ISLANDERS: New Shores

About

ISLANDERS: New Shores is a single player casual turn-based strategy game. It was developed by The Station and was released on July 10, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

ISLANDERS: New Shores is a minimalist city-building game where you construct dream cities across 50 unique levels and 6 diverse biomes. With over 44 building types and multiple color variations, players can strategize or freely create in High Score or Sandbox modes. Enhanced visuals, a photo mode, and an expanded soundtrack deepen the tranquil, creative experience.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 639 reviews

gameplay43 positive mentions

atmosphere2 negative mentions

ISLANDERS: New Shores retains the charm of the original while introducing new mechanics, such as boons and unique island types, enhancing gameplay variety.
The visuals and soundtrack have been significantly improved, creating a more immersive and relaxing experience.
The game offers a perfect balance of casual gameplay and strategic depth, making it enjoyable for both new players and fans of the original.

Some players feel that the game is too similar to the original, lacking significant innovation beyond the new features.
The game can become repetitive after extended play, with some runs taking several hours to complete.
A few users have reported minor issues with the user interface and camera controls, which could be improved for better gameplay experience.

gameplay
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
67%
2%
The gameplay in "Islanders: New Shores" builds upon the original with enhanced mechanics, new buildings, and the introduction of a boon system, adding depth and variety while maintaining the relaxing core experience. Players can enjoy a more engaging and strategic gameplay loop, with options for both casual play and high-score challenges, all set against improved visuals and a soothing soundtrack. While some players feel the changes are not revolutionary, the overall consensus is that the sequel successfully refines and expands the original's formula, making it a satisfying experience for both new and returning players.
- “Much time and effort seems to have gone into rebalancing the game while adding tons of new buildings, synergies, environments, and mechanics.”
- “The gameplay loop is very satisfying, and there are only a few other games that achieve that level of 'zen' in my opinion.”
- “The new mechanics add another layer of gameplay decisions, without feeling forced or complicated.”
- “I wish you could leave neutral reviews as this is basically the same as the original with some minor cosmetic improvements and gameplay additions.”
- “However, I found myself getting tired of the gameplay fairly quickly, because I'd already played the first game a lot, and despite there being some new buildings and features, nothing here majorly changes up the gameplay.”
- “The new mechanics aren't really different enough to have any 'wow' factor.”
graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning, minimalist art style and vibrant color palettes, creating a calming and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Players appreciate the improved visuals over the original game, noting the charming details and variety in environments that enhance the overall experience. Coupled with a soothing soundtrack, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's relaxing vibe, making it a delightful escape for players.
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning.”
- “The minimalist art style is instantly recognizable, marked by clean lines and vibrant colors that create a calming visual atmosphere, while a soothing original soundtrack accompanies the experience, enhancing its meditative quality.”
- “The graphics have gotten an excellent overhaul from the first game, and the mechanics of many of the individual buildings have been given greater depth.”
- “It works fine, despite having to play with low quality graphics.”
- “If you played a lot of the first game before, this might feel like just a graphics update at first, but do stick with it because New Shores actually introduces a lot of new mechanics that tickle the brain in exactly the same spots.”
- “While what the rules have you make often end up looking aesthetic, it's not a city builder in the same way as Sim City, etc. and doesn't scratch that same itch.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and relaxing qualities, enhancing the overall calming experience of gameplay. Many players appreciate the chill soundtrack and ambient sound design, which complement the minimalist visuals and create a cozy atmosphere. However, some users note that the music can become repetitive over time, with a few expressing a preference for the original game's soundtrack.
- “The soundtrack is gorgeous, the art style is lovely, the gameplay is simple to learn but hard to master.”
- “The music especially helps give it that unique 'feel' of just vibing and planning and building.”
- “The gentle music sets a soothing tone from the get-go, the visuals come charming with their little details, and the point system is pretty quick to understand.”
- “I don't care for the repetitive nature of the music, so I play my own.”
- “If there's one thing that is a slight downer it's the music... it's only a couple of tracks and some parts being standout or attention-grabbing enough leads to it getting very repetitive after a while.”
- “Only major flaw is that the music manager is either buggy or just not very well executed; it will on occasion cycle tracks before the current one is done, sometimes looping the track that was already playing.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through the introduction of specific challenges, in-game progression rewards, and new biomes and building types, which enhance creative possibilities and scoring strategies. Players appreciate the casual nature and depth of the game, with many logging extensive hours and expressing a desire for even more game modes to further extend replay value. While it may not drastically differ from its predecessor, it remains a solid choice for those seeking a cozy gaming experience with lasting appeal.
- “It will take me too long to explain the intricacies of this game, either take a look at one of my videos (https://youtu.be/56vrobwz91w), or take my 200 hours (with many more to come) as a testament to the depth and replayability of this game.”
- “Lovely game, played the original for years as stress relief, and the new additions of biomes and boons only increase the replayability and enjoyment.”
- “Many new ways to get high scores through combination of new buildings and boons, which surely will add replayability.”
- “The addition of specific challenges and in-game progression rewards are the greatest additions, as they can really extend the replay value, something that was very lacking in Islanders I.”
- “There have also been requests for additional game modes and an even broader variety of building types to extend replayability and creative possibilities.”
- “Many new ways to get high scores through a combination of new buildings and boons, which surely will add replayability.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The optimization in the game has been significantly enhanced, with improved graphics, new mechanics, and overall better performance compared to the original. Players appreciate the balance between casual gameplay and the challenge of optimization, although some note a lack of dynamic environmental interactions. Overall, the game successfully combines charm with a refined optimization experience.
- “The new devs took what was nice about the original game (relatively straightforward mechanics with room for optimization and mastery) and made it even better with some new buildings, much improved graphics, and a new boon mechanic that allows for even higher scores if used correctly.”
- “Islanders has a truly unique charm, that perfectly manages to tow the line between a laid-back puzzle, and a neurotic pixel-perfect optimization algorithm.”
- “The game has great potential for being a cozy vibes game, but it's also a lovely exercise in optimization, which is how I personally prefer to play it.”
- “There is no flow optimization nor dynamic interaction from the environment.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a vibrant and minimalist art style that features clean lines and calming colors, complemented by a soothing soundtrack that enhances the meditative experience. Players appreciate the variety in the islands and the engaging yet tranquil gameplay, which fosters creativity and imagination in building and interacting with the environment. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both captivating and immersive, improving upon the original game's charm.
- “It has everything I loved in the first game (calm but engaging gameplay, wonderful atmosphere, interesting buildings and interactions), but it also improves the game massively, in subtle ways.”
- “The minimalist art style is instantly recognizable, marked by clean lines and vibrant colors that create a calming visual atmosphere, while a soothing original soundtrack accompanies the experience, enhancing its meditative quality.”
- “There's more variety in the islands and the atmosphere, and I love to imagine things about my islands based on what I'm building.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious due to cramped island layouts that require precise movements, detracting from the relaxing experience. While some appreciate the slower pace and enjoy building as a break from traditional farming games, the limitations on usable resources can be frustrating.
- “Islands are often too cramped, forcing pixel-perfect fits that feel tedious, not chill.”
- “Don't surface packs that are point-penalized or unusable on the current island (e.g., farming/hops/sand on winter).”
- “It's a very cool game (kinda slow), I have a very peaceful time building, especially when I want to get away from farming and more mainstream cozy games.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a playful and lighthearted approach, often involving amusing mechanics or interactions that encourage players to engage with the comedic elements, such as making "the funny number go up."
- “Or you make the funny number go up.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is characterized by a whimsical, storybook-like quality in its visuals, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- “The visuals have a storybook-esque, whimsical quality to them.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is marred by issues with the music manager, which is reported to be buggy and poorly executed, leading to problems such as premature track cycling and looping of currently playing songs.
- “The only major flaw is that the music manager is either buggy or just not very well executed; it occasionally cycles tracks before the current one is done, sometimes looping the track that was already playing.”

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31h Median play time

40h Average play time

24-73h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

ISLANDERS: New Shores is a casual turn-based strategy game.

ISLANDERS: New Shores is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 40 hours playing ISLANDERS: New Shores.

ISLANDERS: New Shores was released on July 10, 2025.

ISLANDERS: New Shores was developed by The Station.

ISLANDERS: New Shores has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

ISLANDERS: New Shores is a single player game.

Similar games include ISLANDERS, Dorfromantik, Pan'orama, Station to Station, Preserve and others.

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