The past few years have seen a drastic uptick in the number of isometric narrative adventure RPGs, due in no small part to the success of 2019’s Disco Elysium. End-all Entertainment’s Paradigm Island is one of the newest additions to the genre, showcased in this month’s Next Fest on Steam. Enter the shoes of a freshly-of-age mercenary named Mike on the day of his first mission. Amid everything already going wrong, our protagonist seems to be having something of an identity crisis. Will you keep him on the path of a mercenary, or are his other passions more worth pursuing?

An Introspective Tangle

As you enter the world of Paradigm Island, it’s clear that things are a little off. Sure, it’s normal for any new adult to question who they are. Is it just as normal to jump between dimensions and speak to your own personality traits given form? Probably not.

That’s exactly what Mike begins to experience as he and his coworkers investigate the shell of an abandoned oil rig. With resources as scarce as they are, it’s an odd experience regardless. Even more unfortunate, you were on your way to celebrate your 18^th birthday with your crew when you were diverted to this ghost rig.

So, face your inner demons and try not to make too big of a fool of yourself as you navigate Mike’s first full mission. Get to know your crewmates, form friendships and rivalries, maybe even a relationship, as you guide Mike into adulthood.

Meaningful Mechanicals

As Paradigm Island starts out Mike is, quite literally, a blank slate. There’s no opening character creation screen or point allocation, you’re just dropped in to the world with a short explanation. Earning your first experience points will get you a level up giving you a skill point to put in one of twelve skills.

Separated by Mind, Body, and Soul, these skills will change the outcomes of your dice rolls in-game. They’ll also adjust how Mike responds to outside stimuli. Will he have the book smarts to restart a powered down robot on the rig? How about the creativity to name it, after realizing its memory banks are wiped clean? You develop Mike as you play the game, changing him inherently.

Remember those personified personality traits I mentioned? There are three of them in total, each with a color corresponding to the mind, body, and soul categories in game. Doubtful it’s a coincidence, so I would expect these specters to behave differently depending on your skill distribution as well.

Tempt Fate, Roll Dice

Every time Mike is presented with a skill check, two six-sided die are rolled to determine the outcome. If it’s a skill you have a point in, you’ll get a boost to it depending on how many points you’ve allocated. Beat the number it gives you; you succeed. Don’t, you fail. But don’t listen to that nagging voice telling you to save and load. In games like Paradigm Island, failing can be just as meaningful as succeeding.

Even with such a short look, it’s clear that Paradigm Island has what it takes to succeed in the ever-growing pool of its genre. It holds to the formula when it needs to but it’s not afraid to try something new. If you’re a fan of the genre, make sure to give the demo a fair shake this Next Fest.

Paradigm Island is developed and published by End-All Entertainment. It is set to release in July, 2025. The demo is currently playable on Steam as part of June 2025’s Next Fest.