The Gold River Project

Adventure· Open World· Open World Survival Craft· Action-Adventure

Early access since Jan 2026

The Gold River Project™ is a camping trip gone wrong in the Pacific Northwest. Explore, craft, build, and survive in this open-world experiment that traps you and up to 4 friends in this single player or co-op survival adventure game.

63% positive · 689 reviews

Not yet

In early access, content still planned

High confidence

Content Planned

Not yet

In early access, content still planned

High confidence

Content Planned

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $24.99

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Evaluation

The Gold River Project entered Early Access on January 23, 2026, and remains squarely in that phase with significant planned development still ahead. Since launch, the developer has been highly active — shipping over 45 patches through June 2026, plus one major content update (the Mariner Update on May 26, 2026), which added kayaks, motorboats, scuba diving, new fishing systems, new islands, and more. The developer has been explicit across multiple posts that the Mariner Update is the first of three planned major content updates. The remaining two — the Hunter Pack and the Survivor Update — are both unshipped. As of the September 4, 2026 Fireside Chat, the Hunter Pack is confirmed to be in parallel development alongside the ongoing engine upgrade. The Survivor Update (bringing ATVs, more enemies, more gear, and new points of interest) has not yet received a release window. The engine upgrade from Unreal Engine 5.4 to 5.7.4 — announced earlier in development and teased in the store description — reached a public beta testing phase on September 24, 2026, with the developer actively collecting performance feedback from players. The team noted they are updating the beta build 2–3 times per day with fixes. The developer, a team of six, has communicated consistently and transparently throughout Early Access. The September 4, 2026 post explicitly explains that reduced patch frequency in August was a deliberate redirection toward the engine upgrade, not a slowdown in development. There are no signs of studio distress.

Evidence

Beta version of the next update (engine upgrade from UE 5.4 to 5.7.4) made available for player testing, with the team updating the build 2-3 times per day.

news post · Sep 24, 2026 source development ongoing

high

Fireside Chat confirms the Hunter Pack is in parallel development alongside the engine upgrade. Explains that reduced patch frequency in August was intentional while focusing on optimization work.

news post · Sep 4, 2026 source content planned

high

Media

Details

Developer

Fairview Games Inc.

Publisher

Fairview Games Inc.

Achievements

Platform

Windows

Controller

partial support

Steam Deck

Unsupported

Players

Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op

Open World Survival Craft Adventure Open World Action-Adventure Exploration Survival Third Person First-Person Indie Simulation Crafting Sci-fi Realistic Mystery Nature

About this game

The Gold River Project™ throws you and your friends on an epic camping survival adventure! Try to escape a grueling experiment across one of the largest private nature reserves in the Pacific Northwest. You are being watched, studied and manipulated at every turn. Solve the mysteries within and try to survive another day. Players logging 100+ hours are still finding new points of interest, lore, and content, and the game is still growing.

FEATURES

*New* Free Mariner Update: Kayaks, scuba, boats, new fishing systems & new underwater locations to explore.
Replayability: Substations, supplies and points of interest - these locations change with each new play through.
Base Building: Craft and expand your campsite to prepare for what's to come.
Puzzles, Stealth or Discovery: There is more than one way out of this experiment.
Crafting: Craft and Build campsite essentials, weapons, farm plots and more to help you stay alive!
Multiplayer: Survive by yourself or with friends in online co-op!
Learn: Discover new things to craft from items you find or from trade.
Scavenge: All items are all useful, it's up to you to figure it out how.
Progress: Play at your own pace. No time restrictions. Prepare accordingly for upcoming challenges.
Engine: Built in Unreal Engine 5.4.4 upgrading to 5.7.4 summer 2026

CAMP SOLO OR WITH FRIENDS

Welcome to Gold River! A remote camping adventure you can play alone or with up to 4 friends. A chartered float plane will drop you off by beautiful lakes where you can kayak, hike the gorgeous trails, make camp and survive the elements.

A TRUE CAMPING SURVIVAL EXPERIENCE

One week turns into several as you suspect your guide is never coming back. Deserted, you discover you are trapped and now an unwilling lab rat. Can you survive an ever changing, artificial environment and it's inhabitants?

BRAVE THE ELEMENTS

Manage health, hydration, hunger, fatigue, and temperature. Use your survival skills and earn badges as you learn new ones. Outlast nature and uncover the perils of what lies beneath the surface.

EVOLVING SEASONS

The world shifts with time. Hunt in the abundance of summer, forage in the dying colors of fall, and fight for warmth in the frozen quiet of winter. Find your way through increasingly harsh environments and outsmart your captors to survive and escape.

THE WALL

Discover a mysterious barrier dividing the forest. Solve environmental puzzles, sneak past security patrols, or piece together scavenged tech to bring it down your own way.