Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together are similar but distinct games. Both of these games were developed and published by Kiei Entertainment. Don’t Starve Together is a multiplayer survival, and Don’t Starve is just survival. Don’t Starve was released on April 23, 2013, and Don’t Starve Together was released on December 15, 2014.
Don’t Starve Together offers multiple genres: Action-adventure, survival horror, sandbox, and roguelike games. DST, or Don’t Starve Together, is a sequel to DS, aka Don’t Starve. Many gamers think these games are the same but a bit different, but they are very different with some similarities.
Don’t Starve Together is a much better game than Don’t Starve because it offers more content. Don’t Starve Together can be played solo, but you miss a ton because the game concept is based more on multiplayer.
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Why Don’t Starve Together Is A Better Game?
DST or Don’t Starve Together is a much better game than Don’t Starve because it has many features derived from the previous version. Don’t Starve Together is a multiplayer game suitable for solo players.
The game is a nightmare in some aspects for solo ones, and the biggest one is the boss’s health. Though the developers encountered this issue with mods that players can install.
The new sailing system and modification to the caves give DST a better replayability factor, making it a perfect sequel.
What Is The Difference Between Don’t Starve & Don’t Starve Together?
Many gamers new to the franchise need clarification on the games’ bundles and versions. Depending on how you look at the games, there are many versions and subcategories for Don’t Starve, one of which is Don’t Starve Together.
Don’t Starve is a single-player game with DLCs for it, and the multiplayer version is Don’t Starve Together.
The Original Don’t Starve & What You Need To Know About It
The original Don’t Starve was released in the spring of 2013 and is a single-player sandbox survival game. The world’s surface consists of three cave levels connected to a ruin.
Don’t Starve comprises two seasons: summer and winter. The only seasonal boss on the ground is the winter giant deer clops, and below the ground is the ancient guardian in ruins.
Don’t Starve has an adventure mode that is accessible by entering Maxwell’s door, and you face challenges like a story mode game. This adventure is unavailable in Don’t Starve Together or any DLC except the Reign of Giants.
Don’t Starve has ten playable characters, but you can play with Wilson and Wagstaff. The remaining are unlocked as you earn experience, and players unlock the remaining two characters with adventure mode.
The Three DLCs of The Game
The single-player Don’t Starve consists of a vanilla version and three DLCs. The Reign of Giants expands the vanilla game and Shipwreck and Hamlet, providing a different gameplay experience.
These versions are available for Windows on Steam and modern consoles, including Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. The game’s Nintendo Switch version has some bugs, but the rest of the game is the same.
A noteworthy difference between the Console and Windows is that Don’t Starve Together provides numerous game mods, which consoles do not. These DLCs require you to own the vanilla game, but you get to play the DLCs differently.
Whether you play on windows or a console, you can link the DLCs to each other and transfer items back and forth, giving the game an insane replayability factor.
1. Reign of Giants
The Reign of Giants is the first expansion DLC released for Don’t Starve, which came out in January 2014. This DLC expanded the content for the game introducing two more seasons taking the number from two to four and having a seasonal boss for each season.
They are as follows:
- Deer Clops in Winter
- Moose Goose in Spring
- the Dragonfly in Summer
- Berger in Autumn
Reign of Giants added copious stuff, such as the structures, mechanics, and monsters. Adventure mode is still available in this DLC with new mechanics. Two new characters are Wake Fred, whom you unlock by gaining experience.
The Weber is accessible by burying a spider skull in a dug upgrade. The Reign of Giants is an upgraded gameplay for the vanilla and introduces much more gameplay.
2. Shipwrecked
Shipwrecked is the second DLC for the single-player and was in early access in December 2015. This DLC changes the gameplay experience by putting you in an entirely new world never seen before. In this DLC, you have four new seasons; one is Mild, which is pleasant and stormy.
Monsoon is a season that causes floods and scarcity, switching the temperature enough to cause overheating. Scarcity occurs when a Volcano erupts. The world is filled with islands surrounded by navigable oceans with boats and equipment for traveling.
This version has no older bosses because it has three new ones, including the seal Nato that comes out in the stormy season and the Tiger Shark that roams the water around the year but can easily be fought during Monsoon season. The final boss, the Quackin, is spawned by trolling deep waters at any time.
Players can also explore a Volcano that can be appeased during the dry season by giving offers to the alter of snack revise. All the vanilla and Reign of Giants characters are present in this expansion, with four new ones.
The Walani is a surfer, the Warli the chef, and the Walani and Surfer are unlocked by gaining experience. The Wood legs, the pirate captain, Wilbur, and the monkey king are unlocked by specific actions in the game.
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3. Hamlet
The third and final DLC for the single-player Don’t Starve is Hamlet. Hamlet makes no big changes to the game and only makes significant changes like the Reign of Giants. In this DLC, you have new mechanics, buildings, biomes, and areas to discover as you continue your endeavors.
There are three new seasons to live in Temperate, Humid, and Lush. The three seasons work like this: Temperate is hotter and pleasant, Humid has a very thick fog to only see yourself, and Lush has hay fever to make you tremble and lose your sanity.
There are no previous bosses and only new ones; the new three bosses include:
- The Ancient Herald, who emerges when the apocalypse is present.
- The Queen Womant lies in the depths of Mant hill.
- The last boss, the Pugilisk, protects the fountain of youth and the large Iron Hulk.
The Hulk assembles when all his parts are assembled at the exact location. The older characters are still here, and three new ones are presented. Wormwood is one of them and is available from the get-go in Hamlet.
Experience can unlock the Wheeler, and Wilma is unlocked throughout the game.
The Confusion Between The Console Versions & Bundles of The Games
Some of the confusion is regarding how these titles are bundled together. The Xbox store has the Don’t Starve Giant edition, the Vanilla and Reign of Giants DLC. At the same time, on the PlayStation, the same thing is called Don’t Starve Console Edition + Reign of Giants expansion.
There’s also the Don’t Starve Nintendo Switch Editon on the Nintendo store, which is the Vanilla edition, includes the Reign of Giants, and Shipwreck.
To make this more confusing, Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox sell a Don’t Starve Megapack, which includes the Vanilla, the Reign of Giants, Shipwrecked, Hamlet, and multiplayer Don’t Starve Together. The Megapack also includes a bunch of in-game currency for buying items, cosmetics, and characters.
Whenever considering buying any of the games, check what’s included in them and be vigilant with the purchase.
The Pocket Editions For IOS & Android
Don’t Starve Pocket edition is vanilla (game without modes) Don’t Starve with the Reign of Giants expansion. The Shipwreck is the stand-alone version of the game and doesn’t require you to own the Pocket edition.
Unfortunately, you can not link worlds between these editions on mobile. Hamlet and Don’t Starve, Together are not available on Mobile. The Mobile editions are incredibly buggy, and we would recommend buying any of the games on a Windows rather than your Mobile or Nintendo Switch.
A new game called Don’t Starve – Newhome for Mobile is also being developed. Shanku Games is developing the game instead of Klei, the original company. Shanku Games have the license for the development given by Klei. The game will be a multi-player published by Tencent.
The Sequel Don’t Starve Together – What You Need To Know About It
The Don’t Starve Together beta version started in December 2014 and went into early access in June 2015, then fully released in April 2016. When the game came out, it was like the multiplayer surface level of the DLC, the Reign of Giants. Since then, the game has been massively updated and improved with everything the single-player doesn’t have.
Don’t Starve Together provides sailing mechanics which are different from shipwrecked. As it features a cave in the ruins level that is slightly different from the Vanilla (game without mods).
There are seasonal events, new bosses, new mobs, and everything players can not find in the game’s previous versions. The basic mechanics of the game are still identical to the previous version.
Don’t Starve Together is based on multiplayer and doesn’t focus much on solo play, so there are newer features to find in the game. The new bosses in the game are very hazardous for a solo player because the bosses’ health is very high and requires a team to be faced.
This game has older bosses, and even those with increased health are hard to battle. Developers made the game solely for multiplayer, with some exceptions for the solo ones, and this is why the health is substantially high for the bosses. Don’t Starve Together offers mods to decrease the bosses’ health and make the game friendlier for solo players.
Factors To Make Your Solo Experience Easier In Don’t Starve Together
This is a fun survival crafting game that gets more updates than its single-player predecessors. There are many problems with Don’t Starve Together solo because it is tailored around multi-player and leads to issues like bosses, resource generation, and game performance.
1. Singleplayer Health Mod
Singleplayer health mod rebalances monsters and boss health pools to be consistent with the original game. There are tons of players out there that are used to the spongy bosses, but there is a way to get around that.
The issue with DSTs bosses is their health dragging the battles out for too long and making the gameplay imperfect. This mod counters this issue and fixes the bosses’ health, implying no long battles to be fought and the game more joyful.
2. Don’t Starve Alone Mod
Whenever you create a massive cave, the game hits you with a significant amount of delay taking your time. The game takes this delay because it generates the surface and cave area at the same time.
Don’t Starve Alone mod ensures that the area only loads when your character is present. This mod makes a considerable change because it reduces the stress from the servers, making them load-free and running your game smoothly.
These mods are okay to install because you find them on Steam, so you don’t have to visit third-party websites.
3. Don’t Starve Together Solo Play Settings
Settings are always your preference, but many players choose specific settings, so it is worth trying them throughout your solo play.
Here are the two settings you can choose to make your solo play much easier:
1. Hound Frequency
In the later days, these Hounds are constantly coming at you. If the frequency is high, it is hard to defend yourself because it is easy to be taken off guard when no other player is there to help you.
Prevent this by turning the hound frequency down or after some progression in the game since you have resources to defend yourself. If you are playing as Wendy, turning down the hound frequency provides a smoother experience.
2. Surface & Cave Sizes
Turning the surface and cave size down is beneficial if you play the game solo. There is already a big world to explore, and you are alone in the adventure.
Turning these down won’t make any difference, and you can always increase the sizes again. Going to other biomes is easier, making getting resources less time-consuming.
Characters In Don’t Starve Together
There are a lot of familiar faces as compared to the single-player version. Every character in the game is refreshed except Wilson, who is still being refreshed but expecting to be buffed soon.
These characters are revamped and work very differently than Don’t Starve. Unlike in Don’t Starve, where you had to grind for the experience or do specific actions in the game to unlock the characters. However, in Don’t Starve Together, most characters are already unlocked when you start your journey.
The characters not unlocked initially are Wanda, Wortox, Wurt, and Wormwood. Players can purchase these characters with real money or evolve using spools and in-game currency items. These items are earned by unraveling cosmetic skins only purchased with real money.
Luckily, players gain cosmetic skins by logging daily or periodically throughout their gameplay. All the characters not unlocked at the start are obtainable without spending a single buck, but it requires dedication. If you purchased the game with Steam and you own the Hamlet DLC, Wormwood is already accessible to you.
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Which Game Is Better? DS VS DST
Both games provide a different gameplay than others and have some similarities but are different in particular aspects.
Don’t Starve Together is better for a player looking for a multiplayer experience than a solo one because the game was initially released for a group of people and designed that way. Don’t Starve is a single-player game made for a solo experience.
But if you want some hurdles in your gameplay, Don’t Starve Together is a better game because surely you will face challenges.
Modding is also one of the critical elements of DST. Although if you are alone, Don’t Starve Together only holds a little replayability, and you will likely get bored earlier. Don’t Starve has many DLC, each with its venture, and linking one world to another for a multi-verse is impressive.
These reasons are also why Don’t Starve offers more replayability than Don’t Starve Together for a lone warrior. Some players are looking for the best game for their buck, so it is better to consider a mega bundle.
What Is The Price of Don’t Starve & Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve is $5.49 on Steam, and Don’t Starve Together is $14.99 on Steam, and the price difference between these games is only $9.48.
Considering the price difference, it isn’t something concerning. These games’ prices are low, so choosing the game based on expense isn’t recommended. Each game has bundles and packages to make the cost more worthwhile.
What Is The Best Way To Purchase Don’t Starve & Don’t Starve Together?
There are better ways to go on about buying the games alone since there are bundles for them. Players should consider getting the mega-pack bundles, especially when it’s on sale.
The bundle price on Console or Steam is usually $32, but it strikes when a discount drops it to $15, the same price as Don’t Starve Together. The mega pack offers a ton for its price because you get Don’t Starve with all of its DLCs and Don’t Starve Together with a bonus of Don’t Starve Together in-game currency.
The mega pack is the most insane deal you capture for either of the games because you get more than two games to enjoy.
If you are on Steam and want to enjoy more than these two titles, get the best of Klei for $66 and $32 on a discount. The best of Klei pack includes Don’t Starve with all of the DLCs and Don’t Starve Together with five other titles, getting you 11 games for only $66 or $32 if you are lucky.
The DLCs are like their own game because of what they provide. All the bundles are worth it, but Don’t Starve Together is the best if you cannot afford them because it costs $14.99 but $5 on a discount.
Final Thoughts
Don’t starve is the perfect indie survival game because it is all about living in a fantasy world that tries to kill you every second. All you have to do is survive in the game, and the only thing you do not want to do is starve.
On the other hand, Don’t Starve Together is one of the best multiplayer survival games you can play. Both games are filled with copious amounts of entertainment waiting to be explored, and low prices make them on top of your wishlist.
When you want to enjoy Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together but don’t want to go broke, buy the mega pack when it’s on sale. Overall, Don’t Starve and Don’t Starve Together are excellent games; choosing any will make spending your time worthwhile.
