Dune Awakening just got a spicy major update, and an even spicer major discount, making it cheaper than ever before

The fear of dehydration. The fear of Sandworms. The fear of losing all your hard-earned progress. Dune Awakening is basically a walk in the park, but it's filled with sand, there are giant human-eating worms, and there are far too many people who want to shoot you on sight. These all combine to make it one of the best survival games of the last few years. Whether you love the Villeneuve movies, the books, or you just like solid sci-fi adventures, it's one of last year's best releases, and Dune Awakening is at its lowest price ever right now.

Set in a world where Paul Atreides was never born, you're sent to the overwhelmingly hot planet of Arrakis as an undercover agent for the Bene Gesserit, tasked with finding the missing Fremen. With Duke Leto Atreides alongside Lady Jessica and their daughter, Arrakis' valuable Spice is stuck between a war of two Houses: House Atreides and House Harkonnen, and you're plonked right in the middle in Dune Awakening.

As you land on Arrakis for the first time, everything feels quite threatening - even the sun is cracking your skin and making you dehydrated. The only shelter is the shade of large rock formations, and you'll need to sustain yourself on small plants found in caves or in shadowed areas. As you make your way through each quest, you'll slowly come to manage Arrakis just a little better, before eventually making your way across the dreaded dunes, and hopefully, you avoid becoming a Sandworm's snack.

You'll need to become accustomed to using both a blade and a variety of guns as you adventure across Arrakis. Foes with personal shields require the slice of a well-timed sword in order to break through their defences, while there's no shortage of factions with your head in their reticle. Death is a natural part of the Arrakeen life, but so long as you can get to your backpack, you should be able to retrieve your gear. Unless, of course, you're swallowed whole.

Dune Awakening is a single-player game in all but mechanics. The Deep Desert endgame will force you to commit to dangerous trips out to PvP zones, but in reality, the rest of the game is an online-only survival experience that sees you build your base and complete each narrative thread. Sure, it's frustrating that you'll need to find shelter in order to quit the game, lest you lose your progress, but if you're not keen on grouping up with other players, it's completely playable solo.

The MMO-lite recently got a huge update with the excellent Chapter 3 content, which is free for all existing and new players. That includes more of the story experience, while also bringing in some QoL reworks and new missions or weapons. If you're looking to take a trip to Arrakis, fortunately, it's a lot cheaper than plane tickets - as you can grab the game for just $26.49 / £22.25 at Fanatical, a massive 47% off the retail price (and the cheapest it's ever been).

So, if you've been waiting for an excuse to come face-to-face with the deadly Sandworms, Dune Awakening's biggest discount yet gives you one. Personally, I hope Sandworm riding comes in the near future.