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Don't StarveVSThe Forest

Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.

Don't Starve

Don't Starve

IndieSimulationAdventure
Quality
90Popularity
41Value
40
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
-42% $5.82
Buy Now
VS
The Forest

The Forest

ActionIndieSimulationAdventure
Quality
91Popularity
47Value
48
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
-3% $19.33
Buy Now

Winner

The Forest wins the comparison based on the metrics. Takes 8 of 14 head-to-head metrics.

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

6
Don't Starve
6 of 14 metrics
The Forest
8 of 14 metrics
8

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$5.82 Wins
$19.33 -
Historical Low Price (USD)
$2.49 Wins
$19.87 -
Best Current Discount
-42% Wins
-3% -
Sales Frequency
46 price changes Wins
6 price changes -
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
79/100 -
83/100 Wins
Steam Review Score
96.5% positive Wins
95.6% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
96.2K -
570.6K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
92.8K -
545.4K Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
3.3K Wins
25.2K -
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
1.3K -
3.3K Wins
Steam Recommendations
95.8K -
564.0K Wins
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
0 -
45 Wins
Supported Languages
2 languages -
16 languages Wins
Release Date
Apr 2013 -
Apr 2018 Wins
GameValio Recommendation
MaybeDon't Starve

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

MaybeThe Forest

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
Don't Starve
The Forest

Player Count Trends

— Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

— Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

Don't Starve

Don't Starve

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -42% $5.82Buy Now
Steam
Steam +72% $9.99View
The Forest

The Forest

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -3% $19.33Buy Now
Steam
Steam +3% $19.99View

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

Don't Starve

Quality

Excellent community reception — players and critics agree on the quality.

97% positive (96,178 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 79/100 — generally favorable from critics
96,178 reviews — extremely reliable sample

Value

Not the right time to buy — wait for at least 50% off.

$5.82 — very accessible price
42% off — decent discount

Popularity

Smaller but still existing player base — longer wait times for multiplayer.

-13% minor player decrease
823 concurrent players — smaller but active
96,178 total reviews — major title

The Forest

Quality

Consistent high ratings show real quality, not just hype.

96% positive (570,507 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 83/100 — high marks from professional reviewers
570,507 reviews — extremely reliable sample

Value

Value isn't great at this price — better opportunities expected.

$19.33 — reasonable price
3% off — minor discount

Popularity

Past its peak but still active — niche experience.

+8% player growth
3,375 concurrent players — solid base
215 new reviews — still being discovered
570,507 total reviews — gaming phenomenon

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsDon't StarveThe Forest
Release Date
April 23, 2013
April 30, 2018
Developers
Klei Entertainment
Endnight Games Ltd
Publishers
Klei Entertainment
Endnight Games Ltd
Platforms
Linux, Windows, MacOs
Windows
Achievements
45

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

Don't Starve

No PC requirements data available

The Forest

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows 7
  • Processor: Quad Core Processor
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 5 GB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX®-compatible

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Don't Starve or The Forest?

The Forest won the comparison against Don't Starve based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is Don't Starve worth buying over The Forest?

Based on the metrics, The Forest won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. The Forest currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 3, 2026, 10:39 PM UTC

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Disclaimer

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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