Anyone who reads RPS or PC Gamer might have run across
this article, talking about Wurm Online, which is basically a fantasy EVE type thing (also a bit like the Stranded game mode of Garry's Mod, which was fun). While it's an MMO, you can play through the first island for free with capped skills, although the article mentions that this is still good for dozens of hours of play. It looks like the sort of thing that would be fun in a group, so if anyone else fancies a go at it let me know and we can chop forests down and shit.