19 February 2026

New Steam Game Has Serious Legend of Zelda Vibes and Great Reviews

By newsgame

A newly released 2D action-adventure game, which borrows the best from The Legend of Zelda‘s puzzle and game design, has launched to strong reviews on Steam and Metacritic. In it, players step into the shoes of Nia to battle monsters, complete puzzles, and explore a mysterious world to save their new home. At the heart of the mystery is the legend of what’s under the island Nia is on, and that’s fitting because of the game’s title: Under the Island.

On Steam, Under the Island has earned 96% positive reviews (out of a total of 25). On Metacritic, it’s clocked in with “Generally Favorable” reviews for an 85 critic score out of 6 reviews. It’s obviously a smaller release, but it’s clearly well worth players’ time.

Players can currently pick up Under the Island on Steam at a launch discount. It’s typically priced for $19.99, but until March 3, players can get 15% off. That reduces the price to $16.99, and while it’s only a savings of $3, I mean…it’s $3 in this economy. $16.99 is also basically $15 by gamer logic—as explained by indie studio Aggro Crab, which made PEAK and Another Crab’s Treasure.

Why Under the Island is Worth Your Time

Setting aside the price, strong reviews, and Legend of Zelda vibes, games like Under the Island have to be able to stand on their own two feet—and it does. Nia arrives on Seashell Island shortly before learning the island is destined to sink beneath the ocean. So, she joins up with a local Seashell Island girl (named Avocado) to save the island. This involves exploring its colorful regions, of which there are six (including a sentient greenhouse, frozen caverns, and chaotic sawmills).

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

Under the Island Features at a Glance

Uncover a Sinking Mystery
Enjoy Classic Top-Down Adventure Gameplay
Explore 6 Distinct Regions
Fight Strange Enemies and Unlock New Loot
Meet Memorable Characters

Each biome comes with unique features, moments, and activities. There’s the typical Zelda formula of acquiring new upgrades and finding new treasures, but players can also “become the champion of the cook-off, reunite lost casts, and dodge the rage of cereal pirates.” Sometimes video games need a little whimsy, and Under the Island has it in spades.

As players explore, they’ll face off against all sorts of silly enemies, from eggplants to underground wolves. Just like the best Zelda games, players will be able to acquire new artifacts, loot, and abilities to face off against enemies and survive the biomes. One unique feature, though, is how Nia can befriend animals and utilize their help in her adventure. Animals aren’t the only ones who will help Nia, though, as the island has several villagers who can give side quests, develop friends, and aid the player in return.

Overall, Under the Island is a colorful game that will take players back to the best of the ’90s. It’s hard not to look at it and see exactly how colorful and fun it is. Of course, Under the Island is an indie game and it’s not going to dethrone Zelda at its own game, but for those wanting a game like Zelda to play, it’s hard to beat Under the Island.

In just 24 hours, it has made a strong impression on its players. It’ll be interesting to see how impressions of this game spread over the next few days and weeks, and hopefully, developer Slime King Games can expand the Island even more. Zelda games sure did like to explore the sky too, that’s all I’m saying.