The bizarre, beautiful adventure Minute of Islands is out now
The strange story of magical islands and the ancient machines that protect them got a surprise release during today's Future Gaming Show.
I really liked the look of Minute of Islands, the tale of a tinkerer named Mo who lives on a chain of islands filled with strange machines that hold some ancient threat at bay, when it was announced at the 2020 Guerrilla Collective. It was meant to be out later that year but didn't make it, and a planned launch earlier this year was missed too. But it's not going to miss its newest release date, because—surprise!—it's today, and it's out now.
The launch announcement also provides a little more insight into what Minute of Islands is all about. It takes place on a beautiful archipelago that was polluted long ago by dangerous spores. The only thing that holds them at bay are ancient antennae built by the giants when they lived alongside humans. Now, with the giants gone and the machines failing, it falls to Mo to make the repairs and save her islands. But she soon discovers that not everything is as it seems, and the damage runs deeper than she dared think possible.
The vivid art style is what first caught my eye, but Minute of Islands also promises "an emotional, poetic story of self-exploration" set in a unique, layered world filled with secrets and environmental puzzles. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing, and I also enjoyed Studio Fizbin's 2013 adventure The Inner World, so I'm eager to see what it's come up with here.
Minute of Islands is available on Steam for $20/£20/€20, and there's also an official website up at minute-of-islands.com.
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.