Game intel
Above Snakes
Snake. You know it - snake. You really don't know?
If there’s one thing I never get tired of, it’s games that put a fresh spin on settings we thought we’d seen every angle of. Above Snakes, developed by Square Glade Games and published by RedDeer.Games, instantly intrigued me because it redirects the classic Wild West—a domain usually reserved for shoot-’em-ups and realistic simulations—into a cozy, isometric world-building adventure. On paper, this mash-up hasn’t consistently clicked since genre-shapers like Don’t Starve and Terraria experimented with new backdrops. So, does Above Snakes have what it takes to stand out when it arrives on Nintendo Switch on September 4, 2025, after its full PC launch in late 2023? Spoiler: I’m intrigued and cautiously optimistic.
Most Wild West titles bend toward gunslinging duels or hyper-realistic town simulators. Above Snakes carves its own niche by inviting you to assemble the landscape itself—tile by tile—while you explore, farm, craft, and build at your own pace. You step into the boots of Aiyana, a frontier settler drawn into a supernatural mystery, but instead of chasing bandits from sunrise to sundown, you meticulously place desert outcrops, cactus groves, and abandoned ghost towns to shape your world.
This blend of sandbox creation and light survival instantly reminded me of the joy in games like Forager or classic city-builders, but drenched in dusty browns, rattlesnake skins, and tumbleweeds. Today you might fish in a tranquil creek; tomorrow you could be clearing a Lost Souls den for rare resources. That flexibility is a welcome breath of fresh air compared with survival titles that demand rigid routines and constant micromanagement.
The heart of Above Snakes is its modular world system. Instead of dropping you into a fully randomized map, the game hands you over 100 unique “world pieces”—small biome fragments or landmarks—you can connect however you like. Want a canyon valley leading into a cactus forest? Stack those tiles. Dreaming of a marshy bog beside a run-down saloon? Go for it. Each tile carries its own resources, hidden secrets, and potential threats.
This level of creative freedom puts risk and reward squarely in your hands. Place a high-difficulty Lost Souls hive near your settlement, and you’ll unlock rarer crafting ingredients—if you can survive the onslaught. The next time you open your map, you’ll see a tapestry of your own design, telling a story of exploration, trial, and triumph.
Above Snakes promises “light survival,” and it mostly delivers. You’ll keep tabs on basic needs—food, water, shelter—and navigate environmental hazards like sandstorms or roaming undead. Combat exists, but it’s a seasoning rather than the main dish. The real satisfaction comes from juggling resource management and world-building without the dread of permadeath or punishing hunger meters.
That said, I’m curious whether the balance will hold once the honeymoon phase ends. If challenge spikes are too rare, veterans may yawn. If threats feel relentless, cozy fans might bail. A well-woven narrative—guiding Aiyana through a supernatural frontier mystery—could be the glue that keeps you invested; it needs genuine emotional stakes rather than relying on worn Western clichés.
The indie survival and cozy builder scene is busier than ever. From Valheim’s Norse expeditions to Core Keeper’s glowing caverns, fresh worlds beckon daily. Above Snakes differentiates itself by marrying a beloved genre with an underused setting. RedDeer.Games has built a reputation for curating standout indies on Switch, and Square Glade Games is betting big on a simultaneous multiplatform rollout.
At $19.99, Above Snakes falls into the sweet spot for indie pricing—high enough to promise robust content but low enough to invite impulse purchases. Assuming the core systems remain engaging beyond the first weekend, this could be one of the best value Western adventures in years.
Above Snakes’ modular world-building, light survival, and dusty-trail charm give it a distinct identity in a crowded indie field. If Square Glade nails variety across its 100+ tiles and sustains narrative momentum through Aiyana’s mysterious journey, we could be looking at a sleeper hit that reshapes cozy crafting. Either way, if you’re tired of medieval forests and craving rattlesnakes, tumbleweeds, and ghosts under a crimson sunset, scrub your boots and saddle up: your next frontier awaits.
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