Castaway Paradise is a casual simulation game that recently arrived on the Amazon App store. Likened to Nintendo’s Animal Crossing series, in which players carry out everyday activities and undertake quests in an effort to redevelop Tan Island community after it’s been hit by a tropical storm.
Initially announced in 2012 with a 2013 release date, the title has been in works for over two years. Developers Stolen Couch have put in a lot of work during that time to recreate the style of Nintendo’s long running series, and there are more than a few similarities.
The most apparent is how gameplay is structured, with the player helping build a thriving community by helping the local villagers, who also all happen to be animals, while developing relationships with them through dialogue. There are plenty of insects and fish that can be caught and sold, flowers and fruit trees that must be nurtured to harvest, and the trash and artifacts that litter the island, waiting to be found. The island of Castaway Paradise even has a museum to house the more valuable items you find on your travels.
That said there are differences between them, the key one being Castaway Paradise’s implementation of a free-to-play structure. The FTP elements takes the form of limiting item usage with recharge periods and wait times for activities like construction and growing plants, both of which can be skipped using collectibles or the in-game currency, pearls.
While fans of Animal Crossing won’t be unfamiliar with having to wait around (the series implements a 24-hour day/night cycle with new items and quests available each calendar day at certain hours only), it remains to be seen how players will feel about Stolen Couch’s attempts to monetize such a classic aspect of the Nintendo series.
Castaway Paradise is currently only available on the Amazon App store, with no word on when or if it will appear on Google Play.