Isles of Sea and Sky by Cicada Games

Isles of Sea and Sky is a game with its work cut out for it. It’s a simple puzzle adventure game with 8-bit graphics, a genre we’re certainly not lacking in 2024.

Indeed, even without the aesthetic, recent puzzlers like Baba Is You and A Monster’s Expedition have done so much with simple pushing mechanics that we have to ask: is there anything left to be explored here?

Thankfully, Isles of Sea and Sky took my preconceptions and washed them away in a tide of seawater and woodwind instruments. This game is a treat.

Island Swing

Awakening on a mysterious island, the game’s nameless castaway protagonist is tasked simply with exploring. Soon though, they stumble across a mystery involving the deities that rule over this land. The question is: can they solve it?

Like most things about Isles of Sea and Sky, its setup is deceptively simple. While this is ultimately a game about exploring at your leisure and solving puzzles, there is enough of a mystery present to push you to explore further. It also keeps a sense of discovery consistent throughout the game, keeping you engaged from start to finish.

The true core of the game, however, is its puzzles. Again, these are deceptively simple.

At their core, almost all puzzles are simply a matter of pushing the right blocks into the right places. However, this is soon complicated by a multitude of blocks that all behave differently, as well as other hazards and obstacles that require upgrades to pass through. What starts off simple quickly gives way to some real brain-benders.

Thankfully, while the game’s puzzles can be challenging, you never feel at odds with the game’s mechanics while playing. Movement is smooth and tactile, the game gives you the option to rewind moves or even reset an entire screen, and if you ever get stuck, there are often other routes you can try instead (and sometimes you outright have to).

Island in the Clouds

I was a little flippant about the game’s art style in the opening paragraph, but truthfully, I love how Isles of Sea and Sky looks. Vivid colors match mystical landscapes beautifully, and it’s consistently a joy to look at.

However, the true star of the show is composer Craig Collver’s score. Skipping classic bleeps and bloops in favor of traditional woodwinds and drums, it’s as captivating as it is meditative. Truly top-tier stuff for such a small production.

The Verdict

If I had a complaint, it’s that sometimes it’s not obvious whether a screen you’re on is currently solvable or if you need to return with an upgrade you don’t have yet. However, it bears mentioning that this is supposed to be improved in an upcoming update.

Regardless, Isles of Sea and Sky combines a true sense of adventure with wonderful puzzles and an atmosphere that’s second to none. This is one of the easiest recommendations of the year so far.

Isles of Sea and Sky is available via Steam.

Watch the trailer for Isles of Sea and Sky below: