COLOURED STATIC PRESS | INDIE RELEASES
Some survival games ask you to master the wilderness. Under Canopies asks what happens when you learn to live alongside it instead. Solo developer Novemtails and publisher Assemble Entertainment launched the peaceful, first-person survival-crafting game into Steam Early Access on 23 October 2026, swapping weapons and combat encounters for cabin-building, wildlife photography and the quieter challenges of self-sufficiency.
There is an interesting distinction here. Under Canopies is not abandoning survival mechanics: hunger, thirst, energy and temperature still matter. Rather, its tension comes from the decisions involved in building a sustainable home, discovering the surrounding environment and balancing resources. If that approach works as intended, the forest becomes something to understand, not defeat.
What can you do in the forest?
The Early Access version centres on exploring woodland, collecting materials, building and decorating a cabin, cultivating a garden and cooking meals. The developer describes more than 30 recipes, while farming and crafting feed into a gradual expansion of your woodland home. Animals are part of that loop too: chickens and sheep provide resources, while wild creatures can be photographed and, in some cases, befriended through repeated interactions.
Photography is more than a decorative extra. The game offers an animal journal that players can build through discoveries and pictures, encouraging them to pay attention to what lives beyond the cabin walls. That gives the exploration a purpose beyond gathering whatever happens to be useful for the next crafting recipe.
From the latest Next Fest to Early Access
PR Hound shared the game’s launch materials with Coloured Static Press, confirming that Novemtails and Assemble Entertainment are inviting players into an evolving build rather than presenting this as the final release. According to the publisher’s announcement, the game passed 50,000 Steam wishlists, with approximately 11,000 added during Steam Next Fest. Those figures are developer/publisher-reported, not independently audited CSP measurements.
The team says player feedback has helped shape tutorials, controls, storage, inventory management and broader polish. The official Steam Early Access notice also acknowledges that some of the planned content and narrative conclusion are still to come. That distinction matters: interested players should judge the current game for what it offers today, not treat a future roadmap as a guaranteed finished feature list.
The developer behind the forest
Under Canopies is the work of Novemtails, the independent development label of Mexico-based programmer Roberto Ortiz. In his launch update, Ortiz described having worked on the project for nearly four years and stressed how much community feedback still matters to the game’s evolution. For a solo-led project with numerous interlocking systems, that relationship between the creator and its early players could prove just as important as the launch itself.
The Early Access plan includes further refinements to building, animal interactions, photography and progression. These are intentions outlined by the developer, not promises of specific features arriving on fixed dates. The Steam page currently discusses a relatively short planned Early Access period, but development schedules can change.
Why it is worth watching
The broader survival genre often measures progress in what you can conquer. Under Canopies offers a different proposition: progress measured in a better garden, a more welcoming cabin and a wildlife journal filled through curiosity. The idea is appealing, but whether its pacing, controls and progression sustain that promise is a question for hands-on assessment.
Coloured Static Press has requested PC review access from PR Hound and expressed interest in speaking with the developer. We will assess the finished experience we can actually play before offering a scored verdict.
Under Canopies is available now in Steam Early Access for PC. Find further details on the official Steam page or read the official launch release.
Editorial disclosure: This report draws on official developer, publisher and PR materials. CSP has not yet played the Early Access version; this is a reported launch feature, not a hands-on preview or review.