Right from the start, I must mention that I am not a big fan of trains, nor was I particularly excited about creative games, but Islands & Trains pleasantly surprised me because everything is clear from the beginning.
We go through a short tutorial and we are in. There are no hidden options or unnecessary goals and tasks. We get a sandbox world and all the freedom is left to us. We shape the terrain, build cities, ports, playgrounds from scratch, and shape the entire landscape, then we lay down tracks to connect everything into a whole.
The visuals in the game are beautiful and charming, and the soundtrack is truly relaxing. The game mechanics quickly “click” with every player, and while I spent the first few minutes laying down a simple oval track, I found myself hours later watching a train circling my now huge island. That’s the real charm of the game; it doesn’t push the player to conquer anything but simply relaxes and allows space for creativity.
There are plenty of ways to shape your island through which the train runs. Different terrains, vegetation, buildings, train signals, and in one of the latest updates, multiple trains on the same island are allowed. The only complication was when laying tracks under another as it requires a bit of patience and playing with the terrain height. However, this does not diminish the impression as everything else works intuitively and fluidly.
In the end, we can conclude that Islands & Trains is a game we can experience as our little aquarium; we love to watch it, edit it, and return to it without pressure. If you are looking for a calm and creative game where you can create your little world, this is an absolute hit.
A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the publisher Future Friends Games
