Scum (video game)

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Scum is a multiplayer online survival game for Windows, created by Croatian studio Gamepires and published by Jagex. It runs on Unreal Engine 4. The full release happened on June 17, 2025, after entering Steam Early Access on August 29, 2018. The game is described as a “prison riot survival game” with an open world.

In Scum, up to 80 players per server are dropped onto a Croatian island and must survive while trying to remove an implant that keeps them from leaving. Players earn fame points by taking part in events or simply by surviving. Fame lets you buy or trade higher-tier gear in four safe zones. You can fortify buildings and guard important areas or stash items.

Characters have four main attributes: strength, dexterity, constitution, and intelligence. The game simulates the human body with a feature called the BCU monitor, which tracks calories, vitamins, health, and other stats. You can ignore these systems, or dive into them to improve speed, stamina, carry weight, and more. Digestion can be quirky: for example, if teeth are knocked out, you may need to liquify food to digest it. Certain actions, like using the toilet, leave traces that others can notice. Combat depends on skill but is also affected by stamina and health. Other mechanics include wetness, smell, medicine, cooking, hacking, crafting, hunting, and poison.

You can switch between first- and third-person views, but the game hides areas not visible in first person to prevent peeking. Night vision is designed to be realistic, simulating light physics and infrared effects.

Development history: Scum was announced in 2016 and was originally backed by Devolver Digital. It entered Steam Early Access in 2018. In 2019 publishing rights moved to Gamepires after Devolver and Croteam left the project, and Gamepires was later acquired by Jagex. The game drew early praise, with Game Informer naming it one of the best indie games at PAX East 2018 and GameSpot noting it among noteworthy games. It sold over 250,000 copies in the first 24 hours of early access, 700,000 in the first week, and over one million by the third week.