- Games
- Rooted
Rooted
An upcoming survival game where friends salvage abandoned places and build camps in a contaminated world.
Online co-op for up to 6 players.
- 6 online
Store pages
Playing together
- Online co-op6 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- YesA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckNot testedValve has not rated it yet
About the game
You survive in a world left behind after biological warfare. Forests offer space to establish a camp, while abandoned villages and a contaminated city hold equipment to recover. You search buildings, take useful objects apart and learn to repair or rebuild what you find. Better protection lets you reach places that were too dangerous before.
The announced online co-op supports up to six players in a hosted session. You can share supplies, develop a base and prepare for threats from animals, hostile people and machines. Friends are meant to be able to join a session already in progress. Building, exploration and equipment improvements form a continuing survival world. Rooted is still in alpha development, with public early access planned for 2027, so these features describe the intended game.
How it feels
Kind of game
One lasting world your group settles. You gather, build and push into dangerous places together.
- Now and then
- Fear
- Calm and coziness
- Story
- Working in sync
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
Rated on our own feel scale. 5 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Rooted
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
ARK: Survival Evolved
Why it scores 85%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Wilderness survival and Science fiction
- Core to both
- Exploring, Building and creating, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How ARK: Survival Evolved differs
- More time to just hang out than Rooted
- 70 online
- 2 split-screen
- Crossplay
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about surviving in the wild and science fiction. Both are about exploring places you have not seen.
But more time to just hang out than Rooted.
Empyrion - Galactic Survival
Why it scores 84%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Science fiction
- Core to both
- Exploring, Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Empyrion - Galactic Survival differs
- More time to just hang out than Rooted
- Online
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about science fiction. Both let you build things together.
But more time to just hang out than Rooted.
Smalland: Survive the Wilds
Why it scores 84%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Wilderness survival
- Core to both
- Exploring, Building and creating, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Fighting
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Smalland: Survive the Wilds differs
- More time to just hang out than Rooted
- 10 online
- Crossplay
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about surviving in the wild. Both are about exploring places you have not seen.
But more time to just hang out than Rooted.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The maker explicitly says the announced Windows full game is not free. Paid pledges include its eventual base game. This is an announced access model, not a current released purchase offer.
- 13
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
8 pages
rootedthegame.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Release date, Genres, Fear, Story, Calm and coziness, Getting better, About, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: The maker prioritizes PvE solo and co-op. Public early access remains future content.
- Most players online: The FAQ explicitly gives up to six players in a co-op session. It discusses larger caps and dedicated servers only as future possibilities.
- Release date: The current FAQ gives 2027 for public early access.
- Genres: The maker identifies survival, exploration and building, with crafted and repaired equipment.
- Fear: The maker deliberately uses fear at night as survival atmosphere. Horror is not established as the main activity.
- Story: Lore comes from objects, recordings and exploration. The maker says there are no narrative missions.
- Calm and coziness: The starting forest is uncontaminated and contains camp activities. This supports limited quieter stretches.
- Getting better: Survival includes protection, hostile environments and equipment knowledge. The announced systems require learning, provisionally.
- About: The starting camp supports hunting, fishing and farming for survival, while later routes require protective equipment. This supports wilderness survival.
- Free base co-op: The maker explicitly says the announced Windows full game is not free. Paid pledges include its eventual base game. This is an announced access model, not a current released purchase offer.
headlight-studio.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Kind of game, Building and creating.
- Most players online: The studio game page independently lists one to six players.
- Kind of game: The studio describes exploring, scavenging, building shelters and restoring equipment together.
- Building and creating: Constructing shelters and restoring technology form the announced central loop.
rootedthegame.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Friends can join mid-game, About, Working in sync, Tension and danger, Fighting, Exploring, Planning ahead, Free base co-op.
- Friends can join mid-game: The maker explicitly says others can join your game session whenever they want. This remains an announced feature.
- About: Recovering supplies, managing wilderness survival and facing advanced machines define the announced setting.
- Working in sync: The announced co-op activities include sharing resources, dividing tasks and preparing defenses. Solo play is supported.
- Tension and danger: The maker describes dangerous zones, base defense, hostile survivors and machines.
- Fighting: Enemies include hostile survivors, animals and robots, alongside defensive preparation.
- Exploring: The announced world spans forest, villages and urban ruins to search for useful equipment.
- Planning ahead: Choosing protected routes, preparing defenses and repairing the right gear support planning before expeditions.
- Free base co-op: The maker explicitly states that the announced full game is not free. Paid pledges include its eventual Windows base release. This does not claim a current released purchase panel.
rootedthegame.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release status, Release date.
- Release status: The June 12, 2026 announcement places public early access in the future and describes the current alpha as unrepresentative.
- Release date: The maker announces late 2027. No launch day is given.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Release status, Sessions, Unlocks and progress, Friends can join mid-game.
- Steam app ID: The opened Headlight Studio product page uses app 1940080.
- Release status: The page says Coming Soon To Early Access and not yet available.
- Sessions: The announced shared world develops through camps, secondary outposts and access to new areas.
- Unlocks and progress: Salvaging teaches recipes, and new equipment, areas and crafting options open over time.
- Friends can join mid-game: The product description independently allows joining an existing session.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Release status.
- Steam app ID: Steam identifies Rooted as app 1940080.
- Release status: The live response identifies the game as coming soon.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve has not rated the game for Steam Deck.
gamesradar.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Tension and danger.
- Tension and danger: The trailer preview describes isolation, abandoned shops and fortifying a camp against survivors. It does not establish final-game pacing.