ISLANDERS Reviews

7-8 different soundtrack styles, quiet and relaxing. Half strategy, half puzzle, 100% fun!

It's a pretty simple game, place pieces on the island. Get points for your placements. Relaxing, but it also teaches a bit about getting the most value out of the pieces and managing space. For me, the key is the relaxing part of it. I have almost all the achievements, but I imagine I will never get the ones that are based on speed. And, that's ok. Well done devs.

A simple yet deeply satisfying city-building game. No stress, just chill vibes and beautiful islands.

a fun simple little city building game that won't give you a headache figuring out traffic.

This game scratches the city builder itch without having loads of crazy systems and management. Super easy to drop in and out of. Really enjoying it.

The quintessential city-builder I keep coming back to. I think the newest update made it harder but that's just a fun new challenge. The designs are beautiful :)

Don't be fooled by the description, this is only a city builder in the very loosest possible sense. It's actually more of a puzzle game. Nevertheless, given the low price tag, simple & casual gameplay, and nice visuals it's definitely not a bad purchase if you're in the mood for that sort of thing.

Fun at first, but gets repetitive extremely quick. There's really only a few "Valid"arrangements that let you maximise score. The building variety is low and there's no real prestige system to make continous play worth it. I would say Dorfromantik does this concept way better

[u][b]ISLANDERS[/b][/u] is a serene and tranquil procedurally-generated, endless, score-based puzzle game which has a city-building theme to it. Although its tagline states that it is "A minimalist city builder," this is slightly misleading because the city-building aspect is moreso an aesthetic rather than a core identity of the gameplay since it doesn't involve resource or population management like the more traditional city-building games and is also less predictable due to the randomness of the maps and some of the building layouts. Overall, I recommend the game as it is very relaxing to play casually for an hour or two here and there, while simultaneously having just enough depth to satiate score-chasers, and the procedural generation of the maps constantly challenges you to adapt to the random terrain and natural features that you are provided. Although I don't care to compete for high scores, I found that attempting to optimize my cities was unexpectedly fun and especially gratifying after planning the general layout of my city and watching the points come flooding in as my plan came to fruition. Note: this review is current as of the unnumbered patch released on 23 November 2023 which is the latest update. [hr][/hr] [quote][b]S U M M A R Y[/b][/quote] - The gameplay is very accessible to a wide range of players as it is simple and intuitive enough for casual players, yet also has enough depth to challenge score-chasers, but the game is very minimalistic and offers little to no precision when it comes to building an efficient and aesthetically-pleasing city; - The replay value is decent and the game is fun when played occasionally in shorter sessions but the core gameplay loop will get repetitive very quickly; - The graphics are vibrant, almost cartoonish, and are reminiscent of the "Chibi" art style; - The soundtrack is composed of relaxing ambient music with rural-style sound effects to give the feeling of an authentic city; and - There is no story whatsoever but a casual puzzle game like this doesn't have a need for one. [hr][/hr] [quote][b]A C H I E V E M E N T S[/b][/quote] The game has 38 achievements, most of which will be acquired throughout casual gameplay while a few will require you to go out of your way to set them up but aren't difficult by any means and should take less than 10 hours to achieve; however, the [i]Conqueror[/i] achievement will take at least 30 hours by itself and require you to become very familiar with the mechanics of the game while also planning the general layout of each map before placing any buildings. That being said, it isn't nearly as RNG-dependent as many complaints on the Steam Discussion forums would lead you to believe as you merely have to invest some time into the game to learn it beyond a casual level since the achievement is not a given whatsoever. [hr][/hr] [quote][b]R E V I E W[/b][/quote] [h3]Gameplay[/h3] The gameplay is more akin to a puzzle game rather than a traditional city builder because of its focus on simplicity and minimalism: a map is procedurally-generated, you are given a choice between two random sets of buildings, and your inventory is populated with a number of buildings from the chosen set. Your goal is to place the buildings efficiently in order to receive point bonuses from other types of buildings and meet the point threshold which gives you another choice between two more random sets of buildings. This process repeats itself until you either fail to meet the point threshold, by having no more buildings to place, or meet the threshold which allows you to travel to the next map and restart the gameplay loop, ad infinitum. As far as casual play is concerned, the game is simple and intuitive enough to get into and occasionally have fun with in small spurts. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for those who like to chase high scores because the game demands absolute precision when placing buildings and planning out your city but offers you very few tools to facilitate this need and the tools that do exist are quite shoddy. For example, there is somewhat of an integrated "snap-to" ability but it is finnicky and rarely lines up buildings perfectly with one another which can lead to inefficiencies and cause you to lose points -- and sometimes those few points could be the difference between losing a run altogether or proceeding to the next map. Sometime between 2019 and 2022, the game was handed over to an entirely new development team and they added the more difficult achievements which require a certain level of precision that the game simply can't offer and this makes the minimalist approach of the game feel almost incongruous with, and somewhat inadequate for, these new achievements (one of which is the infamous [i]Conqueror[/i] achievement). If they had made the existing snapping more accurate, added an option to turn on a grid, or gave you a laser level tool, then the game would be feel much more precise but you can definitely tell the difference between the two development teams' philosophy on achievements. Another minor gripe that I have with the overly-minimalist approach is that the House, Mansion, and Park buildings also have a variety of different layouts (similar to Tetris blocks) but the next one is randomly chosen for you and can't be changed which is irritating from an efficiency perspective and true city-building aspect but I can't complain too much about it because it fits the minimalist design approach that they were going for. Nevertheless, I still found it quite fun to learn the more intricate nuances to the game's mechanics and optimize my cities; however, once I figured out the most efficient setup then the most fun part became the planning of the city and playing the actual game for long periods of time became a bit of a chore which is why I think that it's a good game to occasionally have fun with in smaller doses because it gets repetitive very quickly. The game also has a Sandbox Mode where you can unleash your creative side with an unlimited supply of all buildings and a Photo Mode where you can take fancy images of said creations using a variety of built-in filters and tools. [h3]Graphics[/h3] The graphics are vibrant and almost cartoonish in nature which gives it a very charming look. The buildings are also blocky but in a cute and bubbly sort of way -- if anything, I'd say that its art style actually resembles the popular "Chibi" art style because of how cute, minimalistic, and caricature-like the art design is. The second development team also added a number of optional seasonal and holiday themes that you can apply to your game to spruce things up at your whim which is a nice touch. [h3]Sound[/h3] The soundtrack is made up of relaxing ambient music with scenic noises such as dogs barking, birds chirping, and other rural sound effects. The music is so modest that I'm not even sure if the audio tracks would count as "songs". Much like the graphics, there are a number of optional seasonal and holiday-themed songs that you can enable or disable but I frankly couldn't even tell the difference between any of the songs. All-in-all, it's just a very relaxing soundtrack which I would say resembles white noise to some degree. The sound effects are few and far between but the main one you will hear is placing a building which makes a very satisfying plopping sound. [h3]Conclusion[/h3] Overall, I recommend the game because you can easily relax to it for an hour and forget about the stressors of life as you get immersed in its soothing audio, charming visuals, and straightforward and leisurely nature. If you're more of a score-chaser then it's surprisingly fun and engaging to plan out your city, optimize the placement of your buildings, and get that feeling of elation as your plan flourishes and you watch your points soar.

[h2] ISLANDERS – minimalism, tranquility, and strategic thinking! [/h2] [h3] Personal experience: [/h3] I spent over 5 hours in the game, and I can confidently say that it’s perfect for those looking to unwind and relax. The simplicity and minimalism of the game are top-notch. At first, I was surprised by how such a simple mechanic could be so captivating. Slowly, I started building islands, exploring their potential, and genuinely enjoying the process. The game is a perfect way to relax. There’s no pressure; you simply build, develop, and enjoy the view. I found the way ecosystems come to life and how the island transforms into a vibrant world incredibly satisfying. [h3] Pros and cons: [/h3] [b] Pros: [/b] [list] [*] Minimalist style: The visuals are light and pleasant, not overwhelming, yet still visually appealing. [*] Easy to learn: The gameplay is simple to grasp, but it’s addictive and hard to stop playing. [*] Calming and atmospheric: Perfect for those who want to relax and disconnect from the world. [*] Building process: Watching your island grow and develop is a deeply immersive experience. [/list] [b] Cons: [/b] [list] [*] Limited content: The game can feel a bit repetitive over time, and while it leaves a good impression, you may crave more variety in mechanics. [*] Lack of challenge: For those who prefer dynamic gameplay, the game might feel too laid-back and lacking in competitive elements. [*] Short experience: Some players might find the game to be a bit too short and simple after a few hours. [/list] [h3] Result: [/h3] ISLANDERS is an excellent game for those who appreciate a relaxing experience and want a break from intense projects. Despite its simplicity, it’s surprisingly addictive and allows you to create beautiful islands. If you enjoy calm gameplay and don’t mind a short but enjoyable experience, this game is definitely for you! [b] My rating: 8/10 [/b] [i] I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a peaceful, laid-back experience without expecting complex mechanics. [/i]