What Wayward is
Wayward is a turn-based, top-down wilderness survival roguelike where you wash up alone with no ship and no crew, and have to stay alive. There are no classes and no levels; your character grows only through the things you do, so skills and stats rise from interacting with items and objects in the world. Movement is grid-based and every action takes a turn, which gives you time to think through each decision. The world is procedurally generated with five island types, each with its own content, and it runs on a day and night cycle with temperature effects. It plays like a traditional roguelike: random environments, resource and inventory management, non-modal interactions, and optional permadeath if you want the harsher run.
Playing together
Wayward has online multiplayer with an optional PVP mode, so your group can share a world and survive the same islands. Multiplayer also unlocks a simulated turn-based mode alongside the default turn-based mode, and a real-time mode is available as well. You can pick from hardcore, casual, challenge, or custom game modes when setting up, which lets the group agree on how punishing the run should be before anyone starts. Progression stays skill-based for everyone, so each player's character develops according to what they actually do in the world.
Before you start
Wayward is in Early Access, so expect things to change as development continues; the developers work iteratively and take community feedback, and you can roll back to previous versions or try the latest development build through Steam. There are over 750 items to craft, discover, and interact with, more than 30 skills, over 60 creatures and animals to fight, harvest, or tame, and 40+ milestones that unlock gameplay modifiers. Hardcore mode means permadeath, casual mode means respawning, so settle that with your group first. Modding and Steam Workshop support are included if anyone wants to tinker.