Game: Island Cities – Jigsaw Puzzle
Genre: Puzzle, Indie, Hidden Object
System: Steam
Developers | Publishers: Mens Sana Interactive
Controller Support: No
Price: US $ 1.99 | UK £1.69| EU € 1,11
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Mens Sana Interactive.
Mens Sana Interactive have been busy developing another puzzle game in their Minimalist Islands and Farms series. We have reviewed quite a few of their games in this series, from Floating Farmer – Logic Puzzle to Instant Farmer and Island Farmer – Jigsaw Puzzle, as well as some of their other games.
Let’s Puzzle
Island Cites is similar in ways to Island Farmer, which I reviewed, but Island Farmer was farm-themed, with its crops and animals; Island Cities, as the name implies, is inspired by urban life.
Island Cities uses the same puzzle principles as Island Famer. First, the island pops up on the screen in its completed state; take a good look as it will disappear soon. Then the blocks are jumbled up, and you must put them back in the correct order to complete the island scene.
One Click
It’s a simple case of clicking on two blocks to make them swap places, and if they are in the right place, they indicate that by a sparkly glow. Thankfully there isn’t a timer for those of us who have come to dislike timed puzzles, so you can take as long as you want to wish to complete the puzzles.
Once finished, the island scenes come to life, buildings pop up, little cars and trains drive along the roads, and people appear from the buildings; it’s lovely to watch it get busy.
Twenty Puzzles to Complete
There are twenty puzzles, and as you progress through the game, the islands grow more extensive with lots of blocks to replace. However, they aren’t tricky puzzles to complete, and if you forget what the completed scene looks like, you can refresh your memory by clicking on the image icon at the top of the screen: you’ll be shown the finished scene again.
Visuals and Controls
Accompanying the puzzling is some very chill music which I loved, along with the excellent animation of the puzzles and the challenge they give; it’s a complete package.
Controls are WASD to move the camera, or you can use a mouse, and the mouse can be used to control everything. You can also rotate the puzzle ninety degrees in either direction by using the icons on the screen or the mouse. And zoom in with the mouse to get a closer look at the puzzle and see all the details.
Conclusion
After reviewing Island Farmer and then playing Island Cities – Jigsaw Puzzle for this review, I think Island Cities is a step up from the previous game. I enjoyed the game and I haven’t any complaints about it. It sure beats scrabbling about on the floor, looking for that last precious jigsaw piece to complete the puzzle.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up 