Islets

A standard playthrough of Islets takes most players around 6 to 8 hours to complete, depending on how thoroughly they explore the shattered world. If you are aiming for 100% completion and gathering all the upgrades, it might take closer to 10 hours. The game is relatively concise compared to other sprawling entries in the metroidvania genre.

Islets was released in 2022 and is available on multiple platforms, including Windows PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game was developed by Kyle Thomson, who is also known for his previous artistic metroidvania title, *She and the Light Bearer*. It is fully playable on current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.

Unlike traditional metroidvanias where islands are seamlessly connected by walking, Islets allows the player to fly a small plane between floating, fragmented landmasses. As you progress and defeat bosses, you reconnect these islands, permanently altering the game world and making navigation easier. The plane controls are integrated directly into the exploration to bridge the disparate environments.

Islets is generally considered to be on the easier, more accessible side of the metroidvania genre, focusing heavily on charm and exploration rather than punishing combat. The boss fights offer a fair challenge without requiring intense frame-perfect dodging. This design makes it a great entry point for newcomers to the genre.