Forager is a wonderfully apt name for this curious adventure game. Not only does it tell you immediately what you'll be doing - foraging for resources with which to build up the world - it also hints at the game's many borrowed elements. It's a potent mix of classic action games and the gathering/crafting/farming trend that's been so prevalent in recent years. However, while this quirky title makes use of tried and tested ideas, it differentiates itself by combining those ideas and distilling them down into something that feels much simpler.

At least, it starts simply. Controlling a little white character and provided with no explanation, you begin the game on a small patch of land with a pickaxe and a dream. After a fast and loose tutorial, you'll have built yourself a furnace with which you can build new materials. Get used to holding down Square, as you'll be doing so a lot in order to mine resources from trees, rocks, enemies, and a huge number of others. What you then do with these resources is largely up to you.

Things escalate as you discover more and more materials and build up your own little world. Once you rack up enough money, you can purchase new spots of land; what they contain is a mystery until you buy them. It's important to note the game isn't just about crafting goodies and earning dosh -- there are quests to complete, treasures to find, and enemies to fight. You can cook, fish, farm, explore dungeons, craft better equipment, and unlock a huge array of game-changing skills.

Thanks to simple controls and near constant progression, this can quickly become unbelievably addictive. There's a lot more to Forager than meets the eye. Save for some occasionally fiddly controls, this is a pleasant surprise indeed.