Near Death, a game about surviving alone in Antarctica after your plane crashes near an abandoned research facility, is a treat of smart and unique game design. It's a short but sweet experience, with a simple premise elevated by its attention to detail and valuable sense of progression.
You start things off out in the open, facing down the chill and inky darkness of the derelict facility with only a flashlight to help peer through the night and a kerosene lantern for warmth. The flashlight has limited life unless supplied with fresh batteries, and the lantern will only warm you in sealed spaces, but only when fueled with vital kerosene, both of which can be found in precious scarcity throughout the facility. Some parts of the facility interior have busted windows letting in the cold or doors held open by the wind which need to be patched up and shut respectively. This is where some light crafting comes into play as the remains of canvases and duct tape allow for makeshift seals, letting you break out your lantern to ward off death. These mechanics never feel cumbersome either, as progress is saved regularly and you learn to think in small goals; taking baby steps to ensure survival rather than making a mad dash from one end of the map to the other, freezing to death in the process. Immersion is a big part of the experience as well, as the only indicators that you're getting too cold or have fully warmed up is through convincing voice acting; shivering in the cold growing more and more panicked or a quick "much better" after huddling with your lantern.
The key to survival then, is braving the outdoors in hopes of making it alive to the next sealed facility space to warm up and look for supplies, then continuing on to the next major goal. It's easy to get disoriented when out in the elements however, as the few, sparse lights of the barely functioning facility act as dim beacons in the dark and the wind rages against your progress. It very accurately captures the feeling of struggling to find safety as your head bobs violently, exhausting yourself before barely reaching respite. Yet narrowly escaping death and warming yourself in a new space, filled with supplies, is a feeling of pure joy and quickly becomes a highlight of the game. It never feels unfair when you die, but rather, an error in calculation. Perhaps you tried to go too far in a single trek and had the misfortune of coming upon a door that's been frozen shut with no more time to look elsewhere before you freeze. You quickly learn from these mistakes, and learn the facility bit by bit, so you reload your last save and try to be smarter next time.
In short time, you come into contact with help via a teletype 2-way messaging system, and from there are given some hope for rescue and instructions as to how to survive long enough to be saved and bring some of the facility back online. Turning a part of the facility from a barren deathtrap into a self-heating haven is elating, and offers a welcome break from the survival aspects of the game, allowing you to save on batteries and kerosene. Rescue is still a long ways off however thanks to the turbulent weather, so basking in your small victory must give way to soldiering on and securing more long-term means of survival. It keeps you engaged with realistic survival objectives to achieve, and rewards you for your efforts in tangible and surprising ways.
Ultimately, Near Death sets out to do one thing right, and it accomplishes it in spades. Simulating a no-frills survival experience in a lonely, unforgiving place. There's no monster besides nature itself, no magic to learn or shelters to construct from wood and earth, just you, some hobbled-together necessities of life, and the punishing cold and darkness. It feels simple, but intuitive and engaging because of it. It doesn't need to be more, and what it is is done with exceptional thought and care. Near Death is a hidden gem in the survival genre, and it frames its own identity with a well-earned confidence.