Enshrouded has grabbed more than 1 million players in just 4 days, joining Palworld in making January an impressive month for early access survival games

Warrior in a fantasy world
(Image credit: Keen Games)

Developer Keen Games might have been a bit worried about releasing its new survival game, Enshrouded, just as the world was obsessing over Poké-like Palworld, currently the most-played game on Steam, and the second most popular game in the platform's history. But it looks like there's room for two big survival game launches, because Enshrouded has already managed to seduce more than a million players.

It certainly helps that Enshrouded and Palworld are very different takes on the genre. Palworld's novelty stems from its multitude of critters, who can be captured, befriended and put to work in your grotty mines. Enshrouded, meanwhile, is a fantasy action-RPG with less punishing survival mechanics than we're used to. That said, there are some similarities: Enshrouded also lets you rescue NPCs who you can attach to your camp in thanks for the rescue. 

"We're excited to let you know that this is just the beginning for Enshrouded," Keen Games added in a follow-up tweet. "We are looking forward to continuing the development of the game with your support, aiming to make Enshrouded the best game it can be. Once again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone!"

Enshrouded's concurrent numbers are looking pretty good, too, peaking at more than 160,000 concurrent players today, putting it in Steam's top 10 most played games. Palworld, meanwhile, is holding onto the top spot, with a daily peak of nearly 1.8 million concurrent players.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog. 

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