Islanders: New Shores
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Critic Reviews for Islanders: New Shores
Islanders: New Shores is a gorgeously vibrant and chilled experience, one that brings a zen-like vibe to the city-building genre. Accessible and addictive, you'll wish you could stay in paradise just a little bit longer.
It's cute in its minimalism, and remedial in its gameplay loop, yet despite promising to find that je ne sais quoi in the future, Islanders: New Shores doesn't have it now.
ISLANDERS: New Shores builds upon what made the first game great and why I got it in the first place back in 2020. It added new elements to keep players engaged, while also providing a fresh improvement from the first game, by featuring better visuals, music, improved gameplay mechanics, and a points system that encourages you to reach the top of the leaderboard. It's a cozy game if you're after something chill or an intense puzzle game if you're after that top spot. Regardless, it's addictive and will keep you hooked.
You still retain your overall score from island to island to shoot for a position atop the online leaderboard, and that "one more run" feeling is as strong as ever given the simple gameplay and the constant dopamine drip of numbers going up and card packs unlocking. ISLANDERS: New Shores is almost certainly going to enjoy a lengthy stay on my Switch's home screen as a way to settle into bedtime vibes at the end of the night. It's a fun, approachable puzzle sim that should hook fans of the original back in while also bringing even more people to these chill island settings.
Wonderfully zen and relaxing, Islanders: New Shores is the city building game for people who don't want to get bogged down with nitty-gritty. All you need to worry about here is placing buildings and getting the highest score possible — and if even that sounds too stressful, there's a sandbox mode that simply lets you design your own aesthetically-pleasing townscape.
Islanders: New Shores is a gentle, minimalist city-building puzzler that doesn't ask much of you—just your time, a little spatial awareness, and maybe a love for making things look pretty. It's a meditative experience, perfect for unwinding after a long day or for a short session when you're craving something calm and low-stakes.
Islanders: New Shores is, in every way, an improvement from the original Islanders game due to new buildings and gameplay elements.
ISLANDERS: New Shores is a colorful, relaxing yet challenging city-builder that serves as a worthy successor, offering clear visuals, strategic scoring, creative sandbox features, and amazing content for its price.
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