Steam game

The Gold River Project

The Gold River Project™ is a camping trip gone wrong in the Pacific Northwest. Explore, craft, build, and survive in this open-world experiment that traps you and up to 4 friends in this single player or co-op survival adventure game.

$18.74 January 23, 2026

By Fairview Games Inc.

Windows
View on Steam
The Gold River Project - Fairview Games Inc.. Popular. Released January 23, 2026
Screenshot of The Gold River Project gameplay showing in-action mechanics Screenshot 2 of The Gold River Project - additional gameplay view Screenshot 3 of The Gold River Project - more gameplay footage Screenshot 4 of The Gold River Project - final gameplay screenshot

Overview

About this game

FREE MARINER UPDATE IS OUT NOW!

The Mariner update is free for all owners of Early Access, and opens an entirely new dimension of The Gold River Project. Kayak across shimmering summer lakes to reach camps that were too far to walk. Suit up with a full scuba system and descend into the abandoned underwater mine buried beneath the Fall Lake. Track down the outboard motorboat hidden in a secret water cave, master a bait-and-trap fishing system, and cook your catches into entirely new recipes. The Gold River just got a lot deeper. Now it’s yours to explore.


WHAT PLAYERS ARE SAYING

“Just loving it… main game, I’m hooked.”
- 102.1 hours played

“It has been a blast so far!”
- 119.1 hours played

“Has more potential than I’ve ever seen an Early Access game have.”
- 52.1 hours played

“I am 11 game days in… the map is huge.”
- 36.1 hours played


2026 ROAD MAP


DEMO INFO

The Demo offers a limited amount of playtime set in the Summer season, where each playthrough is unique. It’s a safe and welcoming environment to get familiar with the world and its systems. We are offering single player and multiplayer (up to 4 players) with the demo. If you enjoy the demo, the Early Access version is now available for purchase.

Early Access introduces new seasons, expanded content, additional threats, unique challenges, and most importantly, unlimited playtime.

If your system can run the Demo, you can run the Early Access version.


JOIN OUR DISCORD

Need more information? Want to chat with fellow campers? Come on over and join our Discord channel!


PC PERFORMANCE NOTES

The Gold River Project is a large open-world survival game built in Unreal Engine 5.
For the best experience, we recommend a modern gaming PC with a high-end GPU and at least 16 GB RAM.

Quick guidelines:

  • 10 GB or more of VRAM recommended

  • SSD required

  • If the demo runs well on your system, the full game should perform similarly

  • Internet connection required for multiplayer (player-hosted servers)

Full system requirements are listed below on this page.


About the Game

The Gold River Project™ throws you and your friends on an epic camping survival adventure! Try to escape a grueling experiment across one of the largest private nature reserves in the Pacific Northwest. You are being watched, studied and manipulated at every turn. Solve the mysteries within and try to survive another day. Players logging 100+ hours are still finding new points of interest, lore, and content, and the game is still growing.

FEATURES

  • *New* Free Mariner Update: Kayaks, scuba, boats, new fishing systems & new underwater locations to explore.

  • Replayability: Substations, supplies and points of interest  - these locations change with each new play through.

  • Base Building: Craft and expand your campsite to prepare for what's to come.

  • Puzzles, Stealth or Discovery: There is more than one way out of this experiment.

  • Crafting: Craft and Build campsite essentials, weapons, farm plots and more to help you stay alive!

  • Multiplayer: Survive by yourself or with friends in online co-op!

  • Learn: Discover new things to craft from items you find or from trade.

  • Scavenge: All items are all useful, it's up to you to figure it out how.

  • Progress: Play at your own pace. No time restrictions. Prepare accordingly for upcoming challenges.

  • Engine: Built in Unreal Engine 5.4.4 upgrading to 5.7.4 summer 2026

CAMP SOLO OR WITH FRIENDS

Welcome to Gold River! A remote camping adventure you can play alone or with up to 4 friends. A chartered float plane will drop you off by beautiful lakes where you can kayak, hike the gorgeous trails, make camp and survive the elements.

A TRUE CAMPING SURVIVAL EXPERIENCE

One week turns into several as you suspect your guide is never coming back. Deserted, you discover you are trapped and now an unwilling lab rat. Can you survive an ever changing, artificial environment and it's inhabitants?

BRAVE THE ELEMENTS

Manage health, hydration, hunger, fatigue, and temperature. Use your survival skills and earn badges as you learn new ones. Outlast nature and uncover the perils of what lies beneath the surface.

EVOLVING SEASONS

The world shifts with time. Hunt in the abundance of summer, forage in the dying colors of fall, and fight for warmth in the frozen quiet of winter. Find your way through increasingly harsh environments and outsmart your captors to survive and escape.

THE WALL

Discover a mysterious barrier dividing the forest. Solve environmental puzzles, sneak past security patrols, or piece together scavenged tech to bring it down your own way.

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