Tue Jan 14 2025
Fixed an issue with the game's supported languages on the App Store. They now correctly match the languages available in-game.
ISOLAND4: The Anchor of Memory is a surreal masterpiece. If you're a fan of the previous games, you know exactly what to expect: bizarre logic, hauntingly beautiful hand-drawn art, and an atmosphere that feels like a half-remembered dream. This installment feels more personal and reflective, focusing heavily on characters—both new and old—who inhabit this strange world. The dialogues are filled with philosophical musings and song lyrics that actually make you stop and think.
The puzzles are as cryptic as ever. You won't find traditional 'key fits in lock' puzzles here; instead, you’ll be looking at the pattern of street signs in a forest or trying to interpret the ramblings of a man in a turban to find a hidden object. It's point-and-click adventure gaming at its most 'artsy.' While it doesn't have an in-game hint system (which can lead to some frustration), the satisfaction of finally understanding a clue is immense. It's a short but incredibly dense experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Unique hand-drawn, heavy-line art style
Surreal, atmospheric point-and-click gameplay
Deep narrative with philosophical and musical references
Intricate puzzles based on logic, pattern, and memory
A cast of both familiar and new enigmatic characters
Dialogue in ISOLAND4 is rarely just flavor text. Characters often hide clues to puzzles within their philosophical musings or song lyrics.
Many solutions are hidden in the background art. Look for numbers, symbols, or arrangements of objects in one scene that might correspond to a lock in another.
Travel between disconnected, surreal landscapes like a crashed spaceship or a forest filled with signs to find items requested by the island's inhabitants.
Solve a variety of challenges, including switch sequences, combination locks, and inventory puzzles that require unconventional thinking.
While it's a continuation, ISOLAND4 is designed to be enjoyed as a standalone experience for newcomers.
Update: there are now some walkthroughs available and I was able to proceed. This is an amazing game with so much to explore and enjoy! I do wish it had a hint feature, but overall it’s the best game I’ve played in a very long time. absolutely love the old school Cotton games and I’m so glad they went back to their roots with this one! The game functions flawlessly and I can’t wait to play more of it. Unfortunately, there’s no help, hints, or skips if you get stuck. I can’t progress any further until I complete a picture crossword puzzle, but the puzzle makes zero sense and there aren’t any directions. I can’t find a walkthrough online, and there’s no way to contact the developer. I tried going to their website from both the link in the game and from the link in the AppStore. There is a website, but it’s not in English and most of the hyperlinks on the page seem to be broken. I would normally give 1 star after running into such issues and getting stuck with no way out. But Cotton Games is my all time favorite developer and I have really enjoyed the game so far. It’s a great game, I’m just not smart enough to figure out one of the puzzles and now I can no longer play. Someone please post a walkthrough, since the developers did not.
I’ve been playing this series from the beginning and it’s def the best one yet. And that is an achievement since the other installments are incredible. Layered puzzles, dynamic items, wonderful imagery, and super-imaginative. Everything is solvable without hints and makes total sense, but it’s not easy! My message to those who complain either that it’s too short (since you used hints) or that the hints are terrible should maybe just stick to Candy Crush. I love when a new Cotton game comes out. I just wish there were more!
Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, with stars to fill my dream. I am a traveler of both time and space to be where I have been. To sit with elders of a gentle race this world has seldom seen. Who talk of days for which they sit and wait When all will be revealed.
I get having a demo before I buy. Great. But after every chapter?! And without telling me how many chapters? Just give me a clear price and I would be happy to pay it, because I have loved all of these games, but these hidden costs are infuriating. Are you really going to make more money from the number of people you trick in with the low price point compared to the number of loyal customers you’ll lose who would have supported you at a higher price point? Does that feel good?
Isoland for the win! My very favorite point and clicks, surpassing Rusty Lake. Wonderful puzzles, artwork, music, overall vibe. I think I got to the end, but online walkthroughs show a bit more to the game - a room behind ouroborous, for example.
Love all of the Isoland games - engaging and make you use your brain
Too bad I can’t submit this brief review. Another mystery… solved
Very engaging, all the puzzles made sense, and the aesthetics is as pleasing as ever.








