At the start, it’s just you in a basic hut needing to keep your fire lit for warmth and setting traps for food. After a few turns, passers-by looking for shelter add their strength and numbers to yours, and traders stop by more frequently. You can build a community in earnest now.
Once a certain threshold has been reached, the game opens up and shifts focus to exploration of the surrounding wilderness. This second part effectively feels like a different game, perhaps a sequel to the one you’ve been playing so far.
It should take only a few minutes of clicking to see if you like the extremely sparse setup. If you do, you’re in for a captivating ride.