Len’s Island review: Hurry up and wait

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I dislike games that don’t make the best use of my time, and Len’s Island falls into this category. Just like many games deeply rooted in their genre, it overlooks providing clear objectives and guidance. It’s not a poor quality game, but I wish I found it more enjoyable during my playthrough.

It’s unfortunate that Len’s Island initially presents some intriguing concepts. Centuries ago, an asteroid impacted Earth, dispersing a peculiar, luminescent stone across the planet. This captivating artifact sparked human obsession, leading them to worship it. In exchange for their devotion, the stone granted them advanced power and technology. However, those people vanished, leaving behind their technological legacy. When humanity re-discovered the Luminary Stone, a frenzy ensued due to its limitless energy potential. Unfortunately, this marvel had a detrimental side effect: it drove people insane, transforming them into monsters. The world is now plunged into darkness and chaos! Step forward Len, our valiant protagonist, resolute on restoring balance. His unique characteristic is his steadfast refusal to wear footwear.

You might suppose this character has a fascinating history, considering he refuses even simple footwear like sandals, and traveled here on a pirate ship. Yet, Len’s Island offers little insight into his past. Conversations with townsfolk are scant, and their tales lack intrigue. Upon arrival, you are presented with fundamental tasks such as gathering wood and constructing a home. Basic instructions guide you through building a house, leaving the rest of the island experience largely self-discovered.

It’s quite clear when it comes to cutting down trees, you simply need your trusty axe and get to work, correct? However, tanning leather is a different story. Len’s Island doesn’t provide instructions, so I had to figure it out myself. Once I had the raw leather, I thought visiting the local tanner might help. Sadly, he only had three pre-programmed responses to my simple questions. Alright then, perhaps I needed to construct a tannery. When I wanted to craft and create weapons from blueprints, I discovered that you must place the blueprint into the upgrade slot in the anvil to do this; Len’s Island doesn’t tell you this. I had to figure it out myself. Since tanning is such a complex process, it made sense that I would need something to help me tan leather. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything suitable.

Shall we try to figure out how leather is tanned on Len’s Island, dear reader? You simply throw it into a campfire – something I stumbled upon accidentally, but it’s just one of many minor inconveniences on Len’s Island. When you select an item you want to construct, there’s no way to see the required materials by hovering your mouse over the object because moving your mouse away removes the tooltips. The only option is to memorize the icon, go into your backpack, and then hover your mouse over it to find out what it represents. And here’s another quirk: you can’t craft using materials stored in your inventory! That’s frustrating, especially when I’m at home or in my own house. But things are different when I’m in a dungeon.

Len’s Island’s main flaw lies in its time-consuming nature. Initially, you can advance at a good pace; however, as you progress, it becomes increasingly tedious due to the repetition of tasks needed to gather materials for construction or research upgrades. The game design is mostly about “hurry up and wait,” where you perform the same monotonous actions such as chopping trees, planting and harvesting crops, mining minerals repeatedly. The process of refining basic materials into more complex ones, like the raw leather mentioned earlier, requires waiting for it to finish. It’s quite tedious until you obtain upgrades that speed things up.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no compelling storyline or incentive for completing tasks in Len’s Island. Finishing a set of quests merely adds more quests to your list, frequently transporting you to different islands without any clear purpose or connection. I yearn for some context! Some lore! Anything to ignite my passion! The only reason to engage with the game is to unlock additional buildable items, but that’s hardly enticing. Playing it in multiplayer mode (Len’s Island accommodates up to 8 players) may alleviate some of this monotony, but as a solo player, the experience can be rather tedious and uninspiring.

Although there are some favorable aspects, it’s worth noting that the game has its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, you have the advantage of being able to strategically time your next strike for increased damage following a single swing, which significantly impacts challenging encounters. The combat mechanics themselves are straightforward, offering normal attacks, weapon abilities, and a roll among other options, though it may devolve into a fast-paced exchange during intense fights.

The dungeons are intriguing, and they present unique platforming challenges that keep gameplay engaging. Additionally, there are humorous physics elements, such as causing a chain reaction by toppling one tree onto another. This survival game also requires resource management, particularly regarding hunger, and it’s advisable to seek shelter during nighttime, especially when your base is under attack by hordes of monsters. However, it should be mentioned that the developers have allowed for creative freedom in building a base if desired.

Apart from delving into the subterranean realms to mend and build bridges, uncover hidden locations, and set sail across seas to discover new islands brought me equal pleasure. The ability to acquire pets in this game was another delightful feature that I found particularly appealing. In the first dungeon itself, I stumbled upon a loyal canine companion who journeyed with me throughout Len’s Island. This furry friend rode on my raft (and eventually, boat) and assisted me in gathering items. I even made him a cozy bed to rest. He was truly an excellent pet indeed.

Although Len’s Island had many appealing aspects, I couldn’t get fully drawn into it. The story didn’t grab me, and the progress felt overly tedious, making the experience less enjoyable for me. Despite its visually attractive design, pleasant sound effects, and generally pleasing gameplay, there was something about it that didn’t compel me to explore more. I found myself having to push through certain parts of the game. The game had some quality-of-life issues and a grindy nature, which didn’t enhance my enjoyment. While it’s not a bad game, I wish it were better. Perhaps with further development by Flow Studio, it could become more enjoyable; I certainly hope so. Unfortunately, Len’s Island consumed several hours of my valuable time, which is something I can’t easily spare or forgive.

This review is based on a PC build provided by the publisher. Len’s Island is available now on PC.

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2025-07-03 18:28