Klei announced today that the standalone expansion for Don't Starve (as in you only need the base game, not Reign of Giants) titled Shipwrecked will be going live in Early Access on December 1st.

Shipwrecked will pit Wilson (and his magnificent beard) against the dangers that lurk below the surface. And if the Reign of Giants is any comparison I expect I'll be helping the beasts of the world avoid starvation far more often than successfully establishing any self sufficient colony, but at the end of the day that's half the fun.

The development of Shipwrecked is actually a joint venture between Klei, the makers of the original Don't Starve, and CAPY whom you might know from Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery or Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes.

I am guessing that this means CAPY approached Klei with the idea for Shipwrecked but even if true don't take that as a negative, a new perspective on the game can often bring many improvements as well as shake up the "standard" path to success.

As you might imagine given the name, the Early Access testing period will be Steam exclusive while the final version will be available on multiple platforms. And speaking of platforms, once released the expansion will have both Linux and Mac clients although the test version will be Windows only. Also worth noting is that Shipwrecked will be, at least on release, single player only with support for Don't Starve Together planned for some time in the future.

If you haven't played Don't Starve at all but consider yourself someone that might enjoy the challenges inherited in trying to survive in a hostile land then you should probably give it a try. It looks odd and seems simplistic on the surface but its a very intricate and addictive game underneath, one well worth your time.

You can get the base version of Don't Starve (the expansions aren't mandatory) dirt cheap these days and with the Steam winter sale coming up it might be the best time to get it.

Reign of Giants : I don't even know where to begin explaining this screenshot

I certainly enjoyed it but it is my dad that actually played it extensively for a very long period of time. He likes to keep himself constantly busy (if you're in to chemistry check out his work, its quite good) so to have him play a game, ANY game, for long periods of time is in my eyes definite proof that the game has a lot to offer.

On the other hand, there is very little information about Shipwrecked on offer. All of it, that was revealed so far anyway, is compiled in the Don't Starve community wiki. Though keep in mind most of it comes from short PAX demos so the features have either very little or no explanation.

I will most likely do a brief overview of the new stuff once Shipwrecked enters Early Access so, if its more information you seek, stick around. Until then I'll leave you with the short announcement trailer.