Announced back in August, the next major Don't Starve expansion will launch into Early Access on December 1. Dubbed Shipwrecked, the Early Access period will be fully playable, with "new seasons, creatures, biomes". New ways to die are also promised, which is just as well.

"As always, during early access we will be releasing regular updates containing new content as well as tweaks and bug fixes based on your input," a spokesperson for publisher Klei wrote on the game's forums. As the name suggests, Shipwrecked will have you spending a lot of time in boats, and hopefully not too much time drowning in the water outside of boats.

Don't Starve has seen a number of substantial additions since its initial release in 2013. The biggest one was Don't Starve Together, which is a multiplayer co-op version of the main game. Oh, and the Reign of Giants DLC was pretty decent too.

No word as yet on when the expansion will finish up in Early Access, and studio Capy Games is still working on world migration, which won't be available on December 1.

If you love being lost in a cruel world accompanied only by the morbid sense that your own death draws closer with each step—and hey, who doesn't?—then boy have I got great news for you! Klei Entertainment has announced a new single-player expansion for Don't Starve, called Shipwrecked. Coming later this Fall, it's actually not being developed by Klei, but by Capy—developers of Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP, Super Time Force Ultra, and Below.

The announcement says Shipwrecked will bring "new playable characters, biomes, creatures and seasonal effects."  Somewhat obviously, the entire expansion will have a seafaring theme and add sailing to the game, which is the first time water has done more than impede your progress in Don't Starve. There's no word when (or even if) Shipwrecked will make it to the multiplayer version, Don't Starve Together, but you can expect the single-player version to hit PC, Mac, and Linux this fall.

"I'm a survivor," sang Destiny's Child in 2001; thus proving once and for all that three people are better at tackling a harsh wilderness (and/or shitty boyfriends) than one. In recognition of that, Klei has given all owners of their survival game Don't Starve a free copy of standalone multiplayer expansion Don't Starve Together.

The multiplayer component was always due to be given, for free, to Don't Starve owners on completion of its time in Early Access. Despite this, Don't Starve Together is not yet out of beta. Klei has decided to hand it out nonetheless. If you owned Don't Starve prior to June 3, you now own Don't Starve Together, too.

"Today, we welcome 2 million new players into the Don't Starve Together community," writes Klei. "Thank you once again to everyone who supported us on this journey."

As for future buyers of Don't Starve, you won't receive a copy of the expandalone. Instead, Klei has released a Don't Starve Mega Pack, featuring both games, and an extra giftable copy of Don't Starve Together, for 17/$20.

If you're eligible for a copy but don't know where it is, head over to Klei's FAQ page.

Tim told me before we started that he had played a lot of Don't Starve, but the reality of that didn't hit me until we got into the game and he became a well-oiled, survival machine. Don't Starve Together is a standalone, multiplayer version of the original that just recently entered Steam early access. It will be made free to those who currently own the original when it leaves early access, but Tim and I couldn't wait to get our hands on it. While it seems like not much has changed yet, sharing survival with another person can be a very different experience. Watch the video above to see me and Tim fight for our lives. 

Don't Starve Together, the standalone multiplayer expansion for Don't Starve, will hit Early Access on December 15. As the name implies, Don't Starve Together is a cooperative spin on the top down survival game, pitting friends against the harsh realities of starvation. It'll be a nice, friendship-building experience.

Klei Entertainment has announced that in its Early Access state, Don't Starve Together will no longer be a free upgrade for existing Don't Starve players. Instead, owners of the original game will pay $4.99 for the Frontier Pack. It's a decent deal though: upgrading will grant you a copy of Don't Starve as well as two keys to the Don't Starve Together Early Access. Those who don't already own the original game will pay $19.99 for the pack. Update: If you don't want to take part in the Early Access period, the multiplayer expansion will still be free if you own the game, you'll just have to wait for the final build.

The Early Access edition follows a beta, which proved so popular that Klei decided to make the upgrade to Steam. "As part of the Beta signup process, we ve found that there are a lot of people who really want into the Beta, and even while giving out a hundreds of keys every day, it became clear to us that we needed a release valve for the demand. 

"Specifically, people were starting to buy keys in back channels, with varying success. That's why we're now providing the Frontier Pack: a clear, official channel for access."

Check out the Early Access trailer below:

If for some reason you budget your video game spending by the weekend, then here's good news: you can spend that money on something else. May I suggest: nicer food. A new pair of shoes. A trip to the nearest theme park. 

The reason is, Steam is making ten games free this weekend as part of its aptly titled Free Weekend promotions. The games include Company of Heroes 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Grid 2. You'll have over 48 hours to play them, as they unlock 10am Pacific time on Thursday, October 16. After that you'll need to pay for them, with the promise of substantial discounts.

Here's the list:

Awesomenauts Blade Symphony Company of Heroes 2 Don't Starve Grid 2 Injustice Killing Floor Payday 2 Trine 2 XCOM: Enemy Unknown

It's a good week for free games: GOG.com is giving away Alien versus Predator Classic this week as part of a GOG Galaxy test run.