Winter Burrow is like a very cozy, laid back Don't Starve with a bittersweet edge that tugs at the heartstrings

The opening to Winter Burrow is unexpectedly heartwrenching. Storybook illustrations introduce the woodland survival game by showing scenes of a little mouse and their parents. It's at once clear we're seeing the protagonist's childhood as they fondly look back on the burrow that was their parents' dream home. But after the family uproots to the city, we then discover that the mouse's mother and father couldn't survive the harsh realities of life there. Following such loss, the small rodent decides to return to the childhood burrow years later. Only, now it's fallen into a state of despair, and it's up to you to breathe life back into the place you and your parents loved.

The artwork is very adorable, but the set up is undeniably sad and it immediately captures the duality of the experience. Because as cozy and cute as the experience is – from knitting on an armchair to baking pies – this is still at its heart a survival game; albeit a very approachable, laid back one. With the cold temperatures to contend with, an empty home to restore, and characters to meet who are going through their problems of their own, I've found myself quite taken by the slightly dark, bittersweet undercurrents lurking beneath the comfy Wind and Willows vibes of developer Pine Creek Game's adventure.

Mouse in the house

The rundown burrow is in need of some serious TLC. All the amenities in the room are in need of repair, including the likes of an armchair and a broken stove. But the first task to fulfil is to make my very own axe at the crafting table. Of course, this will require resources, so I set off in search of twigs, flax fiber, and pebbles in the great outdoors. It immediately feels quite close to the likes of Don't Starve, with a warmth and hunger meter to keep an eye on as I venture outside.

I learn all too quickly that to start out with, going too far away from my burrow is not the best idea, with the cold steadily starting to form an icy frame around the screen after I spend too long exploring. Should my warmth meter completely deplete, health will start to take a hit, and that's when it's time to flee back to the fireplace heating my burrow.

Plus, without a map to use – which did cause me to lose my way quite a few times – I have to rely on my own lay of the land to find my little home again. So, I decided not to get overly ambitious in the first hour and stay close to home. As I progress, I start to really get my bearings in the woodland area surrounding the burrow, and even start using my own tiny footprints in the snow as breadcrumbs to lead me back home when I need to deposit things I've foraged or get warmed up.

Everything is immediately very easy to get a hang of, with the initial repair jobs setting me up nicely for the way it all works. Once I make an axe, for example, I then set my sights on repairing the stove so I can fill my hungry belly. Each time you come across something to restore or an item you want to craft at the table, you can helpfully select it to track as a quest, which brings up the resources you need on screen like a checklist.

Woodland world

The more I restore in my burrow, the longer I can stay outside and venture further. Bringing the cozy armchair back to its former glory lets me settle down and knit some new clothes to protect me against the cold, and my stove opens up a roster of recipes for dishes I can make with nearby resources that will help stave off my hunger, and give me some additional buffs that can protect against the low temperatures, or make my axe more effective for a short time.

The latter buff certainly comes in handy when I come across my first real threat in the shape of an angry ant. Some of the critters you encounter in the woodland outside of the burrow will attack you, but you can easily fight back with your axe. They also drop meat that can be used for food, with the ant said to be citrusy in flavor (can't say it looks very appetizing, though).

Before long, I find myself repairing a bridge and visiting my Aunty, who didn't know about my parents and at once tries to make up for it by teaching me new recipes and offering useful advice. But when things take a turn and I have to help my Aunty out instead, the world opens up to me even more.

The more I craft and discover, the further into the woodland I can go, with campfires offering little pockets of warm safety away from my burrow if I venture further out. And as I come to new areas, more resources are available to me, not to mention some fresh faces who I have to help out and in turn be helped by. What strikes me most about the characters I meet as this intrepid little mouse is that they're all going through something in this cold, wintry world, and just like you, are trying to make the best of it and survive.

From a toad who's clearly harboring some familial regrets, to a squirrel who's seemingly been pushed out of his huddle in the winter, there's an underlying feeling of isolation surrounding Winter Burrow and the characters you briefly meet along your journey. Just as the protagonist is trying to reclaim the safety and comfort of a home that was once a place of warmth and love, others in the woodland are also trying to find where they belong in this cold environment. At least, that's the feeling I've gotten so far.

It's not an overly-long experience, all told, and survival veterans won't find anything new here, but I love the overall look and feel of Winter Burrow's setting, as well as the bittersweet sentiment at the heart of the experience. It's also undeniably cozy in its own way too, and if you're after something to warm you up this winter, well, the clue's right there in the name.

Winter Burrow is out now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. For more recommendations, head on over to our Indie Spotlight series.