Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure

A thrilling adventure where animal friendship and ingenuity are the keys to success. On a mysterious island inhabited by native species, you can change form to carry out certain actions, such as fishing like a "mer-pup". Not to mention gathering resources to build a base. A great adventure that's accessible to the youngest gamers, thanks to its cutesy graphics.

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure, developed by independent Norwegian studio Snowcastle Games, is an enchanting life simulation released on PC in 2023, with console releases scheduled for 2024. You can expect a unique experience set in the world of the Earthlock RPG.

The story begins with four orphans on a quest to free the animals who have been condemned to a life in captivity in a pirate lair. Following a series of tragic events, they find themselves shipwrecked on Ikonei Island. They'll now have to survive, explore, gather resources, and restore order by mastering therianthropy.

"And what, precisely, is therianthropy?" you may well ask. Some examples may help: mermaids, centaurs, and sphinx are all mythical creatures that combine human and animal characteristics to varying degrees, whether that's boasting a simple tail or having a full animal body capped off with a human head.
And here, you'll be creating your own!

We liked the local wildlife which, instead of posing a threat, seems to want to make friends. The main gameplay mechanic lies in forging bonds with these extraordinary creatures, and then merging with them in order to complete specific actions. By merging in this way, you will be shapeshifting into the hides of some outlandish animals so that you can perform a range of different tasks. These might include turning into a mer-dog for a spot of fishing, or chopping logs as a bird with an axe-shaped beak. It all brings some welcome originality to the game's exploration sequences.

But in addition to the shapeshifting, the game also includes more traditional kinds of exploration. Every time you interact with one of the island's residents, you'll learn a little bit more about the story and be able to take part in a variety of quests. You can complete quests for the locals in return for some fascinating anecdotes about the island.

Our favourite part? The game's artistic direction, with its smooth low-poly graphics and the adorable creatures which combine to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The game's characters, its animals, and environments are all designed to procure a soothing, gentle gaming experience.

Our advice to help you on your way? Pay attention to the music, because it plays an important role in the exploration. When you stumble upon a pirate outpost, for example, watch the pirates bouncing around: they'll change direction in time with the music. This helps you time your own movements so that you don't get spotted... very handy indeed!

Ikonei Island also features a multiplayer mode, so that you can explore this magical island with your friends. Each with your own unique shapeshifting abilities, you can cooperate with your friends to solve puzzles and explore previously inaccessible areas.

With its easygoing gameplay, varied quests, and fairytale atmosphere, this is a game with something for every kind of gamer. So, whether it's the exploration, base-building, gardening, or easy combat that's your thing, Ikonei Island has plenty of things to do to suit all tastes. Players do, however, need to be able to read to get the most out of the game.
We loved it.