Cozy games like Coral Island are known for their low stakes and relationship-centered mechanics. Whether you want to befriend everyone or embark on a whirlwind romance, the world is your oyster. Returning to nature and reaping what I sow has always been a calming pastime in games, but the one thing missing was a bit of magic. Fae Farm scratched that particular itch by adding the faeries, but Coral Island promises something I have always dreamed of: merfolk.
I’ve always loved the idea of merfolk and living in harmony beneath the waves. The lull of the ocean as the tide laps against the shore calls to me, and the colorful marine life just below the surface is unlike anything on land. Merfolk are renowned for ethereal beauty and sprawling tails that shimmer in the light. The stewards of the sea are strong, powerful allies in Coral Island, but have long been absent from the cozy genre.
It makes sense that Coral Island dives deeper into the world of the merfolk, given that a large part of the game is focused on cleaning up the ocean and healing the island from pollution. Part of that experience is discovering the secret Merfolk Kingdom beneath the waves as you essentially vacuum the ocean floor. Working alongside the merfolk to heal their home made me realize that maybe an underwater farming sim is long overdue.
And no, I don’t mean that an underwater-exclusive farming sim is what I’m looking for, or even just a mermaid game. The Sims 4 added mermaids, and while that was fun and exciting, it still lacked something more substantial in terms of a narrative. I could come up with my own narrative, but not much would impact the rest of the game or its mechanics.
In Coral Island, I’m in a relationship with Scott while on land. We bonded over rebuilding and expanding the museum, finding unique treasures all over the island together. What we’ve built is special, but my heart nonetheless belongs to the sea. Whether or not he sees that, I can’t tell, but it’s clear that change is on the horizon. Honestly, I blame Ling and her pleas for me to help the ocean, which led me to the Merfolk Kingdom.
It may seem irrational to throw away a perfectly good relationship in pursuit of something else, but what are games for if not to break out of your shell and learn more about yourself? If it weren’t for the bugs that prevented me from pursuing a relationship with Scott at the initial release, this wouldn’t be an issue. He never sent me a letter to meet him at the museum for his final event, and he would turn down a proposal if I asked. Our relationship was the one thing keeping my feet solidly planted on land, but the lack of commitment on his end had me step one foot into the ocean. It wasn’t his fault, but it felt personal. Of course, I can always marry Scott now and live the life I planned while starting a new save for the merfolk romance, but where’s the fun in that?
From the moment I set foot in the Merfolk Kingdom and explored the palace, I knew that this new adventure was what I had been missing in other cozy games. No other farming sim dared to attempt this – there had never been a choice as large and important as the one it was asking me to make. While not permanent or stated outright, it’s impossible to live in both worlds full-time. Going between means spending more time commuting than would be efficient, so I have to choose between spending more of my time on the farm that I know and love, or in the sea cultivating new skills.
My humble beginnings landside have left me wanting more, and even towards the end of the first year, I find that I’m not as committed to the farm as I should be. There’s so much to see and learn about the people and the culture that the need to cultivate crops is sitting on the backburner of my mind. The holidays and events make it worth living life on the surface, but what about the way of the merfolk just beyond the shore?
My curiosity continually got the better of me. I’d abandon a day (or week) in the mines for a day underwater. I spent all my energy collecting trash and recycling it so that the ocean could be clean. I spoke with Semeru whenever possible, despite knowing he didn’t trust me. Being an outsider made communication difficult, but earning the merfolk’s trust endeared me more to their world.
Earning their trust also granted me my own mermaid tail, allowing me to move faster underwater and feel more like I belonged. Gone was the wetsuit that tied me to the human world up above. Now, I was part of something bigger, and I didn’t have to go back if I didn’t want to. There was a place for me to sleep underwater, and returning to the surface didn’t need to happen. A whole new world is under the sea, and it’s mine to explore.
And now, with the latest update news on the horizon, I’m presented with a choice. I can live out my life with Scott and have a traditional marriage and relationship, or I can trade it all for something new. Underwater farming and ranching is coming, as are the long-awaited merfolk romances and storyline updates.
It would be so easy to leave it all behind and pursue a life that wasn’t possible before, even if it means forsaking the animals and relationships I started on land. The people of Starlet Town are lovely, but there’s a whole different type of beauty and magic under the sea. If my time on land has taught me anything, it’s that the same things over and over are comfortable, but I’m no longer seeking something within my comfort zone. As much as I’ve come to love the people on the island, it’s the adventure beneath the waves that truly calls to me.
This option feels like a modern fairytale, with the narrative of The Little Mermaid reversed. The relationships built with the merfolk are hard-earned, and so the inclusion of romances adds a new level of depth – especially with Semeru, who viewed me as a threat but eventually warmed up to me. Perhaps I’ll find a solution that allows me to stay in both worlds comfortably, but until then, I’ll keep dreaming about diving off the cliffs to embrace a new life under the sea.
