PCGame

Plains of Pain

Open-world survival crafting amid deadly heat and rival factions

Cobra Byte Digital · Released Feb 17, 2023 · Early Access

ActionAdventureIndieMassively MultiplayerRPGSimulationEarly Access

Reviews
Very Positive
83% of 1,029
Recent reviews
Mostly Positive
78% of 94 in 30 days
Playing now
56
right now
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update
5 days ago
Sep 17, 2026

What is Plains of Pain?

This open-world survival crafting game takes place in a post-apocalyptic desert after solar flares devastate Earth. You manage heat, thirst, and toxic air while exploring, building bases, crafting gear and hover vehicles, and trading with NPCs. You can remain neutral or take a side in a struggle between two factions.

For you if...

  • +you like self-directed survival in a hostile wasteland
  • +you enjoy building bases and crafting vehicles
  • +you want to survive alone or alongside friends

Not for you if...

  • −you prefer a guided path over open-world exploration
  • −you dislike managing thirst and heat while exploring
  • −you want quick progress without gathering and crafting

What players say

83% of 1,029 reviews are positive · 78% of 94 in the last 30 days

Players praise the wasteland atmosphere and the freedom to explore, craft, and build. They complain about bugs that can erase progress, confusing menus, and cumbersome inventory management.

Screenshots and trailer

Plains of Pain

Plains of Pain system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS
Windows 7
Processor
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Graphics
GTX 670 2GB / AMD R9 280 better
Memory
10 GB RAM
Storage
7 GB available space
DirectX
Version 11

Recommended

OS
Windows 10
Processor
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Graphics
GTX 980 / AMD R9 Fury
Memory
16 GB RAM
Storage
7 GB available space
DirectX
Version 12

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows
Achievements
4
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards

Steam Deck: Playable

  • Default controller config not fully functional
  • Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
  • Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
  • Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

Multiplayer and co-op

Languages

Text only: English, Czech, Spanish - Spain, Portuguese - Brazil, German, French, Ukrainian, Korean, Polish, Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese.

Tags

Recent updates

Games like Plains of Pain

No Man's Sky
Open-world space sandbox across a procedurally generated galaxy
85% positive
ASTRONEER
Open-world space sandbox about reshaping planets and building bases
92% positive
Terraria
2D sandbox adventure built around digging, crafting, and boss fights
97% positive
Valheim
Norse open-world survival crafting with co-op building and bosses
94% positive
Project Zomboid
Open-world zombie survival sandbox where every mistake can end a life
94% positive
7 Days to Die
Open-world zombie survival sandbox built around crafting and base defense
87% positive