enjoyable.

For a game in alpha stage, a lot has happened. And small details that larger games developed for years haven't been touched on yet, only appear after a patch or two after the community asked for it.
Still a lot that hasn't been added to the game but still entertaining.
Maybe a little too entertaining with the risk of "overplaying" it before the release of 1.0.

Great game. Reminds me of Kenshi.

A crafting/survival game that does make you feel like you're in the kind of environment you see in "Mad Max: The Road Warrior"--drab, despairing, barely surviving. A can of dog food is a little treasure.

It's a bit rough, and the combat is really simplistic, yet I played this game for over four hours now and have enjoyed it. Once I finally got a nice crossbow made, it felt like a victory. That said, you probably won't have memorable moments of intense combat. It's more about just staying alive and trying to make yourself some kind of shelter that is tolerable.

The game is only early access, but it looks like it's a couple years old now, so I don't know how much more it will be developed. It is playable now, but it would be nice if the developers kept working at it.

Short version:
Is it fun? - YES

Long version:
Plains Of Pain is a post apocalypse SIMULATOR. What does that mean? Well, it comes down to pacing. The game is not slow but its not a fallout 4 action-fest. Exploring will take some planning and preparation. The desperate feeling you will have early on is felt when you celebrate finding a cockroach to eat. Learning to survive and play reminds me of the first few hours of dayz, that risk reward of trying new things and gambling drinking dirty water or eating a new leaf. The game really shines with it's random gen levels. I love that you can have an infinite amount of wastelands to explore. I have not found any bugs really however, it is early access for sure but they have been good with updates and communication so far. QOL is still in need of polish.

Summary:
This is IMO one of the best post apocalyptic games out there. If desperate survival and a more calculated play style is appealing to you then I give it a go ahead and buy recommendation.

Slow burn survival crafting game, highly recommended if you like games such as Kenshi.

Plains of Pain is a survival game that offers you a multi-level difficulty environment, offering you an option to adjust for your skill level before you start to play the game.
The game is definitely, not an easy walk on the park
Personally, i found it very confusing at first, not knowing what to expect or what to do in order to survive this game's harsh, desert-like environment.
I died more times than I can count "before I finally grasped the game dynamics."
Now I find this game to be quite fun and extremely challenging.
If you are one of those players that loves games like SCUM, I would definitely recommend this game for you. It is an addiction!! LOL Try it!