Edit 11/3/2016: Last update was mid-summer 2016. The dev responds vaguely to forum questions but any early access title with tons of posts asking if the game is dead or abandonded is probably a suggestion that things aren't going very well. A lot of promises are still being made, NPCs, multiple islands, but the game still feels so much like one of the hundreds of mobile apps out there and not like a true PC game.

So. Beware. I buy all these sandboxy games because I figure one or two in the pile might rise above mediocrity. To no surprise, it seems this game has stunted somewhere, as the last update brought what would normally be considered regular changes to a growing project's fundamentals- and it seemed as if the developer wanted people to fawn over it- when all you see now are comments about how that so-called "update" broke the game for like, 75% of players.

Having "Free updates" as a Key Feature in a game that is in Early Access is a HUGE red flag, if you're into "waiting to buy" like a normal person without the same hatred for your own sanity like all of us early access torture junkies.

I could be wrong and it could just be a financial hurdle they're attempting to jump. A bit of a shout-out would be nice, instead of a near-mute changelog and very little in the way of mapping out how this game is supposed to progress into a full release. I don't imagine this one exiting early access without a band-aid and a wipe of it's forums. Who knows, it could see it's potential someday, because it does have the basics ready to go.

One thing that bothers me is the fact that I've asked around and nobody seems to know whether or not this game is related to a game (not naming it here) on the Play Store that has a similar title and almost identical assets. The Android thumbnail used to be the icon used by this game in the Steam browser. The game on Play has a slightly different premise, but most telling of all, is that it's release date is close to Forsaken Isle's, and it has, since December 2015, had a "50% Sale" banner slapped on it. I might be stretching here, as I've been known for simply being out of my gourd sometimes, but I think there has to be at least a slight case of fair use abuse going on.

Anyway. At the price it is now, you'll probably spend more time with it than I did, you might even love the heck out of it. To me, $8 is well under my expectation threshold for Steam these days. There is a game here, it can be played and replayed thanks to a fairly well-designed map generator. Just don't go expecting it to win any awards for leaving Early Access in style.

Edit 11/3/2016: Last update was mid-summer 2016. The dev responds vaguely to forum questions but any early access title with tons of posts asking if the game is dead or abandonded is probably a suggestion that things aren't going very well. A lot of promises are still being made, NPCs, multiple islands, but the game still feels so much like one of the hundreds of mobile apps out there and not like a true PC game. So. Beware. I buy all these sandboxy games because I figure one or two in the pile might rise above mediocrity. To no surprise, it seems this game has stunted somewhere, as the last update brought what would normally be considered regular changes to a growing project's fundamentals- and it seemed as if the developer wanted people to fawn over it- when all you see now are comments about how that so-called "update" broke the game for like, 75% of players. Having "Free updates" as a Key Feature in a game that is in Early Access is a HUGE red flag, if you're into "waiting to buy" like a normal person without the same hatred for your own sanity like all of us early access torture junkies. I could be wrong and it could just be a financial hurdle they're attempting to jump. A bit of a shout-out would be nice, instead of a near-mute changelog and very little in the way of mapping out how this game is supposed to progress into a full release. I don't imagine this one exiting early access without a band-aid and a wipe of it's forums. Who knows, it could see it's potential someday, because it does have the basics ready to go. One thing that bothers me is the fact that I've asked around and nobody seems to know whether or not this game is related to a game (not naming it here) on the Play Store that has a similar title and almost identical assets. The Android thumbnail used to be the icon used by this game in the Steam browser. The game on Play has a slightly different premise, but most telling of all, is that it's release date is close to Forsaken Isle's, and it has, since December 2015, had a "50% Sale" banner slapped on it. I might be stretching here, as I've been known for simply being out of my gourd sometimes, but I think there has to be at least a slight case of fair use abuse going on. Anyway. At the price it is now, you'll probably spend more time with it than I did, you might even love the heck out of it. To me, $8 is well under my expectation threshold for Steam these days. There is a game here, it can be played and replayed thanks to a fairly well-designed map generator. Just don't go expecting it to win any awards for leaving Early Access in style.