Greetings, friends, and welcome to Mobile Game Monday, where we chat about games you can play on the go. If you like gaming on a phone or tablet, this is the place for you. Join us every week as we go on all sorts of adventures.
A lot is going on these days, and most of it is incredibly stressful. I don’t know about you, but I could use a break. If you are looking for something to smooth out your brain a bit, join me on this relaxing journey, and we can touch (virtual) grass together.
Forest Island
Forest Island is a relaxing idle game created by Nanali Studios and released in 2021. You have come across an island devoid of any wildlife, and you must collect resources to restore plant and animal life. Ultimately, your goal is to restore nature to various habitats on the barren island. From Hollow Log Glade to the Bog Rock Forest — heal Mother Nature, and she will return the favor in kind.
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Gameplay
I deliberately chose Forest Island this week for its incredibly simple gameplay. No complicated rules or controls to learn here, just you and nature (or a virtual representation, anyway). Start your journey at the Tree of Rest and immediately begin collecting energy. Use energy to unlock the next neglected habitat on your island. Once you unlock an area, it will begin producing energy; every time you level that habitat, it will produce even more.
Each time you upgrade an area, things like trees, lakes, and even animals appear. When you have unlocked an animal, it will live on your island if you have the appropriate habitat for it. Every animal produces hearts, and these are used to upgrade your new furry friends. Leveling animals helps their environment generate even more energy. Like in nature, a balanced ecosystem will take care of itself. You are the catalyst for this ideal ecosystem, and watching your island bloom is the beautiful reward.
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An Animal Lovers Paradise
There are so many animals to collect in Forest Island, including everything from bunnies to bears. If you are lucky, you may just find rare animals like the Ribbon Seal or Silver Fox. Additionally, you can hatch eggs to bring various birds to your island, but this takes time. It is always exciting to see a new animal come to your island and settle into its new home sweet home.
Some animals will even help out by giving you resources. For example, the Sea Otter gathers your resources while you are gone. So when you come back from a break, you will have tons of hearts and energy waiting. Additionally, the Albatross gives you a burst of energy while the Heart Dolphin gives you, well, hearts.
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Nature Has Been Restored
When you have fully restored an area, a mode unlocks that allows you to listen to the calming sounds of that habitat. For example, The Duck Pond plays the soothing sounds of flowing water and faint duck quacks. Or visit the tree of life that thrums with the subtle sounds of insects and various bird life. Each habitat has a unique sound and cute critters to observe. I have truly never experienced something so relaxing from my phone.
Passes, Events and Shopping
Forest Island has seasonal passes where you complete goals for various rewards, including resources and even rare animals. Each pass has a free or paid version for $9.99, which gives better rewards. The current season is the Maple Pass, where you can get the Red Owl or the Redhead Duck. There are so many delightfully cute fall friends, so check out the Maple Pass before it ends on November 30.
Also available are seasonal events like the Scary Pumpkin Smash. Now, until the end of the month, you can play a mini-game to earn pumpkins. Use these pumpkins to get creepy critters like the Brown Bat or the Black Sheep. Collect enough, and you can unlock the ultimate reward, a Nine-Tailed Fox.
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My only real problem with Forest Island is that, like most mobile games, the best items are locked behind a paywall. There are tons of microtransactions in the shop, and they are all baby animals. Of course, I wanted those baby ducks on my island, but I knew once I opened that floodgate, I would never financially recover. However, I think this says more about my lack of self-control than the game itself, so take it with a grain of salt. There is still plenty of content without making purchases; I just have a problem.
Our Adventure Ends Here
While I always recommend going out and touching actual grass any chance you get, that isn’t always possible. Forest Island is a pretty good runner-up to Mother Nature herself. I turned the volume up on the game while I wrote this review, and my husband immediately fell asleep. Because it puts you in a good head space, Forest Island is a great way to begin and end your day. Anytime I got a break during a particularly stressful day, I would check in on my island, which genuinely made me feel better.
So many games today are about winning, grinding, or paying to play. It is a nice change of pace to open a game and just relax. Forest Island features soothing sounds, Zen-like gameplay, and pretty stylized graphics –everything you need for a relaxing reset.
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Take it easy, and play it safe, gamers.
Forest Island is now available for free in the Google Play Store and the App Store.
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