Minute of Islands
Review

Minute of Islands (2021) is a running, jumping and exploring game where you play Mo, a skilled tinkerer living in the dilapidated poisoned ruins of an ancient race of giants. You scavenge parts from their strange machines to get them running and clean the air. It looks like Tin Tin, but takes that young-adult narrative in more of a survival direction, even touching on themes from games like The Last of Us.

As you explore the strange islands and dark labyrinths you use your Omni Switch tool to move parts, pull levers and talk to locals to solve puzzles and progress. You guide Mo on her quest to repair the world before it collapses.

Over time you slowly gain control of the machines and uncover a dark story beneath the islands’ surface. Equally, your connection grows to the other people scraping a living with meagre resources. It's a fantastic world across multiple unique islands, with all manner of curious characters.

It's enjoyable for parents and children, not only because of the story and puzzle-solving. But because of the young-adult storybook tale and themes about technology, the environment and the ecology we share with other creatures on our planet.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Minute of Islands 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 22 months ago.