Kalit aims to stand out in the crowded open-world survival game genre on Steam by doing something visually distinct: combining classic 1930s rubber hose animation with modern sandbox gameplay. As survival games continue to grow in popularity, Kalit gaining attention for its blend of exploration, crafting and creature collection systems. In doing so, it also ultimately mixes sandbox mechanics reminiscent of Minecraft with a hand drawn rubber hose style, instantly reminiscent of Cuphead (as well as the recently released and well reviewed MUS: PI for rent).
Kalit is the biggest game yet from indie developer Traviteam Games, who previously released Scroter in 2023 and Unknown Tapes in 2024.
At its core, Kalit drops Steam players into a gritty, cartoony open world where survival is the main goal. That's not surprising given the draws of the open-world survival crafting genre, but it runs the gamut of what players can expect: resource gathering, crafting, farming, land and underwater exploration, and constant sandbox mechanics. Overall, it's easy to add to your wishlist on Steam.
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Kalit features at a glance
- Experience the cartoon chaos of the 1930s: A beautiful, fully hand-drawn “rubber hose” art style in a massive 3D environment.
- Capture and Command Creatures: Capture bizarre local wildlife to fight alongside you or automate your base.
- Explore a huge open world: Climb any surface, glide through the sky and swim through deep waters.
- Talk to Crazy NPCs: Meet a group of quirky locals to shop, accept quests and learn the secrets of the island.
- Build and craft: Mine deep for precious ores, refine materials and construct your ultimate retro base and vehicles.
- Master Survival Mechanics: Manage your hunger, temperature and keep your sanity from going insane!
- Farm, fish and feed: Plant seeds, water crops and cast your fishing line to keep hunger at bay.
- Shoot and smash enemies: Craft crazy weapons and blast your way through hostile wildlife, aggressive mobs and giant bosses.
- Level Up: Gain XP and unlock new abilities and recipes in a deep progression system.
How Kalit Stands Out in the Open-World Survival Crafting Genre
While the open world features in Minecraft is clearly present in Kalitwhere it differs is how many different survival systems it adds together. There isn't really a single game loop; instead, players can interact with several modern survival game mechanics at their leisure:
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Players can capture creatures and command them
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Players can go farming, mining and doing general resource gathering
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Crafting includes, but is not limited to, gear, bases, and vehicles.
There is much more, but in each of these mechanics players have a stronger guiding hand than Minecrafts more open world design. The possible loopholes are familiar, though Kalit not only admitting players who Minecraft. Even then, exploration is a key feature as players are given a variety of biomes and environments to explore via climbing, gliding and swimming. There's movement and discovery, to be sure, but it's still more structured than the free-form exploration of Minecraft. Yet both have that very real sense of freedom in the same way.
At the same time, its biggest difference is its presentation. Rubberhose animation from the 1930s may be having a moment right now due to the recent release of MUS: PI for rentbut it's not like it's an art style adopted by many games in general. Here it is applied to an open 3D world.
Each animation is handcrafted to reflect that era, giving the world a unique look compared to most modern survival games on Steam. Of course it makes comparisons with Cuphead inevitably only from a visual point of view. Still, it does something unique with the animation and doesn't just rip off Cuphead. Similar MUS: PI for rents quest for similar animation, it just seems to be the industry's rubber-hose moment.
Placing Survival Crafting in the Open-World Survival Crafting genre
While Kalit's world is obviously a big focus, it still puts a lot of emphasis on building and crafting like many survival games on Steam. In it, players build bases, craft tools, and assemble vehicles, all while staying alive (hunger and thirst), managing sanity, and regulating body temperature. Survival mechanics include, but are not limited to, base building (and customization), resource refinement and crafting, weapons that can be crafted, vehicle construction and automated defenses, and tasks that can be assigned to creatures. Over time, it evolves from basic settings to more complex operations. It is not as limitless as Minecraftbut it's not without trying, of course.
But yes, you can also trap creatures in Kalit. There's a lot going on in its open world. Captured creatures can evolve and grow stronger and help players with combat, exploration and/or base management. It's more rudimentary than a game like Palworldbut it fits to make the open world feel more realistic. Overall, this creature system adds more depth to the game loop, going beyond the simpler mob interactions found in Minecraft and adapt more to modern trends of survival games.
Unlike many sandbox survival games, Kalit introduces NPCs who provide quests, trading opportunities, and world-building elements. These interactions expand gameplay beyond survival, adding structure and narrative goals – something largely missing from the player-driven experience of Minecraft.
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Kalit will be released on Steam soon
Kalit tries to merge classic cartoon animation with modern open world survival gameplay. That combination is rare, especially in a genre that typically favors realism or minimalist imagery. If successful, Kalit was able to stand out in the crowded Steam market for survival games by its presentation alone. If not, it may struggle to balance its many systems, but either way it represents a remarkable attempt to evolve the genre.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
For now, Kalit builds momentum as a stylized open-world survival game. With games that echo Minecraft and images reminiscent of Cupheadit has the potential to create a unique space in the survival genre.
