Overview
The Islanders is a new game by Coatsink Software. It was announced at the last Indie World. This game is essentially a puzzle game at its core. You are building a civilization and trying to combine the different elements to get the highest score.
Gameplay
You start out with two choices. Each of these choices are categories of structures that you can add to your Island. Both have their merits and your choices. From there you have an array of structures you can choose to place on your island. When you are preparing to place your structure you will see the point value of that particular placement. The game even gives you a breakdown about what is adding and subtracting from the point value. You have a goal that you must attain with the available structures. Once you attain the goal you will get another choice between two categories of structures. You repeat this pattern until you have another island available to you.
Graphics
The graphics in the game are clean low polygon. This works as it provides enough detail as you will need. You don’t have to micromanage the cities once the structures are in place. The game uses bright colors that look very nice on screen.
Sound
The music is pretty low key, and pleasant. There is a basic background theme, and rest of the time you will hear basic background noises like birds chirping, wind blowing. I mostly played this game while listening to audiobooks or podcasts so I never bothered with the music in the game.
Controls
The controls are very simple and show me that this game was definitely a mouse controlled game originally. The controls on the Nintendo Switch are very intuitive and enjoyable. They have the controls setup so that making the tiniest moves is very easy to do with the analog sticks.
Value
The game is currently on the eshop for $4.99. This game is a great game to relax and zone out. It is perfect for times when you are wanting something to play but aren’t in the mood to get into anything too deeply. As simple as the gameplay is, you will find the hours fly by. You would be hard pressed to find a game with this much replayability for the price. Definitely a good value.
Conclusion
The Islanders is a game that is simple to dip your feet into, but complex enough to keep you occupied for hours. If you are looking for a game with great depth, this isn’t the game you are looking for. However that is the games best strength. You can play this game while listening to a podcast, audiobook, or your favorite band, and not miss anything. You can get pick up the Nintendo Switch Game “Islanders” on the eShop for $4.99. I think that this game is a no brainer to pick up.
