Kalit is aiming to stand out in the crowded open-world survival game genre on Steam by doing something visually distinct: combining classic 1930s rubberhose animation with modern sandbox gameplay. As survival games continue to grow in popularity, Kalit is gaining attention for its mix of exploration, crafting, and creature collection systems. In doing so, it also ultimately blends sandbox mechanics reminiscent of Minecraft with a hand-drawn rubberhose style, which immediately calls to mind Cuphead (as well as the recently released and well-reviewed MOUSE: P.I. For Hire).
Kalit is the largest game yet from indie developer Traviteam Games, which previously released Scroter in 2023 and Unknown Tapes in 2024.
At its core, Kalit drops Steam players into a harsh, cartoon-styled open world where survival is the main goal. That’s not surprising given the trappings of the open-world survival crafting genre, but it runs the gamut on what players can expect: resource gathering, crafting, farming, on-land and underwater exploration, and constant sandbox mechanics. Overall, it’s easily one to add to your wishlist on Steam.
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Kalit Features at a Glance
- Experience 1930s cartoon chaos: A beautiful, fully hand-drawn “rubber hose” art style set in a massive 3D environment.
- Capture and command creatures: Catch bizarre local wildlife to fight alongside you or automate your base.
- Explore a massive open world: Climb any surface, glide through the skies, and swim through deep waters.
- Talk to wacky NPCs: Meet a cast of quirky locals to trade, accept quests, and learn the secrets of the island.
- Build and craft: Mine deep for precious ores, refine materials, and construct your ultimate retro base and vehicles.
- Master survival mechanics: Manage your hunger, temperature, and keep your sanity from dropping into madness!
- Farm, fish, and forage: Plant seeds, irrigate crops, and cast your fishing line to keep starvation at bay.
- Shoot and smash enemies: Craft wacky weapons and blast your way through hostile wildlife, aggressive mobs, and giant bosses.
- Level up: Gain XP and unlock new abilities and recipes in a deep progression system.
How Kalit Stands Out in the Open-World Survival Crafting Genre
While the open-world features of Minecraft are clearly present in Kalit, where it differs is how many different survival systems it layers together. There’s not really a singular gameplay loop; instead, players can interact with several modern survival game mechanics at their leisure:
- Players can capture creatures and command them
- Players can go farming, mining, and do general resource gathering
- Crafting includes, but is not limited to, gear, bases, and vehicles.
There’s plenty more, but in each of these mechanics, players have a stronger guiding hand than Minecraft‘s more open-ended world design. The possible loops are familiar, but Kalit doesn’t just drop players in like Minecraft. Even then, exploration is a key feature because players are given a variety of biomes and environments to explore via climbing, gliding, and swimming. There’s movement and discovery, to be sure, but it is still more structured than the freeform exploration of Minecraft. Yet, both have that very real sense of freedom all the same.
Meanwhile, its biggest differentiator is its presentation. Rubberhose animation from the 1930s might have a moment right now due to the recent release of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, but it’s not like it’s an art style adopted by many games in general. Here, it is applied to a 3D open world.
Every animation is hand-crafted to reflect that era, giving the world a unique look compared to most modern survival games on Steam. Of course, that makes comparisons to Cuphead unavoidable just from a visual standpoint. Still, it does something unique with the animation and doesn’t just rip off Cuphead. Similar to MOUSE: P.I. For Hire‘s pursuit of similar animation, it just seems to be the moment of rubberhose in the industry.
Putting the Survival Crafting in the Open-World Survival Crafting Genre
While Kalit’s world is obviously a huge focus, it still places a strong emphasis on building and crafting like many survival games on Steam. In it, players construct bases, create tools, and assemble vehicles, all while keeping themselves alive (hunger and thirst), managing sanity, and regulating body temp. Survival mechanics include, but are not limited to, base-building (and customization), resource refinement and crafting, craftable weapons, vehicle construction and automated defenses, and tasks that can be assigned to creatures. Over time, it does evolve from basic setups to more complex operations. It is not as limitless as Minecraft, but that’s not without trying, for sure.
But yes, you can also capture creatures in Kalit. A lot is going on in its open world. Captured creatures can evolve and grow stronger, aiding players with combat, exploration, and/or base management. It’s more rudimentary than a game like Palworld, but it fits into making the open world feel more realistic. Overall, this creature system adds more depth to the gameplay loop, going beyond the simpler mob interactions seen in Minecraft and aligning more with modern survival game trends.
Unlike many sandbox survival games, Kalit introduces NPCs that provide quests, trading opportunities, and world-building elements. These interactions expand the gameplay beyond survival, adding structure and narrative-driven objectives—something largely absent from the player-driven experience of Minecraft.
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Kalit is Releasing on Steam Soon
Kalit is attempting to merge classic cartoon animation with modern open-world survival gameplay. That combination is rare, especially in a genre that typically favors realism or minimalist visuals. If successful, Kalit could stand out in the crowded Steam survival game market through its presentation alone. If not, it may struggle to balance its many systems, but either way, it represents a notable attempt to evolve the genre.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
For now, Kalit is building momentum as a stylized open-world survival game. With gameplay that echoes Minecraft and visuals reminiscent of Cuphead, it has the potential to carve out a unique space in the survival genre.
