It’s always been one of my bucket list goals to eventually go on a cross-country (preferably the US) road trip in an RV with my fiancé, and we’ve yet to make that dream a reality, not least because we’re currently situated 3,000 miles apart. However, a delightful multiplayer indie game has just come out that lets us live out that dream in disastrous yet hilarious fashion: RV There Yet?

RV There Yet? is a co-op wilderness survival game developed by Nuggets Entertainment as a challenge to themselves to create something in a short period of time, and as such, seems to have exploded out of nowhere thanks to a huge amount of attention lavished upon it by social media creators. I bought into the hype, for what should be obvious reasons, and dove into the game as soon as it released on October 21. 

Here’s how that went. 

A promising start

As soon as you drop into a game of RV There Yet? You have a stocked RV waiting for you, some scrap metal littered around the campsite, and the open road and forests stretched out in front of you, waiting to be explored. It’s beautiful, expansive, and everything feels incredibly hopeful. Hell, you can even spark up a cigarette if you’re so inclined, drink some beers, and enjoy the ride. 

It was at this point, feeling good about our decision to take a virtual road trip through the make-believe national park of Mabutts Valley, that we encountered our first issue: the RV has a manual transmission. As two people who have only ever driven automatics, my fiancé and I played Rock, Paper, Scissors (literally, because you can do that in RV There Yet?) to decide who would get the privilege of driving and possibly killing us first. I won, so he drove. 

The good news is that we didn’t die, although we did both get bitten by a snake and could only find one antidote. The RV, however, didn’t fare so well. It didn’t take long for all the panels to go flying off after we crashed into a tree, and at one point he left it in gear on a hill and we ended up running after the thing, lest we be stranded in the wilderness and hiking our way out on foot. 

Maintenance is key

In RV There Yet?, just like real life, you need to maintain the RV to prevent it from becoming destroyed and breaking down, because if it gets to that point, it’s game over. The game features not one, but two PEAK-style health bars on screen at all times, one for you and one for the home on wheels. If you crash, panels fall off, and you also need to make sure the oil is topped up. 

Even the slightest bump is enough to knock off a panel from the RV, and a particularly bumpy road or terrible driving decision will leave you looking like you’re trying to fit in on the set of Mad Max, so you’ll need to use Scrap Metal you find lying around to replace the panels. You also need to use the drill to fasten up the bolts on the wheels, which loosen up over time, and that’s all just the normal day-to-day running of the thing. 

Everything gets so much worse when you factor in the fact that, as with many national parks in the US, there are bears in these hills. They’re not shy, either. They don’t stay away from the RV wherever it happens to be; instead, they bound up and start attacking like the grizzly in Cocaine Bear (if you haven’t seen it, I maintain it’s the best terrible horror movie available). They do huge amounts of damage, ripping the roof off, and if you haven’t found any Bear Spray, well, you’re as good as dead.

Still, while you’re alive, it’s a good idea to maintain yourself, too. There are antidotes to be found (in case of snake bites), food in the shape of burgers that can be grilled on the disposable BBQs (if you can figure out how to light them, because we didn’t), and you can even change your hat and glasses for any new ones you find by sitting on the RVs toilet and looking in the mirror.

It’s all downhill from here

I mean that both metaphorically and literally, at least half of the time. The hills of Mabutts Valley are steep and unforgiving, and you can barely see where you’re going while you’re in the driver’s seat. Like any good couple on a road trip, my fiancé and I took turns at the wheel, and I can fully attest that trying to navigate the hills of this park with vague directions and limited ability to see the road is terrifying. 

There is a map, although the person driving can’t see it, so you have to rely on good communication from your co-pilot, which is only possible when they’re not needed for anything else, like operating the winch to get up particularly steep hills or out of tough spots that you probably shouldn’t have been in in the first place. 

You can only hold one item at a time, so you have to prioritize between having any idea where you’re meant to be going or doing literally anything else. If you’re playing alone, this is going to prove problematic. It’s easier with friends, and definitely better with more people to split the responsibilities. 

The metaphorical downhill nature of RV There Yet? comes in the form of the gradual descent into madness and panic that arises when you realize the RV is falling apart and you have no Scrap Metal to repair it, a bear is wandering around nearby, you’re stuck in a ravine with an impossible incline you need to climb to get out, and you don’t have any Winch Pegs. It’s all too tempting to just give up, but perseverance is key, or, at the very least, letting yourself die and trying again using the lessons you learned. 

RV There Yet? Is available to purchase and download in full now via Steam, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite online multiplayer experiences. Despite the stress involved, there’s something really soothing about virtually being in nature, just make sure to set up a good road trip mix tape!