Space survival game Tin Can gets a brutal new difficulty and a giant discount

A new Tin Can update introduces a more realistic hardcore setting and a peaceful mode to play the space survival game however you want.

Typically, the best space games are tales of grandeur – No Man’s Sky, Elite Dangerous, and Starfield all allow you to live out the fantasy of exploring the stars in their full majesty. Tin Can is a much more horrifying prospect, and not only because you’re facing some manner of Alien Isolation-style threat. Thrust out into the vast emptiness in an aging escape pod after your ship explodes, a detailed technical manual is all you have to ensure the systems stay online. A new update has just transformed the ways you can play this claustrophobic survival game, and to celebrate you can grab it at a massive discount in a Steam sale.

Tin Can is a test of your ability to stay calm under pressure. Floating through the void at the mercy of the cosmos, this space game captures the terrifying reality of the great beyond. Despite being a small craft, your escape pod features numerous components powering and ensuring the smooth operation of each of its systems, from fuses to fans and filters, and they’re all prone to failure. This is a close-quarters survival game where you’ll have to pay attention to your surroundings and your own body if you want to stay alive.

A technical manual packed with helpful information should enable you to comprehend and resolve the numerous error codes the pod’s systems will throw your way, providing you can parse it in time. But as its systems collapse around you, you’ll also have to listen for other key tells such as your heartbeat or breathing to keep track of problems such as the oxygen supply, atmospheric pressure, and temperature that can be just as deadly as a hull breach.

The new Tin Can update introduces two new ways to play. If you really want to lean into the realism, Hardcore mode is a punishing challenge “designed for seasoned engineers.” It removes the error codes, instead demanding that you determine the causes of each system failure using your own knowledge. If that sounds a little too scary, Peaceful mode swings the other way, adjusting values to “significantly reduce the survival-related difficulty.”

Alongside this comes more immersive visuals through a new engine update, and the ability to throw objects by holding down the release button. There are also global leaderboards, so you can check your achievements against the rest of the world. Whether you’re a complete newcomer or a seasoned veteran looking to strut your survival stuff, there’s something for everyone in this Tin Can overhaul, and a Steam sale lets you get in on the action for cheap.

Tin Can is 70% off on Steam through Tuesday December 10, meaning you can expect to pay just $5.99 / £4.79 if you buy it before then. Head here to grab a copy for yourself.

Need something that quickens the pulse even more? Here are the best horror games to play on PC right now. If you’re of a mind to scour for more hidden gems, take a look through the best indie games in 2024 to check you haven’t missed any winners.

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