Dreaming Isles

It just needed more time... I did try to explain this to the dev when I tested out the game, I was open and honest in saying It feels bare, empty, unpolished, unfinished and lifeless... but sadly they didn't take my feedback on board. I don't understand the whole "rush" aspect with devs. Just rushing to put out a game that is clearly not a finished full version. It needs so much more. Another year or 2 of development and this could have been a really promising fun game!

Unfortunately I cannot give this game a positive review because of the lack of transparency about the unfinished story and content. This definitely should have been released as an early access game, and the information given to the content creators beforehand. The art itself is stunning pixel art work, but the gameplay lacks a lot of things that farming sims should include, such as fast travel - especially because the day/night cycle goes by so quickly and there are no hours for the store whatsoever. Finished? No, never will. Steam Deck? Works well. Rating? 4/10 My curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45865425-CozyAriGames/ Full videos on Youtube.

TL;DR: Don't buy the game, it's incomplete The game has been abandoned by the creator (YawningDad), and he has left it incomplete despite the game technically being in 1.0. There was a roadmap that he had up of content to finish up the game, but he took it down and I can't find it anywhere, only mentions of it from the developer.

This game is just kinda boring? There's not much to do and progress feels painfully slow. As others have mentioned this feels like an EA game that is far from finished.

Dreaming Isles doesn't deserve mixed reviews. YawningDad keeps on rolling out fixes very quickly. Be patient with this solo dev and you will find this game is an absolute gem. <3

レビュー覗きに来た人へ ゲームデザインの雰囲気からStardew Valleyとか想像してますか？ 農業出来てダンジョンも海賊気分も味わえるゲームと思いました？ 恐らく終わりまで進めてみての感想（2025/01） 「メインは未完成で7時間ほどで終わるＮＯアーリーアクセス」 まず島に流れついた君は野菜（餌）で他の島の人間を養えと言われ 作物に水やりは要らず何れ育つ。島民に餌をやれば金も手に入る。 （ダンジョン行って敵２種類を狩れば肥料作れて早く育つ） 海賊要素：ワンニャン以外仲間は出来ない。何もしてこない相手に 一方的に大砲を撃ちまくる狂人を海賊と呼ぶのかもしれない。 ダンジョンは単調うんぴ。そのくせ主人公は紙装甲で即４。 説明ないくせにクセはある船の操作性。ロマンス？日本語でOK。 （子持ち熟女とのロマンスという特殊性癖には刺さる仕様） シンプル面白くねえクエストはまだ餌作ってるほうがマシ。 ストーリー上いちばん重要な問題に説明ゼロで何の思い入れもない 作物を弾薬として使おう！とかあるけど鉄で出来るやで ビジュの良さに期待して中身の薄っぺらさに不満が出ている反面 ミニマムなゲーム性が気に入る人も居る賛否ゲーム。 来るかもしれない大型アプデを待てる御仁ならばセールの時にのみ オススメしようと思う。しらんけど

I was hooked by a game with the idea of merging something like Stardew Valley with Pirates! - I have get memories of both and would love to see it in one game. Is Dreaming Isles that game? Maybe not yet - it's not what my mind whipped up an image of... But let's take a look at what it does offer. First, let's keep in mind this is a solo dev. I like supporting solo dev efforts and I tend to give them some leeway over dev teams that have more resources. So how has this solo dev done? Pros: * Created a very large world to explore. Ok, maybe not the size of Pirates! sailing in the Caribbean for the Dutch, English, French or Spanish... But I was impressed by the size and scope of the map. * Basics of a farming sim, without the watering... Yes, there is rain. And it's not a drought prone area. I like that. * The ability to make food grow faster through fertilizer. Eliminate the need for waiting by farming monsters in the mines. * Open books that grant you skills to be found throughout the game which gives exploring a purpose. * Ships and wind effects on sailing. Don't sail into the wind if you want to go fast... * A pretty landscape to explore - visually the game is appealing to explore. * Storylines are in place and give you some mystery to start with - wondering what happened to... But I don't know yet if they have an end. * Decide on a faction - Global Trade or Pirates - giving possibly at least two playthroughs for different stories? Cons: * It's early access... There are definite tweaks that need to be made to combat and such, but the dev has been busy patching the game after feedback - and that's a great sign. * Limited connection to dev - I have to say, I've gotten used to every game having a Discord to pop into to give feedback, but dev is active on Steam discussions. * There's definitely a roadmap that the dev has shared, and should be posted here front and center on the Announcements so people know exactly what to expect both with their purchase now and where the game is at, and the future. Overall I'm only two hours in. I've enjoyed exploring the towns I could visit and sailing the map. I have yet to try fishing or the fishing boat minigame, or ship to ship combat. Cave combat is still rough, but once you learn the ropes, it is doable. You might have to actually apply some strategy instead of just walking up to a rat and swinging your sword. I haven't found access to the magic system yet, so that's untested. Overall, I have high hopes for the game, even if it never hits the vision of Stardew + Pirates! that my mind conjures. This is the dev's vision and I look forward to exploring it. For right now, I recommend the game, but while it's on sale. It is close to its early access state price. If you want to follow along my first two hours that led to this review, feel free to watch the video below, and more to follow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1aPD2dH4Gc

The game was released in an unfinished state and has not been updated since release (which has been one year as of posting this review).

I don't like to post negative reviews if I am able to reach out for support but unlike, say To Pixelia where the dev responds, there seems to be no way to reach out. I think this game is so cute and I was so looking forward to being a pirate. I don't even mind that it's not finished. I joined the pirates and have made 20 canonballs yet I cannot attack Global Trade ships. I know I'm not the only player as I have seen threads on various forums that this could be a bug. I have spent whole (game) days following the ships and clicking until my fingers hurt and no target comes up. As this is the only quest I have so far its not like there are other tasks to do before returning to the seas. Glad I got this in the sale. It's like Orange Season all over, a game that is not finished being released and no update or acknowledgement that the dev is even aware of this issue. Very disappointing as this genre was crying out for a game like this and it has fallen way beyond par. EDIT: Started a new play through and it is working, if using xbox controller then right click the left trigger button when near a ship. However my canonballs seem to have no direction they shoot in opposite directions and there is no tutorial of how to aim, by sheer luck I managed to take out two boats but now I get attacked as soon as I get onboard and leave my farm. With every fight the ship is damaged to the point it doesn't work and the grind to constantly find materials to make the required repairs is all I seem to do. Plus iron doesn't spawn daily, and as I have no other quests I am literally just chopping wood and killing bats until I'm exhausted enough to go to bed. It's just boring.

This game should not have been released as anything other than Early Access. Unfortunately, there is potential, but there just isn't enough there for a full game. Before you can really do much, you have to plant and harvest crops, and while you wait, there is nothing to do at all. The map is weird, combat mechanics are awful, and steering the boat is impossible. It just isn't fun. Sad, because with some changes, it could be. I will check back if the developer changes some things up, but not worth it in the meantime.