Len's Island is an action-adventure and isometric survival game that mixes exploration, harvesting, construction and combat. Initially a weekend solo project, the game was later funded on Kickstarter and is currently being developed and published by Flow Studio, an independent Australian studio. Still in early access, it was officially released on Steam on 26/11/2021, but is currently only available in English.
The main menu is relatively straightforward, with few graphics and sound settings. On the other hand, the soundtrack of the game is its big plus point. In the menu, the music alternates between calm and epic, representing the serenity of the harvesting and building phases, as well as the action of the combat phases. The first step is to create your game, knowing that it is possible to create several different ones. The time spent in game is represented by a fictitious day/month/year counter. We then have to choose how to control Len, the main character: either with ZQSD or with the mouse (recommended by the developers). It will later be possible to play with a controller. Finally, we can customize Len during the creation phase:
Fairly simple creation and customization of Len.
The game starts and here we are on the beach of an island with, by our side, a simple raft containing a chest and a sleeping bag. There is no introductory cinematic, and therefore no explanation of the story or the situation. Some help messages are fortunately present, as here for the management of the toolbar, the inventory (the backpack) and the secondary storage (the chest). The sleeping bag allows you to save the game and sleep in order to pass the time (possible only when night falls), causing certain resources to reappear on the island.
Toolbar and inventory management.
Having chosen to play with the mouse, the left click allows you to use the equipped tool (and to interact with an element while being within range) and the right click maintained to move. It is also possible to roll, jump, and combine the two for a longer jump. With Tab we can open the inventory, in which we find three tabs: the first gathers the resources collected, the second, the food and the plants, and the third contains the plans of the unlocked constructions. As a user interface, we have a life bar and a hunger gauge. As in any survival game, we will have to feed ourselves, via fruits harvested in the wild or planted ourselves. We start with rudimentary tools, each with its own uses: a sword for fighting or cutting plants, an ax for cutting wood, and a pickaxe for minerals. Then just move on the resources to pick them up (as in Minecraft for example). Positive point, the resources are highlighted, which helps to locate them and not to forget some.
Pickup wood highlighted.
The music on the menu gives way to the sounds of the environment and nature for a relaxing (non-combat) and quite immersive atmosphere. The game is not guided: you will have to explore on your own, without a map or compass to find your way around. Directional signs can be built, but the different islands are not huge and it will be quite simple to memorize the main points of interest and different directions. By having the right resources, it is possible to build, anywhere, several elements: stairs, walls, fences, windows, etc. To do this, the game, developed with Unity, includes an Edit mode similar to that of The Sims which allows you to place, orient, recycle, or even consolidate, in a practical and intuitive way:
Edit mode inspired by The Sims.
Positive point, the constructions are instantaneous. On the other hand, it is not possible to move or reorient an element that has been built, forcing it to be recycled in order to rebuild it. In addition, the camera, which is adjustable in this mode, is not for the rest of the game, which could help to explore. Everything related to layout and decoration is optional and has no use other than for visual interest, but the Edit mode nevertheless allows many possibilities:
A small example from before...
…after.
New plans (constructions, tools, etc.) can be unlocked via the workshop, which must have been built beforehand. The tools are grouped into "sets", for a "collection" aspect that shows what remains to be found, and the bonuses that this or that set provides. Once all the elements of a set have been unlocked, a special tool is then available.
Weapon Blueprints available at the start in the Workshop.
Different sets of collectibles.
Having better tools allows you to harvest faster, having better weapons allows you to defeat enemies faster, some having activatable skills and passive bonuses. Night falls quite quickly, and it then becomes almost impossible to find one's bearings, and therefore to continue playing. The only solution, unless you have a torch on you or have placed one everywhere, is to go and rest in order to wake up in the morning (hence the importance of building different dwellings throughout the Game).
The game also has a PvE dimension, representing another facet of progression in the game. While some creatures can be found on nearby islets, accessible by swimming, most reside in caves, in-game dungeons with chests (containing currency, resources, or food), particular minerals, but also "flaws" that must be destroyed so that the creatures stop appearing, at the risk of being quickly overwhelmed.
The creatures quickly become more numerous and resistant.
It is also possible to build in a dungeon.
The fights are not very technical mechanically, but without food to heal and without sufficiently effective weapons, it will not be possible to go very far. To make matters worse, there is no indication of the state of the enemies' hit points. It will therefore be up to the player to make the right choices, determining if he can continue in the dungeon or if it is too risky and if it is better to save the resources obtained carn in the event of death, the reappearance is done at the last backup location (bed) and everything that has been obtained in the meantime is lost. Teleportation steles are present in the game and can be activated, especially in the dungeons once they have been completed.
Continuing to explore the surroundings of the island, we also discover ruins, and bridges that must be rebuilt. One of them leads to a whole new island (after a quick loading time) with a village where NPCs are present and with whom it is possible to interact, to learn more about the story, but above all for trade: different merchants buy and sell equipment (weapons, bags, resources…) and, thanks to certain NPCs, it is also possible to obtain different advantages (increased storage, plots of land…).
Some weapons to buy in the village.
In summary and to conclude, Len's Island is a promising action-adventure game inspired by Diablo, Minecraft, Rust, Stardew Valley and The Sims, among others, mixing survival, dungeon crawling, RPG elements, allowing you to build anywhere and as much as desired, while offering action and challenge in combat. Its sandbox and almost open world aspect offers great freedom and many possibilities, for a game that will surely appeal to many different players over the course of updates. Each player will therefore be able to discover the secrets of the island and explore all the content of the game at their own pace and in the desired way by making their own choices, without being guided. Although still in early access, between 20 and 50 hours of gameplay are required (depending on how you play) to explore the current content.
- Steam
- Official website of the game
