Deep Rock Galactic: A Wholesome Co-op Game Community
This co-op game community is so wholesome, it’s downright toxic. Forget the dungeon crawlers, the survival games, and the co-op shooters. Deep Rock Galactic is the FPS game where teamwork and friendliness prevail, and toxicity is nowhere to be seen. Playing this game, it’s easy to forget that most other online games are, at their core, toxic cesspools, and Deep Rock Galactic could be the antidote we all need.
Playing Deep Rock Galactic, it’s hard not to draw parallels with games like Minecraft. However, where Minecraft is all about building and creativity, Deep Rock Galactic is all about mining and crafting. You and up to three other dwarfs can work together to explore underground caves, searching for the minerals needed to craft new weapons and armour. While there’s a PvP element to the game, the overall community is far from toxic, and players are much more likely to welcome newcomers with open arms.
It’s a harsh contrast to most FPS games, where toxicity is the norm. The game itself isn’t necessarily wholesome – there’s still plenty of shooting and killing – but the community is. It’s a secret that could unravel the very nature of gaming itself. So, how has such a positive gaming experience come to be?
It’s easy to be cynical and say that Deep Rock Galactic’s community is so wholesome because it’s a co-op game, and there’s no PvP. That’s not the case, though, because while there is no PvP, there is still plenty of opportunity for toxicity. In most FPS games, jumping into a multiplayer match with strangers can feel like a game of Risk, where you’re constantly fighting for territory. Even in Rainbow Six Siege, which does its best to encourage teamwork, the community is still toxic.
That’s not the case in Deep Rock Galactic. The secret is, well, secret, although it’s easy to see how it could foster such a wholesome environment. One of the main ways to communicate with other players is by sharing any rewards you find. Even if you’re not intending to share, you’re encouraged to do so by a UI prompt that appears whenever you pick up a treasure chest. If you don’t share your loot, the prompt repeats until you do. This means that a lot of players are helping each other out, fostering a friendly and welcoming community.
Even outside of sharing, the game makes it easy to communicate with others. Using just one button, you can press a hammer to indicate that you need help, and then use another button to show the location of a treasure chest. If a friend is using a headset, it’s even easier, as you can just talk to one another. As a result, the community feels like a group of friends who will play together for years to come.
It’s not just a facade either, as the Deep Rock Galactic community is extremely active outside of the game, too. The official Discord is a hive of activity, with fans sharing fan art, sharing memes, and creating guides for the game. The general attitude is one of positivity, with fans thanking the devs for their hard work, and generally being nice to one another.
Deep Rock Galactic may not be your typical Toxic Tingle, but it’s definitely a game worth checking out. If you’re looking for something else, take a look at our list of the best games like Assassin’s Creed, which will give you loads of great ideas.
