Islanded

Islanded is a small PICO-8 Sokoban where the goal is to survive the ever-changing tides of an island you crash landed on.

Controls and Mechanics

• Arrow keys/D-pad to move
• There are five types of terrain: rock, mud, sand, meadows, hills. You can only move to the cell adjacent in height. (Ex. You can move from mud to rock or sand but not meadows or hills.)
• Sea level can reach up to sand, and getting in contact with it will result in a game over. There are indicators of where the water would rise to/recede from with the next move.

GMTK Game Jam 2026

Islanded was originally designed for GMTK Game Jam 2026. Count down, the theme of the jam, is incorporated into the game in three ways: 1. the player should count the timing of sea level rising up and down; 2. the player should count the steps towards the goal; 3. in terms of narrative, the main character should count the remaining days until rescue arrives.

The core mechanic of rising and receding wave was the motivating idea for the game, where I attempted to design a countdown timer that is not numerical but visual.

It is my first ever attempt at making a game, let alone in PICO-8. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish it within the jam period, so the game (if one can even call it as such) at its current state is barely functional, with only the main screen and the first level present. There are a few other mechanics that I have already designed and wish to implement after the voting period ends. I also plan to add various enhancements (better art, sfx, music).

Any feedback is welcome; admittedly there is not much to discuss due to the lack of material, but feel free to leave your thoughts. It would be a much appreciated motivation for me to keep working on this game! Thank you for playing!