On the Nintendo Switch 2, the apocalypse isn’t about survival of the fittest—it’s about survival of the chillest in I Am Future.
When we think of the post-apocalypse in video games, our minds usually drift toward the radiation-soaked wastelands of Fallout, the fungal horrors of The Last of Us, or the desperate resource scarcity of DayZ. The end of the world is traditionally stressful, brown, and depressing.
But what if the apocalypse was… nice? What if, instead of fighting off raiders, you were fighting off the urge to take another nap in your hammock?
This is the central question posed by I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival, developed by Mandragora and published by tinyBuild. Released on January 8, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2, this title completely subverts the genre. It asks players to trade in their shotguns for a dismantling wrench and their anxiety for a fishing rod. After spending a week atop the flooded ruins of Cosmopolis, I can confidently say that the end of the world has never looked—or played—better.
Waking Up to a Waterworld
The game begins with your character—customizable as either Robin or Chris—waking up from a very long, very deep cryogenic sleep. You emerge onto the roof of a skyscraper, but the world you knew is gone. The city of Cosmopolis is submerged under a massive flood, leaving only the tops of the tallest buildings piercing the water’s surface like concrete islands.
Nature has reclaimed the steel and glass. Vines wrap around neon signs, and trees sprout from concrete. It is a “Solarpunk” aesthetic that is vibrant, colorful, and immediately inviting.
The premise is simple: You are (seemingly) the last human on Earth. But rather than panicking about the collapse of civilization, your character seems relieved. No more job tasks, no more inflation, no more rush hour. Just you, a rooftop, and infinite time to build the bachelor pad of your dreams.
The Joy of Dismantling
The core gameplay loop of I Am Future begins with scavenging, but not in the way you might expect. You aren’t looting chests for legendary swords; you are hunting for microwaves.
The rooftop is littered with “Old World” relics—kettles, toasters, broken TVs. The game features a wonderfully tactile dismantling mechanic where you take these objects apart piece by piece. Unscrewing the casing, pulling out the wires, and salvaging the scrap metal is oddly satisfying. It scratches a very specific itch, turning the mundane act of recycling into a dopamine-fueled treasure hunt.
These resources are then used to craft the essentials. You start small—a campfire, a bed, a workbench. But soon, you are building elaborate structures, furniture, and decorative items. The progression feels natural and rewarding. Every piece of scrap you pick up has a purpose, pushing you toward that next blueprint that will make your camp feel a little more like home.
Automation: The Rise of the Minions
While I Am Future bills itself as a survival game, it shares a lot of DNA with automation sims like Factorio or Satisfactory—albeit a much cuter, simplified version.
As you expand your base, the chores begin to pile up. Watering crops, gathering scrap, and fishing can take up your whole day. Enter the robots.
You can construct a team of adorable, spherical robot minions to automate your life. These AI assistants are the heart of the game’s mid-to-late progression. You can assign them specific zones and tasks, effectively turning your rooftop into a self-sustaining machine. Watching your army of bots buzz around, harvesting “cheese trees” (yes, that’s a thing) and hauling lumber while you sit back and tinker with a new gadget, is immensely satisfying.
The game also remembers that robots need self-care. When their batteries run low, they head to a “charging bath” to chill out. It’s a small detail, but it reinforces the game’s low-stakes, high-vibes philosophy.
Exploration and “Friends”
You aren’t stuck on one roof forever. As you tech up, you unlock scouting drones that can be sent out on expeditions to other buildings in the sunken megapolis. This is how you advance the plot and uncover the mystery of what actually happened to the world.
The exploration is passive—you aren’t physically swimming to these locations—but the loot and lore they bring back are vital. It provides a nice sense of scope to the world without forcing the player into dangerous combat situations.
Speaking of the company, being the last human doesn’t mean you’re alone. The writing in I Am Future is genuinely funny and charming. You encounter quirky AI personalities that inhabit the appliances and tech around you. Earl the Fridge is a standout, offering storage advice and deadpan humor, while Bombshell Barbara brings a different energy entirely. Building bonds with these inanimate objects gives the game a Cast Away “Wilson vibe, but if Wilson could talk back and help you manage your inventory.
Survival Lite
The “Survival” in the title should be taken lightly. You do have hunger and health bars, but managing them is rarely a chore. Farming is robust, allowing you to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables (and the aforementioned cheese). Cooking is a mini-game in itself, unlocking recipes that provide better buffs.
There is combat, but it is defensive. “Mutant pests” will occasionally attack your crops or electrical grid at night. You have to build defenses and manually swat them away (or eventually automate it). It adds a wrinkle of tension to the night cycle, ensuring you don’t get too complacent, but it never reaches the stress levels of a zombie horde night in 7 Days to Die.
Performance on Nintendo Switch 2
We reviewed I Am Future on the newly released Nintendo Switch 2, and it feels like the platform this game was born for.
The vibrant art style pops beautifully on the upgraded screen. The water effects, the lighting of the camp at night, and the detailed animations of the dismantling process look crisp. We played mostly in handheld mode, and the performance was flawless. The game targets a smooth framerate that holds steady even when your base is swarming with robots and drones.
The load times are practically nonexistent thanks to the Switch 2’s improved storage speed, making it easy to hop in for a 15-minute session to water plants or dismantle a few toasters. The controls are intuitive, mapping the point-and-click nature of the PC version comfortably to the Joy-Cons.
Summary
| The Good | The Bad |
| Relaxing Gameplay Loop: The mix of dismantling, crafting, and farming is addictive without being stressful. | Passive Exploration: Some players might wish they could physically explore the city rather than sending drones. |
| Cute Automation: Managing the robot minions is simple, rewarding, and adorable. | Low Difficulty: Survival veterans looking for a challenge won’t find it here; it’s strictly “cozy.” |
| Visuals: The “flooded city” aesthetic is colorful and unique, looking fantastic on Switch 2. | Late Game Repetition: Once automation is fully set up, the gameplay loop can become slightly repetitive. |
| Switch 2 Performance: Runs perfectly on the new hardware, with fast load times and sharp resolution. | |
| Switch 2 Performance: Runs perfectly on the new hardware with fast loads and sharp resolution. |
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival: I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival is the perfect antidote to gamer burnout. In an industry obsessed with high-stakes drama and competitive sweating, Mandragora has created a sanctuary. It combines the addictive loop of Stardew Valley with the satisfying automation of a factory sim, all wrapped in a gorgeous, flooded bow. It isn’t a difficult game. It won’t test your reflexes. But it will respect your time and lower your blood pressure. If you enjoyed Dave the Diver, My Time at Sandrock, or Coral Island, this is an absolute no-brainer. Building a new life on the ruins of the old one has never been this fun. So, crack open a cold one (from Earl the Fridge), kick back, and let the robots do the work. The future is bright. – Obsidian