Darkwood game developer, Acid Wizard Studio has uploaded a DRM free copy of the game, in a torrent. Why is a game developer helping gamers pirate their own game?
Well it is unusual indeed, but there is a very good reason. The developer wants to combat key resellers. Though the site was not named, we think they were talking about G2A.
Why so? Well, because the site is notoriously infamous for not paying developers, and keeping the money which it earned from selling their games. And it also allows anyone to sell game keys, which results in stolen credit cards being used to buy game keys, which are then sold to unaware users.
This scammy site is the reason Acid Wizard Studio decided to post Darkwood for free. Unfortunately even I was once a victim of such an issue a few years ago, when I didn't know about the site and bought some GOG keys, and GOG disabled one of the keys because it was bought from a stolen card by the seller. But to be fair, the reseller site did give me a refund. Still, I do not support them, as I have learnt over the past few years, that they don't pay the developers.
Darkwood is a horror game, played from a top-down perpective, which is not isometric (unlike Don't Starve), but is kind of like Door Kickers. The game is about survival and exploring a randomly generated open world. By day, you explore the woods and scavenge for materials, craft weapons and by night you must find shelter and barricade and set traps from enemies. The game has skills and perks, creepy NPCs and more. It is a scary game and has some really good music. Watch the trailer for the game to learn more. It features actual gameplay footage.
Darkwood System Requirements
- OS: Windows Vista
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz or equivalent
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 8800GT / ATI Radeon HD 4850
- Storage: 6 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Requirements may change during development. Minimum resolution: 1280x720
We have downloaded Darkwood from the torrent (link is available on their announcement page on imgur) and it is around 3.6GB in size and contains two files: an ISO and a text file. Mount the ISO in Windows File Explorer (Windows 10 needs no software to do so, others can use Virtual Clone Drive), and copy the files from the ISO to any folder, and click on Darkwood.exe. It is a portable version (1.0 hotfix 3.0) which can be played without installing the game.
Interestingly, the developers say that Darkwood sold thrice the amount in a week, than when it was in early access for three years. That should stand as proof of the game’s quality. By uploading Darkwood to a torrent, the devs have helped people who don't have a means to buy games or can't afford it, play the game from a legitimate source. This move deserves a lot of respect. They only request you to consider buying the game in the future on Steam, GOG or Humble Bundle's store, when it goes on sale.
Darkwood costs $14.99 (Rs. 479 in India) on Steam, Humble Bundle Store and GOG. If you like the game you can buy it now to support the developers, or wait for a sale.