The Review
Pocketpair's "Pals with guns" survival-crafting game became a viral phenomenon at its January 2024 Early Access launch, and two years on it has settled into a more mature — if still unfinished — state.
Critics were lukewarm at launch and remain a touch cool (OpenCritic still lists it as "Fair," around 71, with just over half of critics recommending it), but players have consistently been far warmer: Steam currently sits around 95% positive across more than 150,000 reviews.
That gap has narrowed somewhat in 2026 — reviewers note the game has matured "from a viral sensation into a genuinely great survival game," pointing to 50+ new Pals, raid bosses, PvP arenas, and a full island revamp added since launch, alongside major stability improvements. The most common caveats: it's still in Early Access, still has bugs and the occasional crash, and some find the moment-to-moment loop repetitive over long sessions.
