapse quickly when pressure arrives.
The Show Director is the most distinctive system, and it is also the most polarizing. When used well, it keeps matches dynamic and prevents stalemates, forcing players to adapt to shifting conditions and sudden objectives. It can also create memorable “TV moments” where a leading player is challenged, or an underdog gets a chance to recover. The downside is that any external influence in a competitive format risks feeling unfair, especially to players who prefer outcomes to be determined solely by direct play. That said, the spectator voting layer helps communicate that the Director is part of the ruleset rather than an invisible hand, and it gives eliminated players a reason to stay engaged.
Community tone is another quiet strength. With smaller lobbies and a less anonymous feel than many battle royales, matches can come across as more personal and, in many cases, more welcoming. Still, the game rewards knowledge and repetition, so the gap between newcomers and experienced players can be noticeable until you learn the map flow and survival priorities.
Overall, Darwin Project is best for players who want battle royale pacing without the marathon downtime, and who are open to a game-show format where the arena itself can be actively “produced” in real time. If you value compact matches, readable third-person action, and a unique meta layer that shakes up the formula, it is an easy title to recommend trying.
Darwin Project Links
Darwin Project Official Site
Darwin Project Facebook Page
Darwin Project Reddit
Darwin Project Steam Page
Darwin Project Wiki
Darwin Project Wikipedia Page
Darwin Project System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 and above
CPU: Dual Core 2.4Ghz+
Video Card: GTX 750, GTX 660
RAM: 4 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 and above
CPU: Quad Core 2.4Ghz+
Video Card: GTX 970, GTX 1060
RAM: 8 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB
Darwin Project Music & Soundtrack
Coming soon!
Darwin Project Additional Information
Developer: Scavengers Studio
Publisher: Scavengers Studio
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Platforms: PC
Release Dates:
Closed Alpha: November 10-12, 2017; December 15-17, 2017
Open Beta: January 19-21, 2018 – February 23-26, 2018
Early Access: March 9, 2018
Development History / Background:
Darwin Project is a 3D third-person battle royale title developed and published by Scavengers Studio, an independent team located in Montreal, Canada. The project was revealed during E3 in June 2017, then moved through limited weekend tests later that year, including closed Alpha periods on November 10-12 and December 15-17. It followed with open beta weekends from January 19-21 and February 23-26, before launching into Steam Early Access and Xbox Preview on March 9, 2018. The game was originally planned as a buy-to-play release, but transitioned to a free-to-play model on April 24, 2018. A full release was planned for Summer 2018.