CHKN - Is that a chicken, or a goat-chicken-elephant-terror monster?

Taking the phrase 'building blocks of life' to a whole new meaning

CHKN is a unique sandbox creation game. In the game, you mostly play as a God.

Sandbox creation-you play as God

Your goal is to create adorable and/or terrifying creatures, feed them, shelter them, and over time watch them evolve.

God of the Digital Realm

Perhaps the most amusing thing about CHKN is the sheer level of creativity you have. In CHKN, you have wide-ranging control over the island you manage. You start by selecting an Avatar and customizing its look. From there, you enter the island on a rainy night.

There is no story, per se, and no story mode. While there are two different ways to play (creative or adventure), the goal to create amazing creatures, tame them, and survive.

There is a multiplayer option here, and it's co-op. The function changes depending on what mode you select, but it does present you with an intriguing option.

Adorable, Block-y Goodness

For an Early Access game, CHKN's graphics are surprisingly sharp. Casual gamer's will enjoy CHKN, and the game's stylistic choices reflect that. Everything is friendly, large, wide, and just generally adorable - even the most horrifying of creations.

Okay, maybe not them.

Perhaps the biggest demonstration of this style? There are barely any sharp edges. Everything is rounded and cute. It's to the developer's credit that they were able to develop such a cohesive style in a game that is so new.

Play and Create Your Way

CHKN comes with two modes: Creative and Adventure mode.

In Creative, you get a starting inventory that you can use to begin building your creature. Your creature can be anything within limits established by your inventory, and you can select various parts and sizes. It can be every bit as hilarious or horrifying as that sounds.

In adventure, you start with nothing. Using your Avatar, you wander the land, gathering resources, building structures, and finding the parts to create your creatures.

Regardless, a friendly tutorial walks you through the game when you first get started, showing you the basics of controls and creature design. More experienced players may find this tutorial irksome, but it does reinforce the idea that this game was designed to play to beginners.

Thankfully, creating creatures is a breeze, using the literal building blocks that the game establishes for you. Again, this game is kid-friendly. You can design a wide array of creatures, but this isn't Minecraft. "You won't be creating entire ecosystems here - just a decent and potentially disturbing facsimile of it."

Keep in mind that creativity isn't the only aspect of this game. You also have to eat and avoid being killed by any number of enemy creatures that also roam the island.

Expect more features and bug fixes

The game is currently in Early Access, and you can expect more features and bug fixes in the future. It is available for download on Steam for $9.74. At the moment, Steam is the only platform you can download the game on.

Fortunately for users, the game naturally lends itself to replayability. If you enjoy a game like this, you can lose yourself in CHKN's hypnotic-like creation system, creating a wide range of creatures. The format lends itself to creative exploration, and thankfully, creativity is something that never gets old.

TL/DR

A unique concept that allows players to create horrifying or hilarious creatures, buildings, and more.