ISLANDERS

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 9,798 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
ISLANDERS Game Cover
Islanders is a deceptively simple puzzle game where you build little cities to score points. More importantly, it's the absolutely perfect game for making beautiful picturesque villages you can fall asleep and dream about.
Starting at $1.24Buy now
Get on Steam

Islanders is a peaceful strategy game centered on building and expanding cities across an array of vibrant, procedurally-generated islands. The game offers a soothing atmosphere, unlimited explorable lands, and the freedom to create growing settlements, making for an engaging and serene gaming experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,798 reviews
graphics644 positive mentions
story20 negative mentions
  • Islanders is a relaxing and addictive city-building game with beautiful graphics and a soothing soundtrack.
  • The gameplay is simple yet engaging, allowing players to strategize building placements for maximum points.
  • The game offers both a high score mode and a sandbox mode, providing flexibility in how players choose to engage with it.
  • The game can become repetitive after a few hours, as the core mechanics do not change significantly.
  • Some players may find the reliance on RNG for building packs and island layouts frustrating, leading to potential game overs.
  • There is a lack of depth in terms of city management, as the game focuses primarily on point accumulation rather than traditional city-building elements.
  • graphics1,172 mentions

    The graphics of "Islanders" are widely praised for their charming minimalist art style, vibrant colors, and soothing visuals that create a relaxing atmosphere. Players appreciate the game's aesthetic appeal, which complements its simple yet engaging gameplay, allowing for both strategic planning and creative expression in building aesthetically pleasing islands. While some users note that the graphics are simplistic, they are generally considered beautiful and effective in enhancing the overall experience of the game.

    • “The graphics are lovely and the art style is very cute.”
    • “The minimalist art style is gorgeous and colorful with each procedurally generated world more beautiful than the last.”
    • “With beautiful graphics, a soothing soundtrack, and satisfying gameplay, it's a game that's hard to put down.”
    • “There's no planning, strategy, or broader goal, and the result doesn't look aesthetically pleasing either.”
    • “Just a really big downgrade; the UI and art style have changed and are now inconsistent, and the UI is buggy and ugly.”
    • “The music is quite dull to listen to, the graphics are beyond sparse, and the desert islands have a terribly luminescent yellow sand color that is obnoxiously the same color font as your points display, so they tend to block each other out.”
  • gameplay1,102 mentions

    The gameplay of *Islanders* is characterized by its minimalist mechanics that focus on placing buildings to maximize points based on their proximity to one another, creating a relaxing yet strategic experience. While the game is easy to pick up and offers a soothing atmosphere, many players note that it can become repetitive after a few hours due to its limited mechanics and lack of deeper city-building elements. Overall, it provides a satisfying gameplay loop that balances casual play with strategic planning, making it a great choice for those seeking a low-pressure gaming experience.

    • “There is no time limit and no stress – just chilled vibes and deceptively addictive gameplay.”
    • “Just like Dorfromantik, it achieves a nice balance between engaging gameplay and a relaxed vibe.”
    • “The gameplay is slow-paced, and encourages strategic decisions.”
    • “Islanders won’t captivate many with its moment-to-moment gameplay – not at first anyway.”
    • “The gameplay gets repetitive fast and there's really no sense of progression within the game.”
    • “The gameplay loop is too short and there is no difficulty or resistance or even thought that needs to go into it.”
  • music970 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and soothing qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing experience of gameplay. Many players appreciate the gentle, ambient soundtrack that complements the minimalist visuals, although some note that the limited number of tracks can lead to repetitiveness over extended play sessions. Overall, the music effectively contributes to a tranquil atmosphere, making it an ideal backdrop for casual gaming or unwinding after a long day.

    • “This is then bolstered by a fantastic soundtrack that evokes this surreal feeling of calm.”
    • “The soundtrack is gentle and calming, perfect for a game session to chill out and unwind.”
    • “The music is very relaxing, invoking some kind of keyboard vibraphone soundtrack most of the time.”
    • “The in-game music is uninspired and gets repetitive very fast.”
    • “The music could be more diverse, but that is about all of my negative criticism.”
    • “The music starts to get grating after a few hours, and while enjoyable, it doesn't have the same kick that other minimalist-graphics games have.”
  • replayability238 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its high replay value due to procedurally generated islands and a leaderboard system that encourages repeated play. However, some users feel that the lack of lasting progression and potential for repetitiveness can diminish long-term engagement. Overall, while it offers a relaxing and enjoyable experience, the replayability may vary significantly based on individual preferences and play styles.

    • “Endlessly replayable.”
    • “It's a beautifully simple and replayable game.”
    • “The procedurally generated islands offer unlimited replayability in an easy-to-learn one-handed game.”
    • “It rather feels like the game possesses little replay value due to no lasting progression; you simply play each island until you run out of buildings to place, and if you generated enough score you get another building pack, otherwise game over.”
    • “Unfortunately, after achieving some decent high score and hunting down the achievements, the replay value is not so high.”
    • “The only two problems I have with this game are its lack of replayability, and the water plateau building will bug out allowing it to be placed inside the land mass, making the game much easier than the developers probably intended.”
  • atmosphere134 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as calming, relaxing, and meditative, enhanced by soothing music and charming visuals. Players appreciate the cozy charm that allows for stress-free gameplay, making it ideal for casual sessions. Overall, the game's design successfully creates a serene environment that encourages players to unwind while engaging in strategic city-building.

    • “Nothing distracts you from the core puzzle, yet the atmosphere is what provides all the cozy charm.”
    • “The music, the graphics, the smoothness of the camera controls - everything about it creates a wonderful atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is chill and calming, really making this a truly comfortable experience.”
    • “To be completely honest, it can get boring after a little while, but just give it a few weeks and you'll come back and be absorbed into the relaxing atmosphere again.”
    • “I love the atmosphere, ambience, and graphics; it's cute and vibrant, but the gameplay and the mechanics are lacking.”
    • “A simple city-builder that's enjoyable and easy to learn, relaxing through its ambient atmosphere built by the music and the gameplay itself, but it could use more complexity.”
  • story97 mentions

    The game lacks a traditional narrative, with many users noting that it focuses primarily on point accumulation and building mechanics rather than storytelling or character development. Players are encouraged to use their imagination to create personal stories as they construct islands, but there is no structured plot or end goal. Overall, the absence of a story is seen as acceptable for those seeking a relaxing, casual gaming experience.

    • “It is a simple game, but it works really well as you use your imagination to create a story for the island as it develops.”
    • “Without really trying, you'll end up with a surprisingly pleasant island that tells a cursory story of what it makes and how it lives.”
    • “A lot of city-building games end up with a bunch of towns that essentially look and feel the same, but it's fairly rare to find one where the landscape and building varieties shape a story of the village so well.”
    • “We're talking about a title where you won't have to deal with a story, characters, or conflict.”
    • “There is no story, no real progression, and no ending.”
    • “All I can say that's bad about it is that there is no story, and you are just randomly building islands.”
  • optimization79 mentions

    The optimization of the game receives mixed feedback, with many players appreciating its smooth performance and engaging puzzle mechanics, while others report significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware. Some users find the game well-optimized for casual play, allowing for a relaxing experience, while others express frustration over crashes and lag, indicating a need for further optimization patches. Overall, the game is seen as a blend of enjoyable optimization challenges and varying performance stability.

    • “You have to pay close attention not only to where you place your current piece down, but if you’re more advanced, you can try to think ahead and preplan your board to make the most optimized plays.”
    • “The game is very well optimized and runs extremely smooth, which is a big plus for a performance nut like me.”
    • “With charming visuals and a soothing soundtrack to match, this game is a relaxing exercise in space management and optimization, constantly dishing out satisfaction with every additional placement you make.”
    • “I've seen some games with poor brightness optimization, but this is the first one that makes it not only inconvenient but actually painful.”
    • “I wish it was better optimized as I constantly get crashed to desktop.”
    • “The game would be complete and fun to play if it wasn't suffering from obvious performance issues.”
  • grinding69 mentions

    Reviews of the grinding aspect in the game highlight a mixed experience; while some players find the achievement hunting enjoyable and not overly grindy, others describe the gameplay as tedious and monotonous, especially when pursuing late-game achievements. The game offers a balance of strategic building and resource management, but many players feel that the repetitive nature of the mechanics can lead to a grindy experience, particularly after extended play sessions. Overall, the game is seen as relaxing and fun for casual play, but can become tedious for those aiming for high scores or completion.

    • “No overcomplicated or dense mechanics, no microtransactions, no grinding to unlock whatever new technology or mechanic.”
    • “Nice achievements, not very grindy.”
    • “There are no tedious tasks to do, and every decision you make will affect the rest of your game.”
    • “The final achievement is grindy.”
    • “On the surface, Islanders may seem enjoyable until you discover its rigid, tedious gameplay aspect that takes away all the fun in a building game genre.”
    • “Polished and addicting, but once you get to the point where you unlock everything, it gets kind of tedious.”
  • stability24 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly at launch and in the main menu. However, many users also praise its overall performance, noting that it runs smoothly on various systems without major hiccups. While some players experienced minor camera control issues and z-fighting glitches, others found the game to be polished and largely bug-free, indicating a divide in user experiences regarding stability.

    • “Programming a game like this with no glitches, where everything works, is a feat.”
    • “The game is also incredibly bug-free.”
    • “Performance-wise, it runs great without any hiccups, and at least on my configuration, I required no tinkering in the options menu.”
    • “Buggy, glitchy, boring.”
    • “It freezes at start with music playing and extremely laggy cursor.”
    • “Complaints as of September 16, 2020: crashes or freezes a lot, especially in the main menu right after it opens.”
  • humor20 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as light-hearted and engaging, with players enjoying the amusing interactions and sounds of their in-game creations. While many find it funny and entertaining for casual play, some critiques highlight its repetitive nature and question the depth of humor after initial enjoyment. Overall, the game is seen as a charming and amusing experience, particularly for those looking to unwind.

    • “If you've got headphones on, you can zoom in and hear the muted sounds of the people that inhabit the place you've built, talking and laughing and going about their lives.”
    • “A simple and funny game, which becomes quite challenging in later stages.”
    • “It's funny because I usually self-destruct in city building games because I default into pursuing the path for the most amount of money possible, which turns my city into a toxic sludge pool of factories and pollution.”
    • “It feels more like a trial version, or a free demo, or some kind of an unfunny joke.”
    • “The humor falls flat and often feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
    • “I expected clever jokes, but instead, I got a series of tired clichés that just didn't land.”
  • emotional19 mentions

    Players describe the emotional aspect of the game as deeply wholesome and calming, often evoking feelings of nostalgia and mindfulness. The combination of beautiful visuals, soothing music, and engaging gameplay creates a peaceful atmosphere that can lead to poignant moments of attachment and reflection, particularly when transitioning between islands. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to provide a relaxing and emotionally resonant experience.

    • “There's some surprisingly poignant moments when you have nothing left to do but move on to the next island, yet you're not emotionally ready to leave your city behind.”
    • “The visuals are lovely and make me want to cry.”
    • “The game has a wholesome 'simple' design that creates a wonderful calming atmosphere while the player can either choose this to be a challenge they want to pursue, or a calming game for in between that enlightens the mood.”
  • monetization11 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is straightforward, with no microtransactions or grinding required, making it feel more like a mobile game without ads. Priced at $5, many players feel it is only worth a fraction of that, especially given its simplicity and casual nature, which could easily fit into a mobile app store format. Overall, the game offers a pleasant experience without the typical monetization pitfalls, appealing to those seeking a low-cost, ad-free gaming option.

    • “No overcomplicated or dense mechanics, no microtransactions, no grinding to unlock whatever new technology or mechanic.”
    • “The game is $5 at full price and has no microtransactions.”
    • “But I wouldn't have paid full price for it; I got it on sale for $2.20 after tax, and that's probably the most I'd have ever paid for something that feels as though it were meant to be on the iOS App Store and profiting from constant ads.”
    • “Totally would have played this game on a mobile device with thousands of ads before picking this up on PC.”
    • “Could be a mobile game with ads.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

90% average critic score

Buy ISLANDERS

Play time

6hMedian play time
32hAverage play time
4-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 58 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News