Father´s Island

About

Father´s Island is a single player action game. It was developed by Homegrown Games and was released on June 20, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Father's Island is a mystic, surreal visual novel / playable B-Movie in a 3D open world, with hundreds of buildings, structures and relics, wildlife and strange machinery. Combining dense atmosphere with mystery, horror & exploration!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+11

Skip User Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews

story11 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and absurd sense of humor, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate B-movie style narratives.
It features multiple endings and a relatively large open world to explore, which can be intriguing for players who enjoy discovery.
The soundtrack and voice acting, particularly the live-action cutscenes, add a quirky charm to the overall experience.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including long loading times, bugs, and poor optimization, which detract from the gameplay experience.
Graphics and sound design are subpar, with many players noting rough visuals and overlapping audio that disrupt immersion.
The gameplay is often described as tedious and lacking direction, with repetitive key-hunting mechanics and minimal interaction.

story
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
55%
10%
The game's story is a mix of dark humor and Cold War paranoia, presented through a walking simulator format that some players find engaging despite its nonsensical elements. While the narrative is described as convoluted and occasionally lacking in direction, it features unique storytelling and moments of depth that can be both amusing and intriguing. Overall, the story garners mixed reviews, with some appreciating its creativity and atmosphere, while others criticize its execution and technical issues.
- “One thing that I really appreciated in Father's Island is the inclusion of propaganda material in a tasteful way that offered some much-needed insight into the convoluted storyline.”
- “The story is really cool to follow and the voice acting is superb; also, the colors are amazing and really unique!”
- “You can tell that Ertlov has put his heart into the work behind the scenes; the story is very creative, the placement of objects and terrain is very well done, and it's obvious a lot of care and attention to detail has been made here.”
- “It's basically a nonsensical story about Cold War paranoia and secret programs in a walking simulator.”
- “The story is supremely stupid and the acting is fair to middling, but it's one of those games where, in my humble opinion, you can get some laughs out of it.”
- “It's a little too 'open' in parts; there are quite a few areas where you can bypass mechanics completely. In a story-driven game, your character needs to be directed by the story and the map a little more; sometimes it's not clear where to go, and you can end up going around in circles.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its variety and quality, featuring relaxing tracks and effective voice acting that enhance the overall experience. However, issues such as overly loud default volume, poor synchronization with gameplay, and abrupt transitions between tracks detract from the immersion. Despite these drawbacks, the soundtrack effectively sets the mood and contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack and voice acting is one such positive note, which tips the scales in favor of father's island.”
- “You can listen to anything from relaxing music that reminded me of Buddha Bar, piano tracks, and even a military march.”
- “The music itself is very nice and calm.”
- “The default music volume was too loud, and the soundtrack would start at the wrong time, overlapping some voice-overs and causing you to miss some important information.”
- “The music within the title is also jarring, as it splices in and out of different tracks depending on where you're positioned.”
- “Can't set music off or low, which is bad for video creators.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, including low frame rates (30-45 fps) even on high-end hardware, and persistent technical problems like save file failures and graphical glitches. While some improvements have been noted in recent updates, many players still find the overall optimization to be a major hindrance to their experience.
- “The performance has been improved now and I can say I got 25+ fps at least.”
- “You can see the mountains and other items being built in the background as you walk (poorly optimized).”
- “While Father's Island has that corny B-grade quality and style to it, its atrocious optimization and performance problems are its biggest hindrance.”
- “As of writing, the most recent 'optimization update' was on September 27, 2016, but the game still runs between 30-45 fps at best on a GTX 1080 and i7 6700k combo; for non-techies, that's extremely top-of-the-line gear.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of exploration and backtracking across various locations, often accompanied by overlapping cutscenes and audio clips. While some players appreciate the relaxed pace and quirky narrative, others find the mechanics too open-ended, allowing for bypassing objectives and leading to confusion about progression. Overall, the experience is described as a blend of engaging storytelling with a somewhat disorganized gameplay structure.
- “As for the gameplay, you’ll spend a lot of time going back and forth from one island location to another.”
- “Fortunately for me, years of gameplay grinding in some games have allowed me to view backtracking as a necessary evil, in order to extend an otherwise short trip from point A to B.”
- “A relatively short game in which you can look forward to an evening full of weird tales, odd characters, insanity, and strangely relaxing gameplay.”
- “The core gameplay is walking between assorted houses while cutscenes and audio clips play, often layering over each other if you move too fast.”
- “Many of the mechanics can simply be bypassed by climbing hills or skirting around awkwardly placed fences and trees, and generally you'll just be set out to find keys anyway.”
- “It's a little too open in parts; there are quite a few areas where you can bypass mechanics completely. In a story-driven game, your character needs to be directed by the story and the map a little more, as sometimes it's not clear where to go and you can end up going around in circles.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users noting rough and unimpressive visuals, minor bugs, and a lack of cohesion between the art style and other elements like voice acting. While a few players appreciate the pleasant 2D art style, overall, the graphics are often described as amateurish and lacking polish.
- “The graphics are pleasant.”
- “The 2D art style is visually appealing.”
- “The game features a unique blend of art styles that enhances the overall experience.”
- “This game has rough graphics, bad sound design, bad pacing, poor gameplay, bugs, and overall is an amateur effort.”
- “Some minor graphic bugs.”
- “Awful graphics.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
43%
The humor in the game is described as quirky and absurd, appealing to those who appreciate Ivan's unique comedic style, which blends dark elements with lighthearted moments. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, particularly in its delivery and voice acting, many players enjoy the comedic relief amidst the game's deeper narrative. Overall, it caters to a specific taste in humor, rewarding those with a penchant for the unconventional.
- “It's almost nonsense, and it takes itself just serious enough to be really funny.”
- “Not really sure if I'm supposed to laugh or be scared, the acting is hilarious but hey, I enjoy it. The game has an in-depth story to it, and you can clearly tell they're a dedicated bunch who spent time rendering the game to look as good as it does, especially with those popups, hahaha.”
- “Dark and moody, with plenty of story, some moments that would normally be a part of the story you can turn for amusement (yes, I repeated that bit and died a lot laughing). Good fun with some funny moments gets a thumbs up here :)”
- “If that's supposed to be part of the humor in this game, it's not funny.”
- “The jokes fall flat and feel forced, lacking any real wit.”
- “I expected clever humor, but instead, it was just cringeworthy.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its captivating and calming qualities, featuring a striking red sky and a beautiful piano soundtrack that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail and the option to customize the visual elements, although some suggest clearer instructions for adjustments. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's exceptional storytelling and immersive environment.
- “Great and exceptional game full of atmosphere and excellent storytelling.”
- “First thing I noticed was the very calm and nice atmosphere.”
- “Here you can just relax and pace on, look at every detail, and get a nice atmospheric feel with a great piano soundtrack too.”
- “Father Island is a game that oozes atmosphere!”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real immersion.”
- “Despite its potential, the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere that draws players in.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with users reporting numerous bugs that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many describe it as a "buggy nonsensical mess," indicating severe issues with performance and reliability.
- “Buggy nonsensical game guru mess.”
- “Extremely buggy.”
- “Buggy.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game boasts multiple endings, significantly enhancing its replayability and encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes.
- “The game features multiple endings, making it incredibly replayable.”
- “With various choices and outcomes, I find myself coming back to explore different paths.”
- “Each playthrough offers a unique experience, ensuring high replay value.”
- “Has multiple endings, and because of it, is replayable as heck.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying feel pointless.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally perceive grinding as a necessary aspect of gameplay, often viewing it as a means to extend the experience and enhance progression, despite it sometimes feeling tedious.
- “Grinding feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding takes away from the overall experience, turning what could be exciting into a tedious task.”
- “I find myself spending hours on grinding, but it often feels like I'm just wasting my time instead of progressing.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that players are frustrated with the game's monetization approach, feeling it prioritizes marketing over necessary updates and improvements. There is a sense of dissatisfaction with the focus on advertising rather than addressing gameplay issues.
- “In case you didn't know, this is not a marketing space; this is for patch notes, something this game needs a whole lot more than amateur advertising.”
- “I go crazy for high-res posters of printed brainwashing, since I shall always find the darker side of advertising (as if the rest is any better) to be fascinating.”