Enshrouded

Enshrouded is an open-world survival action RPG developed by Keen Games, the German studio previously known for Portal Knights. It entered Steam Early Access on January 24, 2024, and is built with Unreal Engine 5. The game takes place in Embervale, a fantasy land devastated by the release of the Shroud, a supernatural corruption that covers much of the world in deadly fog. Players control the Flameborn, people awakened from ancient burial chambers by the Flame Altar.

The central premise combines exploration, building, crafting, and combat with a directed quest about restoring civilization. The player begins with a small Flame Altar and expands its base by rescuing survivors, including key figures whose skills unlock crafting stations and story progress. Enshrouded uses a voxel-based building system, allowing structures to be shaped extensively rather than assembled only from fixed prefabricated pieces. Equipment includes weapons, armor, shields, gliders, and grappling hooks, which support movement through cliffs and ruined settlements.

The Shroud is not merely scenery: it limits visibility, contains hostile creatures, and makes unprepared travel dangerous. Flame levels and Shroud passages divide the map into regions, encouraging players to improve equipment and strengthen their base before venturing farther. One distinctive feature is the timed Shroud survival system. Entering corrupted areas starts a countdown, although Flame shrines, consumable items, and certain upgrades can extend the available time. This creates pressure during expeditions without turning the entire game into a permanent race against a clock.

Its narrative is delivered through quests, written lore, and environmental remains. The Flameborn learns that the ancient Flame was used to sustain Embervale, while the Shroud was connected to the substance called Fell. Survivors such as the blacksmith Oswald Anders, the alchemist Balthazar, the hunter Athalan Skree, and the carpenter Cade Hawthorn provide specialized services after rescue. Their workshops turn a solitary survival scenario into a settlement management loop, with food, storage, and production supporting exploration.

Enshrouded supports solo play and cooperative multiplayer for up to 16 players. Its world is handcrafted rather than procedurally generated, and major landmarks include the abandoned capital of Pikemead's Reach and the Kindlewastes, a desert region added during Early Access. The developers have continued adding areas, quests, enemies, and systems through updates. Keen Games has stated that Early Access is intended to incorporate player feedback before the full release. That process makes development history unusually visible.