Coral Island is a 2023 farm life sim developed by Stairway Games and published by Humble Games. It plays similarly to Stardew Valley and is set on a tropical island.
| Coral Island | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Stairway Games |
| Publisher(s) | Humble Games |
| Engine | Unreal Engine[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Farm life sim |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay edit
Players control a character who has become disenchanted with city life. After moving to a small farming community on a topical island, they are given an overrun farm to work. Besides fixing up the farm and planting crops, players can explore a nearby mine, where they can find rare resources guarded by monsters; talk to and romance the non-player characters; donate rare items to a local museum;[2] and clean up a toxic oil spill, which is functionally similar to exploring the mine. Players can also recycle trash to gain resources.[3]
Development edit
The developer, Stairway Games, is in Indonesia,[4] which inspired the setting.[2] Its 3D art style is influenced by Disney animation.[1] Coral Island had one of the most successful video game crowd-funding campaigns of 2021.[5] After it entered early access in October 2022, Humble Games released Coral Island for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on November 14, 2023.[6] Shortly after its release, an imposter account on social media targeted fans with NFT scams. Coral Island does not feature any NFT content.[7]
Reception edit
Coral Island is often compared to Stardew Valley and has been called one of the best Stardew Valley clones by multiple gaming publications.[2][4][8][9]
Early access edit
Rock Paper Shotgun said the early access release was a little buggy in October 2022 but was overall mature. They recommended it to players looking for a game similar to Stardew that has quicker rewards and less grinding.[3] GamesRadar said that although the gameplay was similar to other farm sims, especially Stardew Valley, Coral Island implemented it well and added their own unique twists.[2] Reviewing the game in May 2023, TechRadar said they were "thoroughly excited" by its roadmap and said Coral Island proved to them that there was room for more farm sims.[4]
Release edit
On release, Coral Island received positive reviews on Metacritic.[10] Siliconera said that, although not innovative, it builds upon its influences and add quality of life improvements. Although they called it essential for farm sim fans, they suggested that people hold off for bug fixes on the PlayStation 5 version.[11] TouchArcade said it "feels unfinished in parts" and may have left early access too soon. However, they said it has "a fantastic base to build on" and is a "joy to play" on the Steam Deck despite some technical issues.[12] GameSpot included it in a list of hidden gems released in 2023 and called it "a breath of fresh air" for the genre for its tropical setting, large and diverse cast, large map, and compelling story.[13] At the 2023 Steam Awards, Coral Island was nominated for the Sit Back And Relax award.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b Crecente, Brian (2022-12-15). "Coral Island: Inside the chill farm sim reinventing the genre". Unreal Engine. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ a b c d Loveridge, Sam (2022-10-11). "Coral Island is even more proof Stardew Valley is a genre now". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ a b Bell, Alice (2022-10-11). "Coral Island early access review: a pretty Stardew-like that makes farming a little easier". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ a b c Watson, Josephine (2023-05-26). "Coral Island proved to me there is still plenty of space for farm sims". TechRadar. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Dealessandri, Marie (2021-09-02). "Video games projects raised $13m on Kickstarter during H1 2021". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Romano, Sal (2023-10-17). "Coral Island launches November 14 for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Wheeler, C. J. (2022-11-01). "Scammers are impersonating farming sim Coral Island, with added NFTs". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Watts, Rachel; Castle, Katherine (2023-01-13). "The best farming games like Stardew Valley on PC". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Blain, Louise; Wald, Heather; Loveridge, Sam (2023-10-13). "The best farming games to help you reap what you sow". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ "Coral Island". Metacritic. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Price, Leigh (2023-11-28). "Review: Coral Island Is a Great Destination with a Bug Problem". Siliconera. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Madnani, Mikhail (2023-12-12). "Steam Deck Weekly: Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy PC Preview, New SEGA Trailers, Coral Island Deck Review, and More". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (2023-12-17). "2023's Hidden Gems: The Best Games You May Have Missed". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ Smith, Graham (2023-12-16). "The Steam Awards 2023 nominees sure seem weird to me". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-12-17.