Islanders (video game)

Islanders is a minimalist city-building strategy game developed and published by Grizzly Games. Released in 2019, the game focuses on procedural generation, resource management, and strategic placement of buildings on procedurally generated islands.

The core gameplay loop involves selecting a building pack and placing buildings on the island to earn points. Points are awarded based on adjacency bonuses, proximity to certain terrain features, and overall harmony of the placement. Once enough points are earned, a new building pack is unlocked, offering more complex and lucrative buildings. The player continues placing buildings until the island is full or they run out of space and can no longer place buildings from the available packs. At that point, they can choose to move on to a new, procedurally generated island.

The game features a clean, minimalist art style and a calm, relaxing soundtrack. There is no combat, resource gathering, or extensive micromanagement. The primary challenge lies in optimizing building placement to maximize score and efficiently manage limited space on each island.

Islanders has been praised for its simple yet engaging gameplay loop, relaxing atmosphere, and unique approach to the city-building genre. It is available on PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch. The game has received several updates and expansions since its initial release, adding new building packs, mechanics, and visual themes.