If you’ve ever wished you could smash together the best parts of No Man’s Sky, Valheim, and The Forest into one game, indie developer VestGames heard you loud and clear. Their upcoming title Highreach is gearing up to deliver exactly that—a survival RPG that cherry-picks the most exciting features from three of the genre’s heaviest hitters.
And the best part? Early access launches in Q1 2026, so the wait isn’t long.
What Is Highreach?
Highreach drops players into a fantasy world that’s been absolutely wrecked by a mysterious catastrophe. Your mission? Rebuild civilization from the ashes while battling hostile environments, managing settlements, and exploring a procedurally generated open world.
Think Valheim’s cozy base-building meets The Forest’s brutal survival mechanics, with a sprinkle of No Man’s Sky’s exploration magic—minus the space travel.
Key Features at a Glance
- Survival-focused RPG with open-world exploration
- Co-op for up to 5 players (because surviving alone is overrated)
- Crafting and base-building systems
- Settlement management to rebuild civilization
- Companion NPCs with rich backstories to recruit
- Airship traversal with full customization and upgrades
- Diverse combat styles to match your playstyle
- Procedural generation for endless replayability
How Highreach Borrows from the Best
Valheim’s Base Building Meets The Forest’s Challenge
If you’ve played Valheim, you know the satisfaction of building a thriving settlement from scratch. Highreach leans heavily into that vibe with its strategic settlement management system. You’re not just slapping together a shack—you’re rebuilding an entire civilization.
But it’s not all cozy crafting sessions. Highreach also channels The Forest’s unforgiving survival difficulty:
- Combat against hostile creatures
- Resource scarcity forcing tough decisions
- Environmental dangers threatening your settlements
The combination means you’ll need both planning skills and quick reflexes to thrive.
No Man’s Sky’s Exploration Gets a Fantasy Twist
No Man’s Sky revolutionized survival games with spaceship exploration across procedurally generated galaxies. Highreach takes that concept and grounds it (literally) in fantasy with customizable airships.
What makes Highreach’s airships special:
- Fully customizable designs to make your ship unique
- Upgrade systems to improve performance
- Travel seamlessly between biomes across the open world
- Adds vertical exploration without breaking the fantasy setting
Instead of hopping between planets, you’re soaring over ruined landscapes, discovering hidden points of interest, and connecting distant biomes. It’s a brilliant way to capture No Man’s Sky’s sense of wonder while staying true to Highreach’s medieval fantasy aesthetic.
Procedural Generation Keeps Things Fresh
Both No Man’s Sky and Valheim use procedural generation to create diverse, unpredictable worlds—and Highreach is following suit. Every playthrough promises new challenges, layouts, and discoveries.
What Highreach’s biomes offer:
- Variety: Multiple distinct biomes with unique resources and dangers
- Connectivity: Link biomes using portals and ziplines
- Points of interest: Unique locations to discover and explore
- Risk-reward balance: Each area delivers fresh challenges and valuable rewards
This approach means no two players will have the exact same experience, adding massive replay value.
Co-Op Makes Everything Better
One major reason No Man’s Sky, Valheim, and The Forest built such devoted communities? Multiplayer.
Highreach supports up to 5 players in co-op, letting you tackle survival challenges with friends. Whether you’re defending your settlement from attacks, exploring dangerous ruins, or coordinating airship expeditions, teamwork makes the experience exponentially more fun (and slightly less terrifying).
Plus, you’ll recruit companion NPCs with rich backstories to populate your settlement. Think of them as AI allies with actual personalities who contribute to your survival efforts.
Combat That Adapts to Your Style
Highreach promises “diverse combat styles,” meaning you won’t be locked into one playstyle. Whether you prefer:
- Up-close melee brawling
- Ranged attacks from safety
- Magic-based abilities (this is a fantasy RPG, after all)
- Strategic combat using your environment
The game should accommodate your preferred approach—a smart move for a co-op game where different players bring different strengths.
When Can You Play Highreach?
Early access launches in Q1 2026 on Steam. That’s roughly January through March, meaning survival fans won’t have to wait much longer to get their hands on this genre mashup.
Early access is the perfect fit for a game like Highreach. You’ll get to experience the core gameplay loop while VestGames continues polishing features, balancing mechanics, and incorporating community feedback—exactly how both Valheim and No Man’s Sky evolved into the beloved games they are today.
Why Highreach Could Be a Genre Game-Changer
The survival genre is crowded, but Highreach’s approach feels smart rather than derivative. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, VestGames is taking proven mechanics from three wildly successful games and remixing them into something fresh.
What sets Highreach apart:
- Fantasy setting distinguishes it from sci-fi (No Man’s Sky) and Viking themes (Valheim)
- Airship exploration adds verticality and scope to the open world
- 5-player co-op expands teamwork opportunities beyond most survival games
- Settlement management gives you long-term goals beyond just surviving
If you’ve been searching for games like No Man’s Sky, Valheim, or The Forest but want something that blends all their strengths, Highreach is shaping up to be exactly what you need.
The Bottom Line
Highreach isn’t shy about its inspirations—and that’s actually refreshing. By openly embracing what makes No Man’s Sky, Valheim, and The Forest so beloved, VestGames is positioning their indie title as a love letter to the survival genre.
With early access dropping in Q1 2026, we won’t have to wait long to see if Highreach can live up to the hype. Based on the feature list alone, survival fans have plenty of reasons to keep this one on their radar.
Mark your calendars, gather your co-op crew, and prepare to rebuild civilization one airship flight at a time.
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