Surf & Survive: Voyagers of Nera
The survival genre gets cosy at the beach.
‣ Voyagers of Nera
From: Treehouse Games
Platforms: PC
Release: Q2 2025
Genre: Survival, Cosy, Family
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site
Surf the blue seas and visit those tropical islands on the horizon
Survival games have expanded beyond their niche roots into one of the most popular genres today. There’s something for everyone. Hardcore players can endure a world where a single scratch could prove fatal, avoiding starvation with scraps of mouldy food while dodging hordes of zombies, cannibals, or angry beasts.
Many survival titles aim for the middle—hard but not crazy. You might be building a raft, running around a garden as a shrunken teenager, or singing with fellow dwarves in the forgotten mines of a popular fantasy franchise. Tame dinosaurs, capture bandits, dodge deep-sea leviathans, or mine literal blocks.
And if you relish something cosier and more family-friendly, there's Voyagers of Nera.
Voyagers of Nera retains the core elements of survival games: exploration, resource gathering, crafting, base building, and managing hunger.
However, it prioritises fun and accessibility over difficulty. Up to ten players can join a server, playing as Echoes—descendants of the magical ocean's protectors. The world consists of numerous islands that players explore by land, sea, and underwater.
During these travels, players level up to unlock new technologies and equipment. They also find lost spirits that bestow special abilities, craft materials, and enhance equipment (for example, you can add wind spirits to your ship for extra speed).
Every survival game needs a hook. For Voyagers of Nera, it's the allure to explore chains of islands, abandoned ruins, and underwater locations. While swimming is possible, players quickly acquire surfboards and boats for effortless travel.
It wouldn't be a survival game without some challenge. Your character can die from hunger. There are monsters that roam the islands and water, and some tough boss fights. The combat system requires a little timing with blocks and dodges. But this game is not punishing.
Exploration is fun since you can build anywhere to help you reach new areas. Even the usual grinding typical to survival games is soothed by frequent and generous item respawns.
Visually, Voyagers of Nera is impressive. The art style is distinctive yet familiar, boasting a high-quality finish. The world is vibrant and colourful with warm sunlit beaches, lush greenery, and sparkling azure waters. There is a clear sense of place, of a forgotten world with old ruins and hidden mysteries.
This attention to detail is unsurprising, given that the small development team includes veterans from AAA game studios. Their collected experience brings the characters and their surroundings to life through smooth animations and great art design.
📽 Demo Snapshot: Sailing is where I want to be
Compared to the genre's standards, Voyagers of Nera has room for refinement. Movement, especially climbing and combat, still feels limited. The game also lacks certain quality-of-life features commonly found in other survival games, such as streamlined inventory management and an auto-run function.
But the core game is solid. Rather than trying to be hard, Voyagers of Nera is a fun and cosy survival game, suitable for the whole family and inviting to new players to surf the blue seas and visit those tropical islands on the horizon.
Voyagers of Nera will release on Steam during Q2 2025.
Explore The Game with Youtube Chapters:
📽 0:46 Make a character
📽 5:03 Outside
📽 17:29 Base building
📽 33:36 Harvesting underwater
📽 46:02 Stunning sunrise
📽 58:01 Releasing a new spirit
📽 01:12:59 Build to reach places
📽 01:21:24 Exploring the island
📽 01:28:29 Expanding the base
📽 01:31:12 Hit the waves
📽 01:47:53 Into the cave
📽 02:16:32 What's on the pier?
📽 02:36:25 Let's go sailing
📽 03:05:28 Adding a boat spirit
📽 03:23:10 Echo's lament
📽 03:52:05 Fighting the construct
📽 03:11:44 The Ocean shrine
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