Now free on Steam: Each round is a lifetime in this online Stone Age survival RPG

In Next Life is a survival and building game centered on an unusual concept: each round represents an entire lifetime. You are born, grow up, and eventually die. Then the cycle begins again. Set in the Stone Age, you start with absolutely nothing – no fire, no tools, no weapons.

Step by step, you unlock your first technologies. The key twist is that progress carries over into the next life, allowing you to keep using items you have already developed, such as a spear, and steadily push your civilization forward. In Next Life is built for co-op multiplayer. Solo play is possible, but the developers say it is far more challenging. As a baby, you rely on help from others. Later, as an adult, you can have children of your own, who are then controlled by other players.

In Next Life features a stylized 2D top-down design. The visuals are simple yet full of charm. System requirements are modest. The game runs on 4 GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 3 processor or equivalent. It is also rated as “Playable” on the Steam Deck (currently priced at $650 on Amazon).

Players praise In Next Life for the variety generated by its life cycle system. No two rounds feel the same. In one life you might be a hunter, in the next a blacksmith or a mother raising several children. Criticism, however, centers on technical issues and the relatively small player base. Many servers remain empty or host only a handful of users. The game reaches its full potential only when played with a well-organized group. According to SteamDB, the current peak stands at just 61 concurrent players. Since its official launch on February 11, the title has been free to play, a move that could help expand the community. During Early Access, it was priced at around $19.