Your first day on the island
This is how it all begins. You’ll find more on every topic further down.
Your character
First, you create your character: hair, clothes, a name. That’s you on your island.
Arriving by boat
A boat brings you to your island. If you like, a short introduction shows you the first steps.
A home of your own
Now you pick a cottage of your own: Beach Cottage, Hilltop, Treehouse or Pearl Shell.
Then you build your first house, and your first islanders arrive on the next boat.
A little basket of shells
On the beach, a little basket of your first shells is waiting. Use them in the Shell Catalog to get something lovely for your island.
The café opens
Your first café goes up, and its owner arrives by ferry. Everyone drops by for the opening.
And then?
In the evening the lanterns come on, and your island carries on by itself. Short tours show you the harbor, the farms, the guests and the shipyard whenever you like.
Look it up
You’ll find much of this in the Island Guide in the game, too.
BuildingEverything to shape your island.
In the build menu you’ll find houses for new islanders, places for guests to stay, a café, trees, lights and lots more.
The builders put it up for you, and you can watch them work.
IslandersEveryone has their own daily life.
Every new house brings new islanders, each with their own favorite spots and little wishes.
Click on someone to see what they’re up to, and with “Follow”, you walk along with them for a while.
MomentsLittle stories that happen on your island.
Something is always happening on your island: a picnic, a reunion, a party in the evening. You’ll find many of these moments collected under “Moments & Games” at the bottom right.
Over time, you also get to see special things: first a family of whales swims by, then a traveling circus arrives, and one day a festival boat brings you a gift.
ShellsFor something special for your island.
You earn shells mostly from guests and trade: guests use them to pay for coffee, cake and boat trips, and the trading barge buys whatever your farms have left over.
In the Shell Catalog, you spend them on special things like new houses or pretty decorations. Regular building is free.
Harbor and guestsGuests who come by ferry.
Build a dock, and the ferry brings guests for the day. With places to stay, they spend the night, too.
The lovelier your island is and the more it has to offer, the more guests come.
FarmsFresh from your own fields.
The fruit farm, the vegetable farm, the flower farm and the barnyard all bring in a harvest. The baskets travel across the island, to the stands, to the café and to the harbor storehouse.
Whatever is left over, the trading barge buys from you for shells.
Shipyard and shipsShips of your own that sail out into the world.
You can build a shipyard on the shore. That’s where your own ships are made: explorer ships bring back treasures from their voyages, and trading ships carry baskets to faraway lands.
You can also build an excursion boat for your guests there, or a houseboat for islanders to live on.
ExplorersIslanders who practice and find faraway islands.
Islanders without a job can become explorers: you can tell them by their uniform, and they practice at their schools every day.
In a ship from your shipyard, they sail to faraway islands and bring treasures home. It’s all up to you, with no fighting and nothing you have to do.
Island LeagueBeach volleyball and soccer on your island.
Build a soccer field, and your island gets a team of its own. Every three island days they take the field, and with a volleyball court they play beach volleyball, too.
For home games, fans arrive by boat, and after the final whistle there’s a cookout, no matter how it ends.
LandmarkSomething big that grows over many weeks.
On your second day, you pick one of eight landmarks, like the Terrace Gardens or the Floating Rocks.
The builders put it up bit by bit, and each finished stage is celebrated in the evening. It costs you nothing.