Minute of Islands is a stunning narrative-based adventure game

Minute of Islands is a frankly gorgeous narrative-based adventure game from publisher Mixtvision and developer Studio Fizbin (The Inner World). It’s set to come to Nintendo Switch in early 2020, and today is the first time we’ve seen what it looks like.

It takes you on a grand adventure across a strange yet beautiful archipelago that our character, Mo, calls home. Sadly, the picturesque surroundings have become polluted by deadly spores, with the only thing keeping the island safe being several mysterious antennas built by literal giants who once lived peacefully alongside the archipelago’s human inhabitants.

After the antennas begin to fail, Mo heads out to repair them in a last-ditch effort to keep her family safe. Thankfully, she has her trusty Omni-Switch to help her out, a device that can be used to solve interesting environmental puzzles.

Along the way, you’ll meet a memorable cast of weird and wonderful creatures. Though as Mo gradually uncovers the truth behind the islands she calls home and the giants living below the surface, she begins to have doubts about her ‘focus and stoic ambition’. This means you can expect an affecting character exploration on top of the adventuring and puzzling action.

It boasts a striking comic-book art style that, from the screenshots, looks hugely impressive. The level of detail on show is quite something, with tiny discoveries around every corner. I’m looking forward to seeing how well it holds up in motion. But, for now, it has the promise to be one of the most visually impressive games on Switch.

Supporting that wonderful aesthetic, and bringing the game’s vibrant world to life, is an atmospheric, emotive soundtrack. Everything I've seen of it so far suggests that this is a sizable step up over Studio Fizbin's earlier game The Inner World.

Look for Minute of Islands on Switch in early 2020. If all goes well, it’d be great to see it come to mobile at some point in the future.