Hollow Island

About

Hollow Island is a single player action game. It was developed by Edym Pixels and was released on January 29, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Hollow Island" is an open-world, survival adventure game set on a mysterious island. Gather resources, craft tools, and build shelters to withstand the island's many dangers, including hostile creatures and treacherous environments. With a focus on exploration and discovery, uncover the secrets of Hollow Island and find a way to escape.

Genres & Tags

Indie

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

music12 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

The game offers a lot of content for its low price, providing a relaxing and enjoyable experience with various activities like crafting, farming, and combat.
The soundtrack is highly praised, creating a cozy atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
The game allows for open-ended exploration and player-driven goals, making it appealing for those who enjoy casual, non-linear gameplay.

Combat mechanics are clunky and frustrating, with issues like stiff animations and unintuitive controls that detract from the overall enjoyment.
The game lacks a clear story and engaging NPC interactions, leading to a sense of emptiness and repetitiveness in gameplay.
There are numerous bugs and stability issues, including crashes and performance problems that can disrupt the gaming experience.

music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
21%
16%
The music in "Hollow Island" has received widespread acclaim for its relaxing and atmospheric qualities, often compared to the cozy soundtracks of games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley. Composed by Vindsvept, the soundtrack enhances the game's tranquil setting and complements its gameplay, making it a standout feature that captivates players even if they may not be fans of the genre. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's enjoyable and immersive experience.
- “The soundtrack is incredible; I listen to it almost daily!”
- “The music is spectacular, and if you're not already familiar with Vindsvept's work, I highly recommend checking him out on YouTube, Bandcamp, or wherever you can find him.”
- “I've noticed it tends to stutter after the music track has ended, but not always.”
- “For me personally, I'm not a big fan of these games, and while I quickly lost interest in the cycle of explore, collect, craft, the music of this game really captivated me.”
- “It really cannot be said enough, the soundtrack of this game is on Minecraft levels of cozy, perfect for curling up inside while it's snowing.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal to non-existent, with players noting a lack of lore, quests, and engaging narrative elements. While some appreciate the freedom from mandatory quests and cutscenes, many feel that the absence of a compelling story and NPC interactions detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative aspect is seen as a significant weakness, leaving players wanting more depth and context.
- “The setting and story looked promising.”
- “Would be nice if some kind of story and more NPC interaction/background was added, but still a solid foundation overall and an active dev.”
- “Reason the first: the NPCs aren't constantly pestering you with side quests you can't turn down, the game doesn't ever block your progress because you haven't done arbitrary quest 3,764, and if I decide to go fistfight a were-yeti it's because it sounded like fun rather than because that's what the game demands I do.”
- “There's no ease-in, no lore, no story to pique your interest, just two rambling old men.”
- “After 6 hours in, the game still hasn't bothered trying to explain things further or introduce more story elements.”
- “As expected, the developer hasn't bothered working on the story or NPCs at all.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find "Hollow Island" to be a relaxing game with a mix of farming, exploration, and combat, but many note that it can feel grindy and slow over time. While the game offers generous inventory space and allows for various activities, the farming and town-building elements are considered below average, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a mellow experience, though it may become tedious after extended play.
- “Very grindy and slow.”
- “I didn't play for long but was already feeling like I was grinding.”
- “Nice in short bites but starts to feel a bit grindy and pointless after a while.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique pixel art style that, while simple and sometimes crude, contribute to a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere when paired with soothing music. Some players appreciate the aesthetic options available in recent updates, though others note that the graphics can feel weak and the autotiling for building elements is lacking. Overall, the art style may not be fancy, but it is considered enjoyable and complements the game's rich content.
- “The main focus of the game is to make the players enjoy themselves; the beautiful graphics go hand in hand with the soothing music, creating a relaxing and wonderful atmosphere.”
- “The graphics and visual design are simple but pleasant.”
- “Unique pixel art style.”
- “When you build roads or a farm or water, the game doesn't autotile (using the proper graphics to show rounded corners, t-junctions...).”
- “The graphics are weak and the controls are poor but, overall, Hollow Island is a nice game.”
- “The most recent update allows one to toggle the saturation, brightness, and contrast, which I admittedly played around with to get the aesthetic I wanted.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The gameplay offers a decent depth reminiscent of Terraria, featuring a top-down perspective similar to titles like Necesse and The Survivalists. While some players find the gameplay loop lacking excitement, others appreciate the relaxing mechanics and variety of activities available, providing an entertaining experience overall.
- “The gameplay is very relaxing and has lots of things to do.”
- “Has decent depth making the experience somewhat similar to Terraria, but gameplay is top-down like Necesse or The Survivalists.”
- “The setting and mechanics have enough depth to them to keep you busy and entertained for a while.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful graphics and soothing soundtrack, creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the laid-back vibe, which is enhanced by thoughtful sound effects and a focus on personal pursuits, drawing favorable comparisons to titles like Stardew Valley. Overall, the atmosphere is described as fun and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “I really like this game because of its very good atmosphere and soundtrack.”
- “The main focus of the game is to make the players enjoy themselves; the beautiful graphics go hand in hand with the soothing music, creating a relaxing and wonderful atmosphere.”
- “People will draw comparisons with Stardew Valley, and I agree up until a point - it has a really laid-back atmosphere that's felt down to the smallest sound effect. You're the new kid on the block, and your success is down to your own pursuits. You can farm or go mining, and good lord, the soundtrack is incredible and perfect for the setting.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the charm and detail that could have made it engaging.”
- “Despite the vibrant visuals, the overall atmosphere is flat and fails to immerse you in the world.”
- “The game tries to create a cozy environment, but it ends up feeling empty and devoid of any real character.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with minimal glitches, though players experience brief freezes during autosaves. Additionally, a helpful community forum provides support for players who encounter issues.
- “Almost no glitches, and if you get stuck, there is a really good guild on the forums that covers 95% of what's in the game!”
- “It freezes for a couple of seconds whenever it autosaves, which is kind of annoying, but overall the game runs well.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly noting its homage to Morrowind, which evokes nostalgia and a sense of personal investment in the experience. This connection suggests that the developers successfully tapped into the players' fond memories, enhancing their overall engagement with the game.
- “The game starts with an homage to Morrowind that made me feel like the developer was creating a game that would be right up my alley.”