Sheltered: This episode of Modern Family just took a brutal turn...

Games sure do take you to some grim places. Whether it’s nomming on your crew in Sunless Sea or robbing from pensioners in This War Of Mine, we’ve done some pretty despicable things in order to survive. In Sheltered, the latest Kickstarted title picked up as part of Team17’s indie-facing publishing initiative (which helped The Escapists find its feet), it’s worse still.

There’s no happy ending in this side-on resource management survival sim. No rescue force is coming to save you, nor is there a time when the dust-strewn apocalypse unfolding above ground dissipates long enough for your four-strong family to leave the confines of their bunker. you survive until you ultimately and inevitably die.

That not grim enough? Well, once one of your family members does kick the bucket say one of your children gets horribly ill Then you can use their earthly remains as a resource, bringing it to the bunker’s furnace for fuel. This brings to mind the particular level of Gods Will Be Watching, wherein losing a member of the group could often be a relief as they ceased to be a drain on your supplies. But when it’s a family? When your children are under your resource management-focused care? Guilt has rarely been served up to us this cold and stark.

Family matters
A lot has changed since the game’s initial Kickstarter. The pixelated graphics have been overhauled, with characters now smoothly animated and environments more atmospheric. New systems have also been implemented, like exploration, which sees you choosing a family member to send out for a trip into the wasteland. Do you send Dad, with his intimidating strength? Or Mum with her better bartering skills? Or gulp will you send one of your precious young ’uns outside?With full customisation of your starting household available, you’ll even be able to create your real-life family in-game. Which, judging by how dark things may get, we’re totally not going to do.