$19.99Islets
A wholesome metroidvania about a small warrior and his rickety airship. Fly between floating islands, reignite their cores and watch the world literally connect around you, opening new paths in places you already explored. Gentle but never empty: real bosses, hidden upgrades and a cast of oddballs who write you letters.
Is Islets worth it?
Islets is worth it if…
- you want a metroidvania with charm and warmth instead of gloom and punishment
- you love exploring a map that keeps changing shape as you unlock it
- you are new to the genre and want a friendly place to start
- you need a short, cheerful palate cleanser between long, demanding games
- you care more about funny dialogue and cute characters than brutal difficulty
Screenshots
Islands that snap together like puzzle pieces
The world starts broken. Iko flies his little airship between floating islands and reignites each one's magnetic core, and when two islands reconnect, the map itself changes: a dead end you shrugged at hours ago suddenly links to a whole new area on the other side. That is the trick that makes Islets more than a pleasant walk. Old ground keeps earning second chances, so backtracking feels like a reward instead of a chore. Along the way you hunt upgrades hidden in nooks and crannies, and each one unlocks more of the world again. The map is big enough to get satisfyingly lost in, and clear enough that you rarely stay lost for long.
A cast worth the detour
Iko is a quiet little warrior who mostly lets other people talk, which works out, because the people here talk a lot. There is a pretentious warrior classmate who cannot resist putting you down, a suspiciously friendly frog, and a tour guide the game itself warns you about, on account of his weird vibes. Characters send you letters as you travel, and the writing is genuinely funny: the running joke of a hero who never answers anyone doing heroic things lands every time. The story stays simple, but the dialogue and the odd little friendships give the adventure a warmth most metroidvanias never bother with.
A challenge that never turns on you
This is a metroidvania you can unwind with. The hand-painted islands glow with sunshine, the music stays gentle, and dying costs you nothing but a short walk back. Combat has real bite, with monsters and sky pirates and sixteen bosses that each attack differently, but the difficulty curve is kind and there are even sliders to tune damage and enemy health if you want it easier or harder. Upgrades come as a pick of three options, so growing stronger is constant and quick. One honest trade-off: the early bosses tend to put up more of a fight than the late ones, especially if you have been diligent about collecting upgrades.
How long does it take to finish?
How long does it take to finish?
A first playthrough runs around five to ten hours, depending on how much you hunt for secrets. If you scour every corner for all 60 upgrades, the game rewards you with an in-game party thrown by the whole cast, and it unlocks a boss rush mode besides. It is a complete, well-paced adventure rather than a sprawling one, which is part of its appeal.
Is it too easy or too hard for a genre veteran?
Mostly on the gentle side, and it says so honestly: this is far friendlier than the famously punishing metroidvanias. Veterans can push back by choosing the hard difficulty, raising enemy health multipliers, and skipping the shops that sell stat boosts. Even then, expect a fair, brisk challenge rather than a wall, and note there is no healing mid-run, so sloppy play does add up.
Do you need to have played other metroidvanias first?
Not at all. The controls are simple, the map keeps you oriented, and the game teaches its abilities as it goes, which makes it a common recommendation as a first step into the genre. The double jump, wall climb and other upgrades arrive one at a time, so nothing overwhelms you early.
