Finding interludes of calm and relaxation during the day is hard. Chill games such as 1sland offer an instant portal to a world of tranquility – even if it’s just for five minutes on your lunch break or on the train home.

The game, in which you can fish, sail and go on an expedition in search of an island, has been mindfully designed with minimalist graphics and sounds, and instantly envelopes you in its comforting space. How fast or slow you move is up to you.

We spoke to the game’s Spanish creators, brothers Sergio and Jacobo Abril, about using inspiration from their own lives to create a gaming experience everyone can enjoy and benefit from.

When it comes to inspiration, the Spaniards find it in even the most normal of daily rituals, such as their morning brew. Both are passionate about coffee, usually buying beans from a local roaster in their city of Valladolid.

“We’re inspired by the fact that we’re drinking something whose origin changes every week,” says Jacobo. “It makes us aware of every little detail around us, instead of taking on automatic habits. Stopping for a second, looking around you, reflecting, being aware... that’s what we want 1sland to be for users.”

1sland has something for every mood: you can join a race across the game’s vast ocean and compete to find the island, or you can potter around your home, building your space and fishing. Working on the game has had a positive impact on the lives of its creators, who are also both architects.

“1sland has pushed us to have a calmer, more reflective life, and to dedicate more time to ourselves,” explains Sergio, while also acknowledging that there’s been a before and after in his own life since the game launched in 2020. “Now we work more consciously, and we spend more time stopping, reflecting and resting our minds,” he continues.

And that conscious approach to working includes making time to connect with their “sailors”, their pet name for 1sland players. “It’s a living game, constantly changing, and that’s thanks to the support of our community,” Sergio says.

The search for calm is an ongoing one for all of us, including Sergio and Jacobo. Capturing ideas from the things they see and experience in the environment around them has been important for generating new features in the game.

“It can be trying to convey the relaxation of a good walk or the colour of a stunning sunset. We look for references to the game in everyday life,” says Sergio.

With this much personal care and attention going into the game, it’s no wonder that 1sland is such an inviting, comforting space to hang out in.

1sland

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