In 2014, survival horror game The Forest launched into early access on Steam. As part of Steam Greenlight (remember that?), the small team of developers Endnight Games delivered triple-A visuals, intricate building and crafting systems, and gut-wrenching horror as players struggled to survive on a remote island amidst terrifying cannibalistic tribes.
So why, 10 years later, did The Forest just crack its all time concurrent player record today with a whopping 97,964 players?
Well, it might have something to do with the cracking Steam Winter Sale that's happening now. The Forest is 90% off, which means you can grab it for a mere two bucks.
That's not the whole story, though. Even after its sequel Sons of the Forest blew the doors off Steam in 2023, the original game continues to grow more popular. As it routinely drops to under $5 in various sales, its concurrent player count has spiked as high as 78,000 as recently a year ago. The 90% discount in this year's sale is the lowest it's ever been priced on Steam, however.
There's also been a huge rise in the popularity of co-op horror games, not just as a novelty but as a weirdly cozy hang-out experience where you can build, craft, chill, and laugh with your friends—plus scream your heads off when something terrifying happens.
At any rate, it's fun to see new players discovering this survival horror masterpiece, and no doubt people who bought and played The Forest way back in 2014 are jumping back in again now, too. There's still time to pick it up yourself for next to nothing: the Steam Winter sale lasts until January 2.
