With its successful Early Access launch on Steam, Len’s Island shows how relaxed it can be to build a new life despite dangerous dungeons.
Games with survival features don’t always have to be stressful. At least not if Len’s Island has its way. The Early Access title has been up for just a few days (Steam) and is already shining with over 90 percent positive reviews.
This is primarily because Len’s Island combines elements from games such as Diablo, Stardew Valley and Rust without trying too hard. We can explore, collect, (an)build and fight at our own pace. A big story and hard requirements are not breathing down our necks. For example, do we want to build a huge mansion, or would we rather pursue secrets in the caves to find a lost sword? It’s up to us alone.
After you’ve had a chance to get a first impression of what everyday life on the island is like, let’s find out:
A new start instead of a hectic pace
At first glance, landing on a foreign island with only a few tools and no shoes admittedly doesn’t seem relaxing at all. After all, collecting resources such as berries and wood is immediately on the agenda, as our hunger increases from the first second and we have no roof over our heads. But that’s not so bad, because the blueberries can be found quickly and a first shelter is already standing around in the wilderness. Moreover, we don’t have to pay attention to temperature or thirst, which takes further pressure off us.
And there are no other great dangers lurking around the next corner in the world of Len’s Island. At least not if we don’t look for them. While we almost only come across locals on the island with whom we can talk and trade, the monsters can mainly be found in the dungeons below us and are thus a calculable risk.
Even so, we can only get valuable resources like dark essences by fighting. So we use sword, shield and dodge roll skilfully, and the dark creatures are – at least in small groups – quite easily defeated. This is also because we don’t have to worry about stamina and weapon wear like in a Diablo 2. On the other hand, it can happen that an action doesn’t hit as quickly or specifically as desired. If we are defeated anyway, we wake up in our home without losing much resources and can take care of a better weapon.
Beautiful living thanks to simple building mode
Once we have collected enough resources above and below ground, we can easily build a chic dwelling with the modular building system. Here we have a choice of different styles as well as decorative elements with which we can experiment wildly, as no raw materials are lost during demolition. A workbench expands our arsenal with building objects and equipment such as carpets or axes.
However, it seems a little strange when the tree we have just felled in front of the house shoots up again before our eyes after only a short time. On the other hand, the fast regeneration rate of the raw materials makes it unnecessary to search for them.
Free as a bird
Another cornerstone of Len’s Island is farming. Here, however, you should expect neither a full-fledged Stardew Valley nor survival-oriented gardening. Our character does starve and our harvest also serves as a commodity, but there are no damaging weather effects, let alone such a wide selection of plants. Instead, for example, we sell the bananas we’ve grown in no time at all to merchants in town so that we can afford a bigger backpack with the gold. So farming is not as vital as in some other games.
What do we like and dislike so far?
What do we like so far?
- clear and colourful graphic style
- relaxing music
- successful modular building mode
- comfortable gameplay
What don’t we like?
- Controls with mouse and keyboard still seem immature
- World could be livelier, for example with wildlife
- few guidelines reduce long-term motivation
This is what Len’s Island wants to offer in the future
Len’s Island originally started as a Kickstarter campaign. The two-man team from Flow Studio wants to build on the good foundation in Early Access and deliver upcoming features in the future:
- Coop mode
- (Mini)Map
- German localisation
- Controller control
- detailed quests
- more NPC interactions
- expansion of dungeons (more enemy types, bosses, final boss)
- new building and farming content
- expansion of the game world (for example through islands)
Who is Len’s Island for?
Len’s Island clearly appeals to the adventurers among you who are looking for some action but don’t want to be stressed by high complexity and survival aspects like thirst. The game offers a slimmed-down version here that is ideal for beginners as well as building and farming enthusiasts who simply want to get down a bit. So far, all this can only be experienced in English, but school English is sufficient to understand the essentials.
Len’s Island has been in Early Access on Steam since 26 November 2021 and is expected to remain there for 24 months until the final version is released.
Sometimes I want to really dig into a hard survival game to challenge myself. And sometimes I just want to relax in the evening after work while I play. For the latter, Len’s Island is ideal.
I was immediately taken with the cosy and loving nature of Len’s Island, especially the building system. In atmospheric graphics, I can build my dream villa, while at the same time proving my fighting skills in dark dungeons. This brings variety into the game, but is never so stressful and complex that I have to pay frantic attention.
For an Early Access start, Len’s Island already delivers a well-rounded package that can and must still exploit a lot of potential in order to motivate for longer. Because not everyone will stay motivated for long without a goal in mind. Fortunately, the developer has already announced many items on my wish list for the future, which is why I can now continue to relax and take care of my island until the adventure is expanded.
