Vanlife: Down By The River

About the Game

Live Simply. Stay Longer.

Vanlife: Down By The River is a cozy, grounded RPG about stepping off the road and building a life in a van parked beside a quiet river. Instead of chasing endless destinations, you focus on day-to-day survival, relationships, and the slow satisfaction of making a place feel like home.

There’s no rush. No apocalypse. Just time, weather, people, and the choices you make each day.

Your Van Is Your Character

Your van is more than transportation, it’s your home, inventory, and progression system.

• Install upgrades like solar panels, water systems, and storage builds

• Customize the interior to match your playstyle

• Decide how comfortable, risky, or self-sufficient you want to live

A well-kept van opens opportunities.

A Small World That Changes

The river acts as your home base, slowly evolving over time.

• Meet travelers, locals, and drifters with their own routines and problems

• Build relationships through repeated interactions, not quest markers

• Take on small, grounded jobs like repairs, deliveries, fishing, and trading

• Watch the camp change as people arrive, leave, or settle in

Not every story needs a resolution, some just pass through.

RPG Progression

Grow practical skills that support your way of living:

• Fishing & foraging

• Crafting & upgrades

• Survival against weather, hunger, and wear

Find items with history, useful, sentimental, or strange, that make your van feel lived in.

Explore When You Want To

Take short trips to nearby towns, forests, and roadside stops to gather supplies and stories. Every drive costs fuel and time, but the river will always be waiting when you return.

A Cozy, Grounded Atmosphere

Low-key folk and ambient music, river sounds, wind through trees, and distant highway noise. A stylized, tactile aesthetic that feels calm, reflective, and personal.

Vanlife: Down By The River is an RPG about choosing a slower life, and deciding if that choice is enough.