The biggest game of 2024 so far may be Palworld, but it's not the only one that's got the internet's attention. Another title that's rapidly become very popular is Keen Games' Enshrouded, which sold over 1 million copies in four days and is currently the fourth best-selling game on Steam. Even though it's a work-in-progress Early Access game, tons of players have been drawn to its mix of action RPG and survival gameplay systems, as well as its fantasy setting that's as breathtaking as it is perilous.
Indeed, Enshrouded has already made a name for itself as one of the best PC games of the year, and it's only going to get better as its developers add to and improve it over time. Interested in checking it out yourself? You probably have plenty of questions about it if you are — and luckily, we have answers.
What is Enshrouded?
Best answer: Enshrouded is an Early Access action RPG with open world exploration and survival mechanics, and is set in a dark fantasy realm where much of the land has been covered by a deadly pestilence called the Shroud that you have to contend with.
While Enshrouded's Steam tags primarily market it as a survival game, it's actually more of an action RPG with survival elements woven into its gameplay mechanics. Systems like base-building, crafting, farming, and cooking are all present, but strictly speaking, they're not necessary for your survival. Instead, they're meant to be engaged with to strengthen your character with quality gear and helpful buffs, preparing you for the challenges that lie ahead.
The game takes place in the open world of Embervale, a once-great fantasy kingdom that fell when your ancestors went too far in their quest for power, unleashing a corrupting plague called the Shroud that now covers large swathes of the land with an ominous toxic mist. You play as a Flameborn, a survivor from the civilization that came before that wakes up from stasis many years after the Shroud consumed the world. Your ultimate goal is to journey across Embervale, rescuing other Flameborn and reclaiming the realm from the Shroud with the power of an ancient Flame.
Much of the adventure involves exploring hostile regions controlled by a few different hostile factions. You'll also have to brave your way through areas blanketed by the Shroud, which you can only do for short amounts of time before you fall to the disease. Combat features a variety of different melee, ranged, and magical weapons and attacks, and is rather Soulslike with its emphasis on dodging and stamina management. Killing enemies and completing quests rewards you with XP and levels you up, allowing you to unlock skills that complement your chosen weapons and playstyles and create powerful builds.
Between your expeditions, you'll be resting up at your bases and using the supplies you've gathered out in the world to craft useful weapons, armors, and consumables. Notably, for the most part, you're given free reign to use Enshrouded's voxel-based building mechanics to make outposts in any Shroudless location. Currently, you don't have to worry about raids against your bases, though Keen Games has said this could change after Early Access depending on the feedback players give.
When does Enshrouded release?
Best answer: Enshrouded released in Early Access on Windows PC via Steam on January 24, 2024. Keen Games hopes to launch the game fully "within a year," though this plan could change.
After a number of beta and demo tests, Enshrouded finally got a public Early Access release on Steam on January 24, 2024. Developer Keen Games has said that it's "a complete experience in regards to the core gameplay elements" on the game's Steam page, but notes that it will continue to add to it over time, hopefully culminating in a full, complete launch "within a year."
“First and foremost, it [Enshrouded's full release] depends on you and your feedback. Our current goal is to take the game out of Early Access within a year," wrote the developer. "We firmly believe that by then we can offer a game that is worthy of your time, money and will bring you fun for years to come.”
Things can always change, of course — player feedback may lead Keen Games to delay the game's final release, for example, or some unforeseen technical issues could arise. At the time of writing, though, it looks like the studio is aiming to officially launch Enshrouded in January 2025 or sooner.
Is there an Enshrouded roadmap?
Best answer: Not exactly, though we do know quite a bit about what's coming to the game in the future. Keen Games has plans to improve gameplay features and add new ones, and also bring new biomes, enemies, crafting materials, recipes, equipment pieces, skills, and base-building options to Enshrouded.
Many developers working on an Early Access game put out a roadmap that details both what they're adding to their game and when players can expect it to come. Keen Games hasn't given fans a full roadmap for Enshrouded, but the Early Access FAQ on the game's Steam page does hint at what's coming in future updates. All of these planned additions are listed below:
- Improved and new gameplay features
- New biomes and locations
- New enemies
- More crafting materials and recipes
- More tiers of weapons and gear
- Additional skills
- More furniture pieces and building materials
Note that while we know what's on the way, we don't know when any of these things will actually be added. Hopefully the developers release a detailed roadmap soon.
How much does Enshrouded cost?
Best answer: The Early Access version of Enshrouded costs $29.99 on Steam. Keen Games says it will increase the price when the game launches in full, though currently, it's not known by how much.
Currently, Enshrouded costs $29.99 to purchase, and will remain at that price while the game is in its Early Access state. However, Keen Games has confirmed that the game will get a price increase when it releases officially.
“We strongly believe that a higher price once we leave Early Access is fair, and most importantly, it should allow us to develop the game further according to your feedback," the studio wrote.
At the time of writing, it's unclear how much the price will go up specifically, but we anticipate that the developers will reveal that information once the game begins to near its full launch.
Is Enshrouded on Xbox or PS5?
Best answer: Not yet, but it will be eventually. Keen Games says Enshrouded will come to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 once its time in Steam Early Access concludes.
If you play your games on Xbox or PS5 and you're interested in checking out Enshrouded, you're probably curious if it's available on those systems. There's bad news and good news; the bad news is that currently, you can't play it on these consoles. The good news, though, is that the developers plan to bring Enshrouded to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 after the game's complete release on PC.
"The game will be released in Steam Early Access first," wrote Keen Games in a pre-release FAQ. "We will eventually bring the game to other platforms (namely, Playtation 5 and Xbox X|S) and storefronts, after completion."
This means Enshrouded could be on console roughly a year from now, though it may also take longer for the game to be ported. Ultimately, we'll have to wait until we hear more from the developers.
Interestingly, Keen Games mentioned "storefronts," which makes us think we might see Enshrouded come to other PC game distribution platforms like the Microsoft Store, GOG, or the Epic Games Store at some point. Nothing's been confirmed, though.
Is Enshrouded on Game Pass?
Best answer: Enshrouded isn't available on Xbox Game Pass right now, but there's nothing that suggests it can't come to Microsoft's subscription service at some point in the future.
Palworld has become the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch ever, with the game's availability on Microsoft's buffet-style gaming subscription service helping to propel it to over 7 million total players across the Xbox ecosystem. Though Enshrouded isn't playable on Xbox consoles right now, it is on Windows PC, and Palworld's success on Xbox Game Pass has many wondering if in addition to being on Steam, Enshrouded is also available to play with PC Game Pass.
Unfortunately, Enshrouded isn't on PC Game Pass, as it's being sold exclusively through Steam for now. That may change at some point — likely after it leaves Early Access and is officially launched — but for now, you'll need to buy a copy of the game on Valve's platform to play it.
Does Enshrouded have multiplayer?
Best answer: Yes, Enshrouded has co-op multiplayer. You can host and join games that have up to 16 players in them. World progress is saved to the host's PC, while inventory contents and equipped gear is saved to each player's individual character. You can also host dedicated servers using your PC, or rent one from a provider to join.
Games like Enshrouded are arguably almost always better when you've got friends to play with, so it's a good thing that the game launched with co-op multiplayer support right out of the gate. Specifically, you're able to host or join sessions with up to 16 players in them, and can protect them with passwords. When joining, you can also check the "Only show friend sessions" box in the server browser to easily find sessions your friends have going.
You also have the option to use dedicated servers, which you can either run and configure on your own PC or rent from a provider (Keen Games is partnered with GPortal, but there are lots of other providers too). If you're planning to try and host a dedicated server yourself, make sure you read through the official Enshrouded Dedicated Server FAQ, as well as Keen Games' guides on installing and configuring a server.
Notably, progress in the world is saved to the host's PC (or the dedicated server, if you're playing on one), while each player's inventory and equipped gear is saved to the character they're using. That means you can use the same character across multiple different sessions and servers and keep your gear through all of it, though at the main menu, you can make and switch to new characters if you'd prefer that.
Does Enshrouded have PvP?
Best answer: There is no PvP in Enshrouded currently, and it's unlikely that it will come in the future, either, as Keen Games feels that it should remain a co-op game. It says that "maybe, but only maybe," some modes to "have some fun on the side" could be added, though.
Enshrouded is designed from the ground up to be strictly cooperative, and as a result, there's no PvP of any kind in the game right now. We don't recommend getting your hopes up about PvP coming in the future, either, as the game's developers don't have anything for it planned right now. Notably, though, they did say that "maybe, but only maybe," some experimental PvP modes could be added "just to have some fun on the side."
"As of yet there is not PvP mode in the game or any PvP mode planned. The game itself will stay as it is as a co-op game, as we think experiencing the game together is more fun compared to fighting against each other," wrote Keen Games. "Maybe, but only maybe, we are adding some modes in the future just to have some fun on the side."
Is Enshrouded procedurally generated?
Best answer: No. Though Keen Games used "procedural tools to create the map," the map you play on is always the same, and was filled in "by hand" by the developers.
Many survival games or games with survival elements often have procedurally generated maps, so it's not surprising that many players are wondering if Enshrouded's environments are made this way, too. Keen Games says that while it used "procedural tools to create the map" — the map itself is the same in every world, by the way — everything in it is designed and placed "by hand."
"When we are creating the world, we use procedural tools to create the map," said the studio. "But then we use the old-fashioned way, by hand, by free range game designer to create an immersive hand-crafted experience, just to make it as exciting and beautiful as it can be."
Does Enshrouded autosave?
Best answer: Yes, Enshrouded uses an autosave system that saves the game every few minutes or so, and also whenever you leave a server or session by exiting to the main menu or quitting to desktop.
Enshrouded doesn't give you a way to manually save your progress, which has led many concerned players to ask if the game has an autosave system or not. Thankfully, it does, and it saves your progress whenever you leave a server or session by quitting out to the main menu or to desktop.
It also seems to save every few minutes while you're playing, too, which ensures you won't lose much progress if the game crashes or you have to force it to close with Alt+F4 or the Task Manager due to a freeze.
Does Enshrouded have controller support?
Best answer: Yes, Enshrouded has full controller support for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers. If you encounter issues, try using Enable Steam Input in the game's Properties > Controller settings on Steam.
Good news, controller fans: Enshrouded has full controller support for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers, so if you'd prefer to use a gamepad instead of mouse and keyboard to play the game, you can. Simply plug your controller into an open port on your PC (or connect wirelessly, using a wireless adapter or Bluetooth), and you should be ready to rock.
If you encounter problems getting your controller to work, try using the Enable Steam Input setting for Enshrouded on Steam. Do this by right-clicking the game in your Steam Library tab, selecting Properties, going to the Controller tab, and selecting Enable Steam Input from the dropdown.
Is Enshrouded playable on Steam Deck?
Best answer: Sort of. You can expect framerates in the mid-20s or so if you use all the performance-friendly settings, and notably, Enshrouded isn't currently a Steam Deck-compatible game. The ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go fare a bit better.
If you're hoping to play Enshrouded on Valve's Steam Deck handheld gaming PC, you can — though it's not officially considered a Steam Deck-compatible game right now, and its performance on the system isn't the greatest. Generally, you can expect a framerate in the mid-20s with all the settings turned down, which is playable, but still quite rough, especially for a game that requires well-timed dodges.
The ASUS ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go fare a little better, though again, the experience still isn't ideal. Both systems can achieve close to 30-40 FPS with performance-friendly settings, and sometimes you'll even push above that a bit depending on where you are in the game world.
