LANDNAV (2023)

Developer: A. Javor
Publisher: Independent
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Simulation
Rating: 4.9 of 5, 42 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 5.3 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Using only a map and compass in a remote natural area makes every wrong turn feel punishingly real.

realisticfrustratingchallengingimmersivetensemethodicallonelynaturalistic

What players say

Players call this a realistic training tool for military land navigation and orienteering, not a typical game. The compass, protractor, and pace beads are accurate, and dense vegetation forces detours. It currently has only one large forest map, and the developer is actively adding content.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.