If you want a survival/crafting game with a twist and some story drizzled in there I'd give this game a try.

PROS
1. Lots of things to craft (despite only 10 hours into my new save) so I'm sure there is more.
2. Survival - Gotta manage thirst, hunger, rest (sleeping), temperatures (such as being too warm or too cold), and even defecating.
3. Different take on the world/map layout. Instead of being a open world it instead puts you into claustophobic hallways and caverns. Even alien/old worlds through some sorta portals.
4. Linear/story progression.
5. Has co-op. Unfortunately I don't have friends to try that. I'm sure it would be fun with more people.
6. Game so far can be played solo thankfully.

CONS
1. Managing hunger, thirst, rest and etc can be tedious for some people. Especially if you're moving around everywhere.
2. Game doesn't want you stay in one place forever. Its in your best interest to make multiple bases (crafting tables) in multiple locations. So if you like staying put and don't enjoy going out of your comfort zone... This might not be for you.
3. As stated above; the game wants you to go out of your comfort zone so if you're not fond of horror games this might not be for you. The game goes from innocent and light humor to dark and ominous real quick.
4. It is early access as of this review is being posted but the game might not have much replaybility as the story and progression seems linear. Map doesn't change its always gonna be the same no matter the save. (I think)
5. Game doesn't have your stereotypical base building where you place blocks or walls and build roofs and make a house like minecraft for example.

Conclusion
While it seems there's more text on the cons that's mostly subjective and most are a 'warning' to people who aren't fond of certain aspects of the game. I would give this game a 8.5/10 personally. I have not played through the entire game yet and I'm sure more content is coming so it might even get better. But I wanted to give a good review cause it has taken my interest after trying again. "trying again" meaning I didn't invest too much on my first saves, this time I got farther and pushed myself to venture into the unknown and this game does that. Makes you venture into the unknown, gather materials, survive while doing it, and while doing that... Gives you a sense of horror. You're an afraid newbie on the job unsure what the heck is going on and now you have to escape this so called 'new job' and fight for your life. The more I play this game the more it gives me red faction vibes with the whole cave system and such.

TL:DR
As I first stated. Nice change in pace survival/crafting game if you're looking for another one with a twist.
Doesn't have base building like minecraft or enshrouded so no houses.
Might not be very replayable once finished? (I have not finished the game so take that with a grain of salt)
Can feel like a horror at times so you have been warned.
Game wants you go out of your comfort zone.
Still early access and soon to be 1.0 (if no delays) so it might get better.

8.5/10

Apologies for any typos.

Edit - After a couple more hours of playing the game is becoming even creepier and things that were once not as aggressive are far more aggressive.

I got an achievment for sh!tting myself. GOTY.

Perfectly priced tosh, utter hedge. I would buy again. 11/10

This game is so ridiculously fun. I restarted it many times and each time I somehow managed to find something I missed. I eagerly await the next update and then (eventually) the 1.0 version of the game to discover new portals, craft more stuff and battle some new enemies.

The difficulty scaling is good. You can make the game decently challenging or even very chill. The art style is quirky and fun and clearly an homage to previous titles like Half-Like. Consequently, the game size is tiny. I can appreciate that when AAA titles are trying to use 110 GBs of my SSD. The writing is intriguing and a good mix of serious, dark and just plain goofy.

The devs care a lot about the product they put out: they've done many QOL updates, bug fixing, added things simply because players asked for it. It is very nice to see an EA where I am not even 1% worried about the devs abandoning the game or messing up the final delivery. So far they've walked the walk and talked the talk.

That being said, the game is not perfect, but it's in EA so I can forgive the rarely occurring bugs or balancing issues. I had one game breaking bug so far, but the rest were just slightly annoying, few and far in between, and you can get rid of all of them by restarting your server.

The game also doesn't really hold your hand and you are expected to read log entries and emails to figure out what to do and how to solve puzzles. This is an absolute positive in my opinion and offers a more old school gaming experience, but it's not for everyone.

Conclusion: f****ng awesome game, a rare gem, I will keep replaying it until new content comes out, kudos!

ABF has quickly become a personal favorite for three reasons

1. It has a hand-made map
2. If offers an immersive sim experience in a survival crafting package
3. The crafting system is incredible


Having a static map designed by a human is a bold choice for a survival crafting game—such games often rely on procedural generation for replay value—but this one choice pays off in spades. ABF’s map is a twisting thing of beauty, filled with shortcuts and secret passages reminiscent of the best portions of Dark Souls. No other survival crafting game has as thrilling of an exploration loop as ABF, which makes every hallway a compelling discovery and which consistently had me saying “huh, so *there’s* where that duct goes.” There are so many routes through the facility that even though it’s not a big open space, I never felt that restricted as I explored.


In an interview with PC Gamer magazine, Lead Designer Geoff “Zag” Keene said that his team hadn’t intended to make an Immersive Sim, but that didn’t keep them from knocking this part out of the park. The interlocking map—combined with a strong skill ladder and well-thought out environmental systems—means that there are plenty of different ways to overcome obstacles based on your playstyle. Best of all, multiplayer means that you can combine your favorite playstyle with your friends’ playstyles to make a cohesive team. If you love sneaking and your friend loves hitting stuff with a big sledgehammer, you’ll find that both of you will have plenty of opportunities for your specific role to shine.


I love that within minutes of playing, ABF leapfrogs right over the tech level of most survival crafting games. Where other games have you gathering wood and stone to make a spear, ABF puts you to work immediately looking for circuit boards and power supplies so you can make vacuums out of alien organs. The recipe trees become very complex very quickly, but there are enough quality-of-life features where it feels more satisfying than tedious. The supply and demand of materials is also remarkably balanced; you’ll undoubtedly be surprised at the “common” materials you run out of. Each item has heaps of personality, as well. You may wonder why you need a desk phone to craft a spear, but it all makes sense when you actually see the spear and realize that *of course* you need to have a little hand-guard to protect your delicate little science-fingies.

• Build at least one base per sector. It’s entirely possible to build one big mega base in the first sector, but there are so many base locations and the crafting/scavenging is so fun, you’ll regret NOT building more bases.
  
• Don’t Be Afraid to Tweak Difficulty. I personally turn down monster hitpoints and turn up damage for a faster but deadlier game that rewards good preparation. I think default difficulty is great and you should probably start with that... but since you have the option to balance difficulty mid game, it’s better to tweak a setting than give up entirely.
  
• Multiplayer and Solo Are Very Different Experiences. I like Multiplayer best, but scheduling keeps my friends from playing consistently. My solo game has in no way diminished my fun in multiplayer, even though I’m much farther ahead in the plot.

The most common comparison people make with ABF is Half Life, though I think that is actually underselling it. Yes, Half-Life fans will find plenty to love here, but I most frequently find myself comparing it to Control—with its liminal uncanniness and its desire to categorize the inexplicable.The scientists of GATE have stumbled onto a world which can only be described as “arcane”, but that doesn’t keep them from firmly believing that any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science. Are they correct? Who knows! But the way ABF walks the tightrope between zany and eerie is impressive. If you’ve ever wanted to build a pillow-fort in a haunted mall then this is absolutely the game for you.

I enjoy me some good Half-Life, mix with SCP Lore and a bit of Project Zomboid mechanics to the mix and you get this fun of a game :3

Its Like an Open world of the Original Half life but with more dimensions.

FUN AS HELL

I have not played a game this good in a long, long time.

cool premise that doesn't feel like im playing the EXACT same survival game over and over again like some other games. Genuinely enjoy this game