Last updated on November 29th, 2025 at 10:44 am
ISLANDS: Non-Places – Game Review
ISLANDS: Non-Places is a game from CARLBURTON LLC, first launched in 17th November 2016.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 70+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes ISLANDS: Non-Places Stand Out
The familiar becomes magical in this critically acclaimed interactive artscape. Explore ten scenes inspired by the everyday and let your expectations of reality be transformed.
Carl Burton's other work has been featured in the New York Times, Serial, Colossal, and Medium.
Duration: About 45 min
Headphones recommended
This game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, ISLANDS: Non-Places is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 27th May 2020
Recent improvements include:
-Uses the full screen size on newer devices
-Bug fixes
Download & Availability
ISLANDS: Non-Places is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get ISLANDS: Non-Places on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
This might not be a game but it is artistic and awesome, 3 Dollars will spend,. It only problem it has is a little short but from what we saw it has a excellent atmosphere and beautiful scenery to match it detailed levels. Each level has its own story to tell in a very unique way, that we never seen before. Perfect master piece we recommend to everyone who enjoys a small but interesting experience, you cant go wrong with this.
Bizarre and beautiful, plus the sound design is superb. As stated, this is not a game in any sense of the word. This is interactive art that will transport if the individual interacting with it allows it to do so. Best played in the dark with headphones on. Herbal stimulation not necessary but is certainly complimentary.
Love the style, mood , and surrealism of this place. Enjoyed very much, hope there will be a sequel some day.
We bought this going into it expecting an art type experience and that is what we got. That is what this is, art, interactive art. We loved it. We didnt rush through, just put on our headphones and felt the experience. Do that, and you wont be disappointed. Definitely worth the price.
Truly fascinating and entrancing game. It's fairly short, but the creativity and graphics are captivating. It brought back fond memories of a Myst-like experience. Bravo.
This might be more of a work of art than a game, but the experience is definitely worth checking out. Bizarre, relaxing, beautiful, and completely unlike anything else on the App Store.
First off – the description says the first play though lasts about 45mins, so there should be no surprise there. Once you play though, you can go back and explore at wil! ISLANDS is stunning. Humorous, beautiful, haunting and has a mystical way of being both interesting and calming at the same time. Loved the sound design and art. Loved that each level tells a short story. Loved that creativity is chosen over obvious expectations. Loved it.
This game makes you look at mundane places in new ways. Reminds us of Kentucky Route Zero on the PC. Well worth it.
Incredible experience. Sound design is unreal. Great job.
With amazing glowing colors this game dazzles you and makes you look at a normal place a new way. We will definitely look for more like this.
It is short…but beautiful. It's not really a "game," but like being inside one of Carl Burton's films (check him out on Vimeo). It is exploring a series of surreal environments, where everything is familiar, but nothing is as it appears. Objects (and that's not the right word) don't "behave" the way they "should." Touch everything to see and hear differently. Islands will change your perspective of the real.
The art direction is heavenly here, the mechanics perfectly simple. Every sound, every color, every movement are choreographed with sublime precision. Highly recommend this Toy, not Game. The only aspect of game here is to touch something that pulses. We would love to see this expanded into a full exploration puzzle. This is Not a complaint, it is a hope.
Really wonderful game. Lots of beautiful imagery and sounds. It's both calming and eerily looming. Would love to see a sequel.
Amazing sights and sounds that remind us of life in Southern California. We could spend hours in this virtual world. We hope we see more.
What an absorbing serendipity. After we finished, we looked up his films. Extraordinary, all of it.
Meditative. Playful. Surprising. We dig it.
We spent an hour inside this weird place and we would spend some hours more.
We want to disappear into these worlds. Whoever made this is brilliant.
Islands is a good game! Its good on practicing patience, Plus the art is great. But every Time we turn it off and we are almost done With the chapter and we turn it off it doesnt save our work when we turn it on.
This is a handful of lightly-interactive 3D scenes somewhat like art installations, but doing things that would be impractical outside a virtual world. Immersive. Worth a couple bucks and a few quiet moments of your time.
Absolutely gorgeous game. Anyone in need of inspiration or an escape, this ones for you. It was a bit short (45ish minutes of gameplay) but very, very well done and enchanting.
We were totally entranced by the beauty and immersed in the gameplay, incredibly well done. We were disappointed to find out that after about 45 minutes, we'd reached the end. It would be great to see expansion in the future, though the excitement may be gone by then.
Im sure our opinion differs from some here, but games as art is normally more interactive and engaging. It certainly stands on its own as an art piece, but its probably better off at a lower price or free.
Brilliant game. Looks amazing, we love the juxtaposition of realism and the absurd or dreamlike. We would love to play a sequel with a real basic storyline and three times the puzzles. Ten puzzles? We mean, guys, CMON.
Because it is too short and there is zero challenge it gets 3 stars. Beautiful artwork but some sounds are really grating. 5 stars if it were twice as long and there was some sort of challenge.
We certainly would have given this 5 stars, but the game ended way too quickly! Whizzed thru the entire thing in less than an hour and was disappointed that there only 10 "puzzles." Then done! The so-called puzzles aren't difficult in the least, another reason we whizzed thru. We almost think this game was made with the main purpose of showing off the incredible surreal "landscapes." Monochrome foggy gray and black… Sounds dull but it really is a uniquely beautiful concept. Each level keeps your interest as you wonder how it will develop. The puzzles are easy enough as to not be frustrating… In fact, the game is quite relaxing in its mesmerizing slowness (yes, fans of action / shooters might well find this slow pace annoying). Would we recommend? Yes! It is visually brilliant. Main flaw, too short — developers, please update with more levels.
Maybe we're not smart enough. It's it a game? Is it a movie where you constantly peck at the screen to make stuff happen? You basically watch things sloooowwwwwlllyy change. Not worth the price in our option.
It's cool looking but you literally just click on the lights… Not a game at all.
It was kindove cool but it wasn't worth the money.
We are completely and utterly confused as to what we are supposed to be gathering from playing this absolute waste of time that the developers slapped an unreasonable price on and called a game. Not worth the time or money. To us, anyway. Obviously this is our opinion and not everyone has to agree. And indeed it is a beautiful game but it lacks key elements. Such as a easy to follow story, an objective marker or at least some indication as to what we're supposed to be actually accomplishing.
So, once again (we guess Ill never learn), we paid for the game, and then went for the reviews. And these did warn, we gotta say. Truly, this is not a game by any standards. We look at the money spent as a donation to the developer cause they do have some good games. But this is not it. Slow is not even the word to describe the tempo of this game. By the way, are there any levels past that refrigerator with the flying bottles? It just seems pointless. All of it. Basically, as a player you poke at the brightest spot on the screen until something happens, and when that doesnt work just spin the screen one way or the other. Really not much thought process involved. And even this couldve been enjoyable had the game not been so painstakingly sloooowwww. Cmon guys. A game? Not by any standards!!! More like frustrating artist experience.
Yes, its pretty. Its not fun though. You just tap on some blinking things.
We wish that we had not paid for this. Is it art? Does it have a purpose? Was we supposed to be entertained? We deleted it without finishing. Not recommended.
We feel like we wasted $2.99 on something that was not actually a game. It is an interesting meditation or artistic comment on everyday spaces and items, but it is certainly not a game. The only thing a user does is tap on the flashing light and then watch the next action unfold. There is no game play. We are also colorblind. We wish this app developer would consider what an app looks like to colorblind people, because they should understand that a monochromatic green screen looks dull gray to us. Without any contrast or something interesting to look at, the scenes they painstakingly created just come across as flat to us.
Yes its beautiful, but just because its beautiful doesnt make it good. No matter the high concept that people keep repeating, this game is DULL. Very short, and VERY SLOOOW. If you want to look at (only 11) pretty pictures thats look like the screenshots, by all means, spend $3 on it. Tap the glowing lights and stuff moves. If you consider that a game, again, go for it. Otherwise we suggest saving your money. Has potential if they move away from the incessant Tap Here! Method and actually add some puzzle/game elements to it.
A light glows and pulses. Tap it. Turn the screen. Repeat. We want a refund. Cool graphics and sounds. But there is no point nor strategy. Mind numbing. About as exciting as the movie Gerry.
You can only manipulate the environment on one axis, and that not even smoothly? This is way too expensive and a waste of effort.
What an incredibly stupid game! Would love to get our money back. You touch things in a foggy screen so they move… What a ripoff.
Absolutely nothing happens. No instructions, no advice, no way to get beyond the first screen.
So it seems that all you have to do to progress in this game is to press anything that glows. Not real hard to find. No puzzles, just keep tapping until something moves. Additionally, there are no saved games, so you either have to finish the whole thing in one sitting, or give up. We have done the latter. Not sure why this game is so highly rated.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.1
- Size: 276.48 MB
- iOS: 9.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: CARLBURTON LLC
Last updated: 27th May 2020 | Genre: | Developer: CARLBURTON LLC