The time has come to return to Envelopeand that’s exactly what many players do. Developer Keen Games just released the biggest update ever for its survival RPG, and the effect has been spectacular. With a new mountain biome to explore, additional wildlife and monsters, a pet system, an increase in the level cap, and new crafting options, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to return to Embervale, here it is. Combine that with a Steam sale and, as we approach a week since the update’s launch, community response continues to grow.

Envelope takes the elements that I like from best survival games – the sense of exploration, the fully customizable base building and the mysterious history of the world – and combines them with robust action RPG combat to create an extremely rewarding game to explore. It doesn’t go into full-fledged Elden Ring territory, but it’s certainly enough to make combat dangerous and satisfying. In addition, you can play cooperatively with the possibility of having up to 16 players in the same world.

Since its release, the team at Keen Games has continued to build upon its base game with new dungeons, NPCs, enemies, and boss fights. It implemented animal breeding, musical instruments, and a host of additional UI improvements and performance tweaks. Now, Souls of the Frozen Frontier has launched, the biggest update yet, both in content and scope. Aside from increasing the level cap to 35 and introducing additional gear, there’s a lot to explore.

It starts with the new biome, Albaneve Mountain Peaks. It’s a dangerous region filled with many monsters you’ve never seen before, and you’ll have to face deep snow and stretches of ice as you navigate. A new weather system means you’ll need to be prepared to handle temperature changes, so bundle up. Back at base, there are new cats and dogs, while your resident NPCs will now go about their daily lives.

The response from players was gradual but dramatic. Initially slowly rising after the update was released on Tuesday, November 5, it continued to rise over the weekend and has now reached a 24-hour high of 33,540 concurrent users. That’s five times the highest level recorded in the previous month, and the highest number of active players Enshrouded has had at one time since March, shortly after the game’s launch.

If you want to join them, Enshrouded is 20% off on Steam until Tuesday November 19, meaning you’ll only pay $23.99 / £19.99 for your copy. The full launch of version 1.0 is still planned for 2025. Head here if you can’t wait to discover how far we’ve come since its release.

Do you want to try another one of the best cooperative games on PC? We’ve selected our favorites to play in 2024, along with the best open world games for those who love to explore.

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