Summary

• Coral Island is a tropical farming simulator inspired by classic farming simulators that emphasizes ocean conservation throughout gameplay.
• The game offers a detailed character creator and customization options for the house, along with a variety of activities like fishing, mining, and diving in the ocean.
• The full release of Coral Island adds a lot of new content, including expanded storylines, interactions with NPCs, marriage and family options, festivals, and the ability to encounter Merfolk NPCs and explore their kingdom.

After 15 months in Alpha and then just over a year in Early Access, tropical farming simulator Coral Island is finally launching in full. Humble Games and Stairway Games' vibrant island experience is inspired by classic farming simulators, and Coral Island adds depth with a message of ocean conservation, as well as a very detail-focused experience in every aspect of gameplay.

Like other farming simulators, Coral Island starts as the main character leaves their big-city life to move to an abandoned farm plot to rebuild it. Players can customize the experience with a detailed character creator that includes the option of being non-binary. There is a wide variety of outfits, accessories, body shapes, and colors for hair, skin, and more. The house is easily upgraded for the first expansion, which lets players immediately choose from several styles to shape their home to be of their design style.

The Perfect Tropical-Themed Farming Simulator

Crops, Animals, and Ocean Reefs

Once established on the farm, there is a lot of work to do with a massive plot of land that is overgrown with weeds, rocks, trees, and lots of trash. Throughout the game, players can decorate and craft their idyllic farmscape with animals and crops. There are also many other important activities, such as fishing, mining, and diving in the ocean, as well as interacting with a colorful cast of over 70 NPCs on the island. A museum is ready to be expanded through the character's help, as well as local heritage sites and community projects in the town.

Restore Coral Reefs And Meet Merfolk

Ocean Conservation Theme

Coral Island not only has a unique setting for a farming simulator, but includes a heavy emphasis on environmental awareness. Its conservation theme spreads a positive message that applies both in and out of the game. Coral Island has an in-depth story devoted to oil spill and trash cleanup, as well as the importance of protecting the environment, although, of course, it also features more magical aspects than exist in the real world and a full Merfolk community to think of.

Developers aren't just spreading the word, but also raising money for protecting and restoring coral ecosystems through the Coral Guardian charity. While in Early Access, the game raised $87,500 according to a Humble Games post on X (formerly Twitter).

Coral Island 1.0's New Additions From Early Access

More Story, Decor, Pets, And More

In the Early Access version there was already a lot of content for players to enjoy, but the full 1.0 release offers so much more. Here is a list of many of the additions to the game in the full version as listed in a Coral Island dev update.

• Storyline to revitalize the town.
• In-depth interactions with NPCs, including heart events and dynamic dialogue.
• Marriage and the ability to start a family.
• NPC outfits for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter (most NPCs).
• Bathing outfits (select NPCs).
• Customization options for your house's exterior.
• Over 200 decor options to choose from.
• Over 200 clothing options to choose from.
• Adopt a pet.
• A total of eight unique festivals each filled with mini-games.
• Access to all diving depths (10m/20m/30m/40m/50m).
• Access to all mining gates (Earth/Water/Wind/Fire).
• The chance to acquire a mythical pet.
• Encounter Merfolk NPCs and explore their Kingdom.
• And much more.

Anyone who has currently been playing in Early Access should be aware, however, that their saved game will be restarted with only their Gold imported when reloading an old save.

There is much more planned to come in 2024 to Coral Island as well. The developer's roap includes things such as more story content, increased Merfolk interactions and stories, the ability for children to grow up, and even a full-featured multiplayer.

Find Love From Over 28 Romanceable Characters

Even The Merfolk

Out of the over 70 characters who call Coral Island home, 28 of them are singles looking for love. Marriage candidates aren't just relegated to land-walkers either, as a couple of the Merfolk are also relationship candidates. Like almost every character in Coral Island, each of the available single characters provides very different personalities, lots of dialogue options, and deep backgrounds to explore. Developers say that romance will continue after marriage, as well, with continued post-marriage events and dialogue and children that can age.

Our Review Score & Final Thoughts

Coral Island checks every box for a farming simulator and more. As it leaves Early Access and launches as a full game, the near-flawless execution of so many moving parts is impressive. With a full road map of more to come in 2024, Coral Island is worth a try by anyone who enjoys cozy farming simulation games, or just wants to lose themselves somewhere warm during the cold winter months.

Source: Play Humble Games/X, Coral Island Dev Update, Coral Island/YouTube

Coral Island releases for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on November 14, 2023, and will come to Nintendo Switch in 2024. Screen Rant was provided with a PC code for the purpose of this review.