Animal Crossing for dinosaur nerds: Goodlands demo on Steam now

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In this unique open-world game, titled “Goodlands,” bring back the luster of the Goodlands Natural History Museum, focusing on dinosaur paleontology. Craft your personal character using various prehistoric species and embark on expeditions across the Goodlands, a desert terrain brimming with distinctive rock formations and chatty local inhabitants. Similar to Animal Crossing, but tailored for dinosaur enthusiasts, Goodlands is under development by solo-developer thegeolojosh. A free demo is accessible now on Steam during this week’s Next Fest event.

Like Animal Crossing for dinosaur nerds, Goodlands has a free demo on Steam

Over the past few days, I’ve taken a look at several free demos offered during this week’s Steam Next Fest. The selection is vast, making it tough to pick just one (especially with a helpful guide). However, one demo really caught my attention: Goodlands. As the description on its Steam page says, “a game about dinosaurs digging up dinosaurs,” and that couldn’t be more spot-on. In this game, you play as a paleontologist tasked with gathering museum-worthy discoveries. You can roam around, drive a truck, and search for fossils peeking out of the ground.

In Goodlands, you’ll find a bustling local community that’s brimming with life. The town square hosts the Town Hall, an elementary school, a grocery store, a hardware store, and of course, the Museum. What sets this place apart are its intriguing inhabitants, or NPCs, who are often worth seeking out for a chat. They offer helpful tips on finding fossils, but it’s their witty banter that makes them stand out.

For instance, I encountered a rancher named Randy with a 2D cow in a mostly 3D world. When questioned about the discrepancy, he chided me for my lack of manners before confessing that he had been self-conscious about his cow’s three-dimensionality for some time. Another character I met at the department store was debating between buying a shovel and a sledgehammer, seeking my advice. When I advised him to get a shovel, he responded with “your terrible choice has given me true clarity about what I want.”

This dialogue isn’t just clever and surprising; it’s also consistent. Later on, I encountered the same NPC out in the world, wielding his new sledgehammer. Goodlands spares no effort, even in its demo, to create a world that feels genuinely inhabited.

In your role as the chief on-site paleontologist, your duties involve scouring the terrain for fossils. Whether it’s engaging locals about potential discoveries or simply meandering the landscape, there’s always a chance of stumbling upon something exciting. When you do find a fossil, your team will be dispatched to assist in its excavation. Occasionally, they may require you to fetch items like sandwiches or fuel for the jackhammer. By dawn, the fossil should be ready for transportation.

Your task is to handle the delicate packaging containing the fossil and transport it safely to the museum in your pickup truck. The package can move, sway, and jostle about if not handled with care, and a complete spill could mean waiting until the next day for another attempt. This intriguing blend of physical challenges, quests, and an authentic paleontology simulation experience makes the game quite engaging.

If the fossil arrives at the museum securely, you can then proceed with cleaning the bones. You may opt to use either a heavy yet damaging hammer or a more precise Dremel tool to remove rock and soil and ready the fossil for display. For finding smaller fossils, which are typically located atop rock formations, some climbing or platforming will be required. Goodlands offers an abundance of activities; wherever you go, you’ll find something noteworthy to pause for. The demo for Goodlands is currently accessible through Steam Next Fest, although the full game’s release date remains undetermined. Despite this, the demo feels so well-rounded with numerous tasks and areas to discover that I am content to wait patiently.

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2025-02-28 23:32