Should I Buy Len’s Island? – Len’s Island Early Access Review

Len's Island is a survival crafting title that puts the player in control of a customizable character who must explore the dark secrets of a mysterious Island. The game is in a fairly intriguing state that offers a bit of peaceful bliss and challenge. The best parts of Len's Island were the crafting and base building, though players might feel neglected from the game’s lack of explanation.

Len’s Island instantly brings back memories of similar games such as Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon. This familiarity is very evident from the game dungeon features, and of enemies and secrets to fight and uncover. Players will also find plenty of exploration within Len's Island, as they must seek out all points of interest for themselves.

The Island itself is pleasant to explore, and players must uncover the vast majority of features on their own. For example, there is no hand-holding tutorial; players spawn in and are free to roam wherever. Later on, you even stumble upon a dungeon that’s prime for exploration and, more crucially, for gathering resources while fending off enemies.

This area is an excellent addition to the game, however, finding it can be tricky if you’re unsure of the dungeon’s location. Again, there is no hand-holding in Len’s Island. But once figured out, dungeon exploration quickly becomes an activity where you will likely sink days upon days of playtime.

Related: Where to find salvaged metal in Len’s Island?

At the first approach, resource harvesting felt lackluster and grindy. In short, harvesting resources felt much too exhausting, but this was before we figured out a unique system involving critical hits. Players can speed up the process of harvesting resources by timing hits to do more damage to both trees and rocks. If timed correctly, you’ll speed up the harvesting process tenfold.

However, both crafting and building were straightforward mechanics. It's just fun to spend a day building a house and crafting the parts needed to decorate and complete your vision. All that harvesting eventually pays off when your home is built, which makes for a gratifying experience. 

Overall, the lack of hand-holding tutorials is a pleasant change compared to other titles that often feel the need to be overexplanatory. However, some players might find the lack of a story-driven or explanation at the start off-putting. Beyond resource harvesting, the lack of a story or explanations for certain features in the game leads to certain aspects of Len's Island feeling unclear, which might be off-putting to newcomers.

On the other hand, the lack of guidance is precisely what feels rewarding, adding to the game’s sense of exploration and player freedom. If you stick with it and trust your own player sensibilities, you might find it's not too difficult to discover this world, as all you have to do is explore, and you will eventually locate points of interest.

Pros and Cons of Playing Len's Island

Verdict - We recommend trying it

If you are looking for a decent survival title that holds a lot of potential for future content, look no further than Len's Island. Those who are willing to overlook some uncertainty at the beginning of the game can enjoy the game in its current state.

From crafting to base building, there's plenty of content present in the game that will be expanded with time. Because of this, plenty of players and those who enjoyed similar titles, such as Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon, will find a welcoming home on Len's Island.

For more Len's Island content, we at Pro Game Guides have you covered.