ISLANDS: Non-Places

Quite good with an interesting atmosphere; pretty much what you'd expect going in. Note that there was a really grating high pitched sound effect during the whole palm tree escalator section, but otherwise no major issues.

As many others have pointed out, this really isn't so much a game as it is an audio-visual art piece with very simple puzzle elements. If you want an actual puzzle game, this won't satisfy you, but if you're here for artful liminal vibes and a surreal blend of the artificial and natural, this is your game. That being said, the experience is extremely short, and once finished, you cannot select individual chapters to replay. As such, while the full price is reasonable, you might want to wait until it is on sale.

I love these kinds of interactive spaces, it's really easy to get lost in there for a bit.

Just as the title suggests, this is built entirely from independent islands of non-places. It reads more as an interactive art piece than a traditional game — each "island" can be poked at and prodded, and the visual styling of every liminal space carries its own distinct emotion and atmosphere. As quickly as it starts, it's over, wrapping up in roughly 45 minutes even at a modest pace. Honestly, I'm surprised more YouTubers haven't picked this one apart the way they do with so many other visually driven games. Visually, it's a treat, and it feels like a precursor to the backrooms and liminal space wave currently inspiring so much media. This is something I could easily imagine stumbling onto in the 2000s, waking up at 3am during Adult Swim. Each island has a unique way of revealing itself as the framing unfolds, and the ending sequence in particular felt wondrous — brief, but capturing a feeling that's genuinely tough to replicate. Looking into developer Carl Burton, it seems another game, Mirria, is in the works, and I'm looking forward to it. The $5 spent here feels reasonably earned, though I'd suggest grabbing it on sale. A collection of neat ideas packaged into a familiar s…

Meh...

Love the concept, the art style and movement behind every object is neat. With that said, here comes the bad part. The controls are bad. Doesn't respond most of the time, you have to pixel hunt most of the time. If you can live bad controls, and love surreal art, this is right up your path.