During the pandemic, while many were confined indoors, the RocketWerkz development crew, including Brian Hicks, the former creative director of DayZ, and Dean Hall, delved into Eco—an educational sandbox game. Hicks, who was pivotal in the genesis of the modern survival genre with DayZ, expressed his admiration for Eco, which he considers a “little educational game for middle-schoolers.”

Echoing his past with DayZ, Hicks spoke passionately in a conversation with PC Gamer about how Eco’s cooperative gameplay and shared goals could inform future survival games, indicating a need for more nuanced experiences that go beyond mere survival.

As Hicks elaborated, “The essence of survival games should transition toward creating experiences that foster cooperation and community, rather than focusing solely on competition.”

Key Events:

• Hicks found himself embroiled in a social experiment while developing Icarus during COVID lockdowns, resulting in playful yet competitive dynamics among his colleagues.
• This unique blend of social interaction and gaming led to memorable stories from their Eco sessions, including a contentious presidential campaign within the game that highlighted the intersections of gaming and real-world behavior.

As the conversation highlights, while the tale of DayZ may fade, the experiences and lessons drawn from collaborative gameplay continue to resonate, offering insights into the evolution of the survival genre.