Quick Links
Coral Islandis yet another cozy farming simulator game, playing off of the hype of Stardew Valley. Really, Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are the best cozy games that you could compare Coral Island to—cozy games and farming sims do go hand in hand, after all. But there’s more to Coral Island than just farming and meeting the townies. You can spend all your time on your farm if you wanted, sure, but why not indulge in underwater dives to clean up the ocean floor or befriend and woo almost everyone in town?
Since it released in early access in October 2022, Coral Island has built up quite the adoring player base. And, about a year later in November 2023, it released its 1.0 version to the joy of many. Since then, it has received some great reviews. However, while Coral Island’s 1.0 release is beloved by many, some fans have argued that the game isn’t 1.0 ready by any means. However,not being ready for 1.0 and not being worth getting are two different things.
Review
Our Lead Features Editor, Jade King, shared her opinion of Coral Islandin a very compelling piece, making it clear that“Coral Island is pretty unapologetic” in its close adaptation of Stardew Valley.There are more than a few moments in the game’s progression that are exceedingly familiar if you’ve played Stardew Valley before, especially concerning the in-game moments and mechanical progression. However, in her eyes, that makesCoral Island just as addictive and engaging as its inspiration.
However, it’s not a carbon copy and Jade does make sure to mention thatthe diving mechanic and underwater metropolis are unique, offering a unique way to spend your time in game. Cleaning up the underwater areas, and improving on the land above all made Jade feel that all of her work was making a genuine impact on the island. It’s easy to start planning your days out in advance andeasily sinking hours of your time into the game, to the point where the day is already gone.
A cottage industry has emerged for comforting farming games that put unique spins on the things Stardew Valley did so well, even if few are able to match its brilliance. Coral Island will come pretty close though, as it’s been years since a game of this ilk has managed to capture my imagination so confidently.
Despite this glowing review of Coral Island, Jade makes it clear thatwe shouldn’t hesitate to call out games for being close clones of Stardew Valleybefore they build on their own unique aspects. Given that the underwater area of Coral Island, its most unique take, is as-of-yet incomplete, that could easily be a downside for some.
However, in following the Stardew Valley formula,Coral Island has become a compelling and fun gamewhere it is finished. As Jade notes, Coral Island reinterprets the Stardew Valley formula beautifully, “even if it’s just by making everyone in the game really sexy and adding mermaids you can be friends with.”
Cost
Coral Island is only available digitally, so you’re out of luck here if you collect physical copies. However, if you’re looking to buy, Coral Island is available for$29.99 on Windows (Steam), Xbox X|S, and PlayStation 5.To Coral Island’s credit, $29.99 is still half (or less than) what the typical AAA game would run you nowadays. If you’re in love with the music, you can buy the soundtrack separately for $9.99 on Steam.
If you have Xbox Game Pass, you’re in luck because you can get Coral Island with it. Unlike both Steam and PlayStation 5, you can actually playa free trial of Coral Island on Xbox.
Time Expenditure
To experience all of Coral Island’s content, you’re probably going to be looking at 40-50 hours worth of gameplay.HowLongToBeatpegs tototal time at around 48 hours and a completionist playthrough at around 136 hours.However, given the endless nature of cozy farming simulators,you will likely have an endless amount of playtimewaiting for you to indulge in. If you’re looking to change up your gameplay with mods, like you would in Stardew Valley you might be a bit disappointed, given that there really isn’t much in terms of free-to-use mods as of yet.
Some players in the Steam reviews have reached 200-300+ hours of gameplay, so it’s safe to assume that the replayability of Coral Island is off the charts. For its price point, that’s significantly better than some AAA games on the market.
What Players Are Saying
Farming simulators aren’t for everyone, but for those of us who have sunk a life saving’s worth of time into Stardew Valley, it might just be worth it to give Coral Island a shot. For those of us at TheGamer who have played Coral Island, there’s certainly a lot we want to say (although word limits keep us in line).
Definitely Worth It - Zoë Osik
Coral Island takes everything you love about farming sims and adds mermaids—so that’s a big plus. It’s a cozy indie game that has a lot of heart, and it shows that the devs genuinely care about what they’re doing. The festivals are a breath of fresh air, there’s constantly something to do, and you actually want to get to know your neighbors.
The drawbacks are that inflation is real and everything is expensive until you figure out how to make enough money to survive winter and the story progress is slow at first, but once you get the basics down and start farming, you’re right at home. The community in Coral Island feels alive and you want to be part of it. There are aspects of the game that are still in development, but the base game and mechanics are complete.
If You Like Farming Simulators - Tallis Spalding
Farming simulators aren’t for everyone, and even with the diving, mining, and dating, Coral Island is still a farming simulator at heart. If you like cozy farming games, the chances that you’re going to like Coral Island are very high. The world is pretty, and so is the art (most of the time… I still can’t get over how short Scott’s arms look), and you genuinely feel accomplished when your island’s rating goes up. It’s not finished, so there’s no harm in waiting, but if you need something new to play, Coral Island is worth it.
