Islands of Insight

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 934 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Islands of Insight Game Cover
With a massive scope of puzzles to solve, Islands of Insight has something for every puzzle enthusiast out there.
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"Islands of Insight is a serene shared-world puzzle game set in a floating island realm, filled with ancient wonders, natural beauty, and puzzles to solve. The Deluxe Edition offers a premium cosmetic set, desktop and mobile wallpapers, alongside the standard game. Explore, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets at your own pace in this mesmerizing world."

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Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 934 reviews
story19 positive mentions
optimization23 negative mentions
  • Islands of Insight offers a vast array of puzzles, with over 10,000 unique challenges that cater to various skill levels, making it a paradise for puzzle enthusiasts.
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a relaxing atmosphere, allowing players to explore a stunning open world while solving puzzles at their own pace.
  • The variety of puzzle types, including logic grids, environmental puzzles, and hidden objects, keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging, providing a satisfying experience.
  • The game requires an always-online connection, which can lead to frustrating lag, rubberbanding, and disconnections, detracting from the overall experience.
  • Many players feel that the multiplayer aspect is unnecessary and poorly implemented, as it lacks meaningful interaction and often feels like a solo experience in a shared world.
  • Some puzzles, particularly the morphic fractals and hidden objects, are criticized for being tedious or lacking depth, leading to a sense of repetition and frustration.
  • story120 mentions

    The game's story is often described as an afterthought, with many players finding it abstract, incoherent, or lacking depth. While there are elements of lore and a narrative that unfolds as you progress, it tends to feel disconnected from the gameplay, leading some to focus primarily on the puzzle-solving aspects instead. Overall, the story is considered optional and not a primary draw for players, who generally appreciate the game's beautiful world and variety of puzzles more than its narrative.

    • “The story exists through text lore, and while this certainly isn't a game I recommend because of its narrative, I do find myself really interested in the overall narrative that is slowly unraveling.”
    • “This game is a beautiful open world puzzle game with a story you figure out along the way.”
    • “The story is a pleasant, low-tension one, and it's more philosophical than engaging, but I think that's a good thing for a game that wants you to just enjoy it regardless of whether or not you want to progress the campaign.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story feels like an afterthought, as if they decided at the last minute to stick a story into the game to appeal to roleplayers and others that like games with a good story in it.”
    • “The story is mostly told in the form of these text/dialogue snippets you pick up scattered across the world.”
    • “There's no story.”
  • gameplay90 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a rich variety of puzzles, each with unique mechanics and a cohesive world that enhances the experience. While many players appreciate the clever design and addictive nature of the puzzles, some express frustration with certain mechanics and the online-only requirement, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a relaxing yet engaging puzzle-solving experience, appealing to fans of the genre despite some criticisms regarding depth and multiplayer implementation.

    • “The gameplay is quite spectacular.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is dangerously addicting, the puzzles quickly become brain stumpers, and the world is beautiful to look at.”
    • “It's exactly what I wanted: a big, beautiful world loaded with puzzles of all different kinds and difficulty levels with a lot of different mechanics and rules to learn.”
    • “While the design of the actual puzzles is phenomenal and should by all means receive a recommendation from me, the gameplay experience, and the false advertising leave me rather wanting to cure my boredom by defenestrating myself.”
    • “Some of the mechanics can be frustrating at times, especially when chasing after stuff, or trying to reach odd places on a time limit that allows for no mistakes.”
    • “But it's not good enough to justify the premium price tag for the game, and all of the other aspects of gameplay that were intended to justify that price tag actually just bring the quality of the product down.”
  • graphics88 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and beautiful aesthetics, creating an immersive and relaxing environment for players. However, many users report significant performance issues, including poor optimization and frame rate drops, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as top-tier, some players feel that the graphical fidelity may be excessive for a puzzle game, suggesting that a more balanced approach could enhance gameplay.

    • “Absolutely stunning graphics.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the music soothing, and the puzzles just right.”
    • “In addition to the diverse range of puzzles, the aesthetics, visual design, and world of Islands of Insight are truly stunning.”
    • “Even putting the graphics to low, it chokes at running, despite having a PC with better specs than the recommended specs.”
    • “The graphics are so blurry I get sick from it.”
    • “Performance, even on the lowest possible settings, is inexcusably bad and even people with better graphics cards than me are complaining about it.”
  • optimization77 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, bugs, and stuttering, even on high-end hardware. The mandatory online multiplayer aspect has exacerbated these issues, leading to complaints about lag and server instability. While some users have noted improvements since the demo, the consensus remains that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Wish there were co-op puzzles or that the game was better optimized, but it does well for what it is.”
    • “I hope to see this game receive lots of support going forward with bug fixes, performance improvements, content updates, and potential DLC.”
    • “While the removal of easy anti-cheat improved the performance of the game a lot, it is still kind of demanding.”
    • “Good game, terrible optimization.”
    • “The performance is also very poor despite my hardware being overkill.”
    • “Performance, even on the lowest possible settings, is inexcusably bad and even people with better graphics cards than me are complaining about it.”
  • music58 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall relaxing atmosphere while players engage in various puzzles. However, some users find certain music puzzles frustrating due to their complexity and lack of clarity, with critiques pointing to a disconnect between the music's intended challenge and its execution. Overall, the soundtrack complements the beautiful visuals and diverse puzzle types, making it a significant aspect of the gaming experience.

    • “The music is unintrusive and calming, and I find myself using the game to relax, just run around and do stuff.”
    • “The audio work on the game is also fantastic; the music is pleasant and appropriate for each area, while not being so busy as to distract one from focusing on the puzzles.”
    • “Massive and gorgeous open world that's super fun to explore and find all different kinds of puzzles accompanied by soothing and meditative music!”
    • “When I first encountered a music puzzle, for example, I had zero idea what I was looking at, how to solve it... the good news is, they do offer you hints for those puzzles you have trouble with.”
    • “Additionally, music grids have tremendous potential, but the game's designers seem to think that a high-difficulty music grid should just be a random assortment of noises played at high speed, with little actual sense of musicality required for solving them.”
    • “The notable exception of late-game music puzzles on the mosaic/music island which I feel were made by an imagination-less robot who doesn't understand what people that enjoy music could possibly be enjoying.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, enhanced by beautiful environments, soothing music, and nature sounds that create a stress-free experience. While the puzzles are engaging and satisfying, some players note that technical issues can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game successfully fosters a tranquil and immersive atmosphere reminiscent of titles like "The Talos Principle" and "The Witness."

    • “I absolutely love this game ♡ the relaxing atmosphere, music, and puzzles are perfect for unwinding.”
    • “The atmosphere is calming and tranquil, while the rush of discovering something new and solving a challenging puzzle instantly provides excitement and rewards.”
    • “A game with a relaxing atmosphere shouldn't be frustrating.”
    • “Feels similar to The Witness and The Talos Principle in atmosphere, but plays closer to something like Guild Wars 2 if it were a puzzle game.”
    • “The world is absolutely gorgeous, the different areas of the map all have their varying themes, and overall there's a zen-like atmosphere that elevates this game from just being a collection of puzzles.”
  • stability15 mentions

    The stability of "Islands of Insight" has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent crashes, lag, and various bugs that significantly detract from the gaming experience. Despite its appealing design and engaging puzzles, many users feel the game is essentially abandoned, as technical support offers little more than generic troubleshooting advice. While some players have encountered minimal issues, the overall consensus is that the game's performance is unoptimized and frustratingly unstable.

    • “I experienced no glitches in the areas I explored.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs.”
    • “I was impressed by the overall stability; everything worked as intended.”
    • “It pains me to not recommend Islands of Insight because it is my favorite puzzle game of all time, but due to technical issues I can't recommend it to anyone despite loving my time with the game. I could go on about the good things in the game, puzzle design, visual direction, hint system, but that's a bit beside the point when my game itself crashes every 20 minutes consistently. I have been through troubleshooting with the help desk twice, and it has come down to 'wait for future updates,' but the game is essentially abandoned at this point unfortunately.”
    • “High amount of lag, crashes, freezes.”
    • “One criticism I have is that the game is somewhat buggy and unoptimized.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, particularly when it comes to completing checklists and farming for levels. While some enjoy the cooperative puzzle-solving experience with friends, many feel that the endgame content and certain puzzles require excessive trial and error, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite these criticisms, the game's extensive content and cosmetic upgrade system provide some incentive for players willing to engage in grinding.

    • “You can do a bunch of small quests that don't time out, no matter how long you take, and get a small amount of rewards in exchange. They're really not grindy; they're just there in case you feel like doing them.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels rewarding rather than tedious, as each task contributes to your overall progress and enhances your experience.”
    • “I appreciate how the game balances grinding with meaningful rewards, making each session feel productive and enjoyable.”
    • “After doing some of the mystery content, I realized I was just grinding to complete some more checklists.”
    • “Most of the endgame is farming those to get levels to unlock the last bits of progression; don't expect to get 100% on this one as some of the challenges are bugged and will reset your progression randomly.”
    • “There are so many puzzle games that have you plodding along, even in much smaller environments than this one, and it can feel so tedious when you just want to get to the next puzzle.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game boasts exceptional replayability due to its vast size and dynamic puzzle design, with puzzles that despawn and cycle, offering players a nearly infinite variety of challenges. Many users report spending over 100 hours without completing everything, highlighting the game's ability to refresh and randomize puzzles while maintaining a balance of permanent challenges. Overall, the replay value is seen as promising, though some concerns exist regarding the always-online requirement.

    • “The sheer size of this game and its replayable design make me fear that this is the last puzzle game I will ever need.”
    • “I've put in over 100 hours and am nowhere near collecting everything, so there is a heap of replay value.”
    • “Essentially infinite replayability because puzzles circulate over time and you forget the solutions to many puzzles.”
    • “I've put in over 100 hours and nowhere near collecting everything, so there is a heap of replay value.”
    • “The replayability is decent; many puzzles in the open world are randomized and refresh themselves, while still having areas of permanently solvable puzzle progress, so you can get both decent handmade challenges of all varieties, as well as your daily refresh of your favorite puzzles.”
    • “It remains to be seen if the game has the depth and replayability it claims to have, but so far it seems extremely promising.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The game features no in-game purchases, offering a decent selection of cosmetics primarily through a deluxe edition, which has been positively noted. However, the multiplayer aspect is seen as lackluster, and misleading advertising has led to mixed perceptions, particularly for players seeking a cooperative experience. Overall, the monetization strategy is straightforward but may not align with all players' expectations.

    • “No in-game purchases.”
    • “There seems to be a decent selection of cosmetics with no microtransactions (besides the deluxe edition), though I haven't really looked at it since the multiplayer is too lackluster for me to care.”
    • “If you found one of the old advertisements, or see that there is 'coop/party' and you want a coop puzzle game, then don't bother.”
    • “But due to the wrong advertising that lures people into the game for coop, I'll keep this review itself as negative.”
    • “I've seen mixed advertising, so just posting to clarify to folks that if you're looking for an always online solo experience puzzle game to hit your ADHD with major serotonin, it's fabulous.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Users find the emotional aspect of the game to be impacted by the frustrating design of certain puzzles, particularly those requiring precise navigation through randomly placed elements. This can lead to feelings of annoyance rather than engagement, detracting from the overall emotional experience.

  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely regarded as hilarious, with players finding it uniquely entertaining and memorable. Many users highlight its comedic elements as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience.

    • “Hilarious.”
    • “Funny thing, this is the first and only game I ever had to do this, and guess what?”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

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Play time

25hMedian play time
25hAverage play time
10-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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