Sacramento, CA, September 19th, 2023
Summary
Cicada Games, a tiny studio consisting of a single developer, musician, and producer, have been working on their pet project, Isles of Sea and Sky for about 5 years now. An ambitious, open world puzzle adventure game with an extensive demo that was originally launched as a part of a successful Kickstarter campaign in May of 2020. The Isles of Sea and Sky demo on Steam was already unusually expansive for an indie game, with a very high average playtime of about 1 hour and 30 minutes (The average on steam is usually around 20 minutes). So it came as a surprise to fans of the game when recently Cicada Games revealed an update which expanded and refined the demo even further. Full of new areas, secrets, and mind bending challenges, the updated demo is shaking out to be a big hit.
Alongside the demo update, Cicada Games revealed a breathtaking new animated trailer. The animations were lovingly hand crafted by a Japanese animation studio, and the care and attention to detail that went into the game’s demo also shines through in the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATGQF9A5Fw
The new demo features more secrets, puzzles and areas to explore, including a new item called the “Gopher Gloves” which allow the player to solve unique and mind bending digging puzzles. One of the most unique aspects of Isles of Sea and Sky is its open world puzzle design, alongside Metroidvania elements like the Gopher Gloves: Rather than being a simple key that opens up new areas, the gloves and digging mechanic act as a new type of puzzle.
Isles of Sea and Sky has a passionate community which continues to grow. Including speedrunners who have already spent hundreds of hours mastering the expansive demo alone! Jason Newman, the designer of the game says that “Speedrunners are not an afterthought for me. I consider the health of the speedrunning community while simultaneously designing for a wider audience.” The response from players to the new demo has been no less passionate. Here are some of the glowing reviews:
“The previous demo made me excited for the full game. This new demo increased that excitement tenfold!” -Tonite
“Isles of Sea and Sky is a game I cannot sing enough praises about. It is an absolute masterclass of design on every level that I highly recommend to anyone.” -SapphireDrew
"After speedrunning the game for so long, Isles of Sea and Sky's latest demo reminded me of why I fell in love with this game to begin with. It truly refills the sense of mystery and wonder that keeps you exploring to learn more about the world." -Adventium_
"Every demo update... continues to iterate, evolve, and improve the game, bringing me a sense of joy and wonder each time. The team's passion and dedication has been evident to me from the first moment I first washed up on the beach in-game. I can't wait to experience the masterpiece that will be the full game!" -CyberSe7en
“[Isles of Sea and Sky] manages to take everything I love about gaming and condenses it into one awesome package, it's not even out yet but I feel like I've gotten more from it than even the highest budget titles.” -MartianBlobfish
Source: https://mailchi.mp/e625a2d53c97/see-what-people-are-saying-about-the-new-demo-isles-of-sea-and-sky-news-september-2023
Isles of Sea and Sky was recently featured by the brilliant minds at Thinky Games:
https://thinkygames.com/news/isles-of-sea-and-sky-a-new-name-a-new-trailer-and-a-new-demo/
What is Isles of Sea and Sky?
A fantastical, oceanic, and open world puzzle adventure game. Solve novel block-pushing puzzles while unearthing a mystifying narrative, awakening delightful new friends, gathering collectables, and unleashing extraordinary powers beyond your wildest imagination.
Features
- Solve open world puzzles: Complete puzzles and explore in whatever order you choose. Get stuck? Feel free to leave a puzzle and return to it later with a new perspective.
- Intuitive and accessible puzzling: Controls are simple and directional only; designed so that people of most physical abilities can enjoy.
- For puzzle novices and experts: Isles of Sea and Sky is designed for all skill levels making sure there’s plenty to do, collect, and challenge yourself with if you’re a puzzle expert, but that the game is also approachable for puzzling beginners.
- Immerse yourself in a serene, vibrant world: This vibrant, retro, and atmospheric environment is captivating and offers a chill and ambient soundtrack for deeper gameplay immersion
- Uncover a rich, meaningful story: Isles of Sea and Sky tells a meaningful and memorable story utilizing only images and no text.
- Discover hidden secrets: The game is chock full of hidden items and areas. Getting 100% complete rate, even in the demo, is no easy task!
Links
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About Cicada Games:
Like something out of a movie, Jason, Dan, and Craig were childhood best friends who grew up across the street from each other, making and playing games together for many years. Their shared childhood experiences have come to shape their style and rock-solid cohesiveness as a team.
Jason Newman
Game Design, Art, Programming, Marketing
Jason has a wide variety of experiences that allow him to fill any role. He has degrees in graphic design and computer science, and has worked in various fields from traditional printing to video editing. He has been making games for his friends to enjoy since childhood.
Craig Collver
Music, Sound Design
Craig has been making music for Jason’s projects for over 10 years. His music has, without fail, garnered hugely positive attention for our games. He has a particular talent for creating thematic music to fit any style, as well as for creating the mind-expanding, non-obtrusive tunes required for puzzle games!
Dan Collver
Production, QA
Dan is the glue that holds the machine together, a jack of all trades, and a world record holding speedrunner to boot! This experience has granted him a superhuman level of patience, an eye for detail, and a certain imperviousness required for indie game development.