Steam's new open-world survival game 'steals' Cuphead's presentation and gives it Minecraft gameplay

Kalit aims to stand out in the crowded open-world survival game genre on Steam by doing something visually different: combining classic 1930s rubber hose animation with modern sandbox gameplay. As survival games continue to grow in popularity, Kalit it gains attention due to its combination of exploration, crafting and creature collection systems. It also ultimately ties together a sandbox-like mechanic Minecraft with a hand-drawn rubber hose style that will instantly remind you Cuphead (as well as recently released and well reviewed MOUSE: PI for rent).

Kalit is the biggest game yet from indie developer Traviteam Games, who previously released Scroter in 2023 and Unknown Tapes in 2024.

in the core Kalit throws Steam players into a gritty, cartoon-style open world where survival is the main goal. That's not surprising given the trappings of the open-world survival genre, but it offers the full range of what players can expect: resource gathering, crafting, farming, land and underwater exploration, and constant sandbox mechanics. Overall, easy to add to your Steam wishlist.

Silksong, Cuphead and other great hand drawn 2D games

Let yourself be drawn into these beautifully realized worlds.

Features of Kalit at a glance

Experience the mayhem of 1930s cartoons: A beautiful, fully hand-drawn “rubber hose” art style set in a massive 3D environment.
Capture and control creatures: Capture the bizarre local wildlife and fight by your side or automate your base.
Explore a huge open world: Climb any surface, glide across the sky and swim deep waters.
Talk to crazy NPCs: Meet a variety of quirky locals to trade, take on quests and learn the secrets of the island.
Build and craft: Mine deep for precious ores, refine materials and build your ultimate retro base and vehicles.
Main Survival Mechanics: Control your hunger, temperature and prevent your sanity from going crazy!
Farm, Fish and Forage: Sow seeds, water crops and cast a fishing line to prevent starvation.
Shoot and destroy enemies: Craft insane weapons and blast your way through hostile wilderness, aggressive mobs and giant bosses.
Level up: Earn XP to unlock new abilities and recipes in a deep progression system.

How Kalit excels in the open world Survival Crafting genre

While the open world feature Minecraft are clearly present in Kalitwhere they differ is how many different survival systems they layer together. There isn't really a single gameplay loop here; instead, players can work with several modern survival mechanics at their leisure:

Players can capture creatures and command them
Players can farm, mine and gather general resources
Production includes, but is not limited to, equipment, bases, and vehicles.

There's a lot more to it, but in each of these mechanics, players have a stronger upper hand than Minecraftmore open-ended world design. Possible loops are known, but Kalit not only do the players like it Minecraft. Again, exploration is a key feature as players have different biomes and environments to explore through climbing, sailing and swimming. There's movement and exploration, sure, but it's still more structured than free exploration Minecraft. Yet both have the same true sense of freedom.

Meanwhile, its biggest difference is its presentation. Rubberhose animation from the 1930s might be having a moment now due to a recent release MOUSE: PI for rentbut it's not like it's an art style adopted by many games in general. Here it is applied to a 3D open world.

Each animation is hand-crafted to reflect this era, giving the world a unique look compared to most modern survival games on Steam. This, of course, brings comparisons Cuphead inevitable only from a visual point of view. Still, it does something unique with the animation and doesn't just break the bank Cuphead. Similar to MOUSE: PI for rentThe pursuit of similar animation just seems to be a rubber hose moment in the industry.

Putting survival crafting into the open world survival crafting genre

While Kalit'The world is obviously huge, it still puts a lot of emphasis on building and crafting like many survival games on Steam. In it, players build bases, craft tools, and assemble vehicles, all while keeping themselves alive (hunger and thirst), managing their sanity, and regulating their body temperature. Survival mechanics include, but are not limited to, base building (and customization), resource refining and crafting, craftable weapons, vehicle construction, and automated defenses and tasks that can be assigned to creatures. It evolves over time from basic settings to more complex operations. It is not as unlimited as Minecraftbut it's definitely not possible without trying.

But yes, you can also capture creatures Kalit. There's a lot going on in its open world. Captured creatures can evolve and become stronger, helping players with combat, exploration, and/or base management. It's more primitive than a game Palworldbut it lends itself to making the open world more realistic. Overall, this creature system adds more depth to the game loop and goes beyond simple crowd interactions Minecraft and more in line with the modern trends of survival games.

Unlike many sandbox survival games, Kalit features NPCs that provide quests, trade opportunities, and world-building elements. These interactions expand gameplay beyond survival, adding structure and narrative-driven objectives—something missing from a player-driven gaming experience. Minecraft.

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Kalit will be released on Steam soon

Kalit attempts to combine classic cartoon animation with modern open world survival. This combination is rare, especially in a genre that usually favors realism or minimalistic visuals. If successful, Kalit could stand out in the crowded survival games market on Steam only because of its presentation. If not, it may struggle to balance its many systems, but in any case it represents a remarkable attempt at evolving the genre.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.