Among the Trolls is a survival and exploration game set in a world inspired by Nordic folklore, and it is one of those titles that caught my attention because it mixes gathering, building, and a bit of mystery instead of just throwing you into a generic fight for survival. I went in expecting another crafting loop, but the first hour actually felt slower and more atmospheric than I anticipated. You start out feeling small in a forest that clearly does not want you there, and the game nudges you to pay attention to the environment instead of rushing forward. It is available on PC, and the version I spent time with still feels like a game that is finding its footing, so I would not tell anyone to expect a fully polished blockbuster. The tone leans toward players who enjoy quiet exploration, resource management, and folklore with a strange edge rather than fast action.

The core loop in Among the Trolls is about surviving, gathering materials, and slowly making sense of the world around you. You chop wood, collect food, manage your hunger and health, and build up a small base while keeping an eye out for creatures that are not always friendly. Combat is not the main draw here, and that took me a while to adjust to. The controls are fairly standard for a first-person survival game, but the pacing is deliberate, and learning what you can safely approach and what you should avoid is part of the experience. What I enjoyed most was the sense of discovery when you find a new area or a hidden detail in the environment. The crafting and building take time, and some resources are tedious to gather, but the progression feels earned when your little camp starts to come together.

Compared with games like Valheim or The Forest, Among the Trolls feels smaller and more story-focused, and it leans harder into folklore than pure base defense. Valheim has more combat depth and a bigger world, while this game feels more about mood and exploration. Players who want constant action may find it slow, but if you like survival games with a quieter pace and a bit of mystery, it is worth a look. I would not call it a replacement for the big survival titles, but it has its own identity, and that is why I kept playing after the first few hours.

• Survival basics 🪓 - You manage hunger, health, and resources while exploring a forest full of folklore creatures, which makes every trip outside your camp feel like a small risk.
• Building and crafting 🏕️ - You gather materials and slowly improve your base, and while the process is slower than in Valheim, the results feel personal and useful.
• Exploration and discovery 🧭 - The world rewards careful players who look around, and finding new areas or secrets kept me curious longer than I expected.
• Folklore atmosphere 🌲 - The creatures and environment give the game a mood that feels different from typical zombie or monster survival games.

• The folklore setting feels fresh and gives the world a personality that stands out from generic survival maps.
• Building your camp is satisfying once the pieces come together, and it gives you a real reason to keep gathering.
• The slow pace works well when you want a calmer survival experience instead of constant combat.
• Exploration is rewarding for players who enjoy paying attention to small details in the environment.

• The early game can feel slow, and some players may lose patience before the building and exploration open up.
• Resource gathering gets repetitive, especially when you need a lot of materials for upgrades.
• Combat and enemy variety feel limited compared with bigger survival games, so action-focused players may get bored.
• The game still feels rough in places, and performance or polish issues may show up depending on your setup.