Fit check
Is Chico worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Screensaver enthusiasts who want crafted objects displayed during idle periods
- Survival fans who prefer gathering and crafting without a conventional action focus
- Players who want an AI-run scene rather than constant direct control
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking a conventional survival game built around sustained danger and active objectives
- Those wanting deep combat, extensive progression, or a strongly structured campaign
- Players uninterested in customizing an idle desktop scene
Our take on Chico
Rather than treating survival crafting as the main event, Chico turns its crafted output into screensaver content. Gathering and construction support scenes that play during idle time, while AI control and sandbox mode replace the usual expectation of continuous direct gameplay.
What is Chico?
Chico combines a survival mode with a customizable screensaver.
Gather wood, stone, water, sandstone, and rope, then use them to make tools, storage, and buildings. Crafted objects appear in the screensaver, where Chico can spend free time around items such as a campfire, hut, WC, cauldron, or shaving toilet. The game includes looting, crafting, an inventory manager, a day-night cycle, and time speed linked to the player's timezone. An AI option can control the screensaver activity, while sandbox mode provides another way to customize the scene. Chico also integrates with the Windows screensaver and includes an in-game screensaver mode.
How Chico plays
- 01Screensaver Integration
- Crafted objects can appear through Windows integration or the built-in screensaver mode.
- 02Survival Crafting
- The survival mode combines resource gathering with item and structure creation.
- 03AI-Controlled Activity
- The screensaver can run Chico's activities without direct control.
- 04Sandbox Mode
- A separate mode supports screensaver customization without relying only on survival progression.
- 05Time Controls
- The day-night cycle uses the player's timezone and allows the passage of time to be adjusted.
Chico compared to similar games
Mr. Prepper centers on preparing an underground shelter, crafting, and resisting an authoritarian government during a nuclear-war threat. Chico instead connects its crafting to screensaver customization, with AI-run activities, sandbox mode, and free-time scenes for its character.
Chico: platforms & release
Is Chico worth it?
It is worth it if: screensaver enthusiasts who want crafted objects displayed during idle periods. Skip it if: players seeking a conventional survival game built around sustained danger and active objectives.
Where can I download Chico?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Chico's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Chico on?
Windows only.
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