After launching the game ISLANDERS, which received over 15,700 reviews and a stunning 94% approval rating, the indie studio The Station is gearing up to unveil its sequel Islanders: New World (ISLANDERS: New Shores). Since its release, this title has garnered an impressive 97% approval rating, with players praising its relaxing nature and user-friendly features, highlighting its deep design.
Islanders: New World is a city-building game where players harness their intellect to layout buildings. The game features a sandbox mode and a strategic high-score mode; the former allows players to freely enjoy the fun of construction, using six different biomes and over 44 building types to create their personalized city, while the latter emphasizes skill and strategy.
In high-score mode, players will see their scores change based on the placement and relative positioning of buildings. Unlike basic building placement games, this mode requires players to carefully consider the interactions and synergies between each structure in order to devise the ultimate construction strategy. Every time a building is constructed, the score increases, and the game ends when the island reaches maximum capacity and no further buildings can be placed.
At the start of the game, players have no buildings to construct and must choose to design themed structures using Architectural Package to add new buildings. For instance, selecting Brewing Architecture Package will introduce Brewery and Hops Field, transforming the city’s aesthetic in the process. Each building serves a unique purpose; for example, constructing Brick Factory requires specific materials and if there’s sand nearby, players can score higher. Additionally, players can adjust the placement angle of the buildings to gather more resources.
Moreover, there’s a corresponding compatibility among different buildings. Some buildings should be placed close to each other, while others shouldn’t. For instance, placing a brewery next to a hops field boosts your score, but if you crowd multiple breweries together, their effects can cancel each other out and lower your score. So, players need to strategically arrange their city layout with these rules in mind.
During the construction process, players have the opportunity to obtain a one-time Blessing that grants special effects, such as duplicating buildings or replacing existing structures. To achieve a high score, not only is it essential to strategically place buildings, but also to make the most of these blessings. Additionally, Islanders: New World integrates a Twitch feature that allows streamers to accept votes from their audience, determining the next island chosen, building pack, or special perks, and includes a photo mode with filters, enabling players to enjoy the fun of creating models.
Islanders: New World (ISLANDERS: New Shores) is now live, available on platforms including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC Steam, and it supports Traditional Chinese.
