MMOs, MMORPGs, and multiplayer games are naturally better with friends along, but sometimes you can’t really force your friends to buy a game and join you on adventures (assuming it’s not a free-to-play game from the jump, of course). The early access cozy co-op title Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure offers a unique workaround for that little issue, as the buy-to-play title also offers a fully free Friends’ Pass that lets players arrive to a friend’s island without having to buy in themselves.
“Co-op play is at the heart of the game in Ikonei Island. The Ikonei Island: Friends’ Pass, which launched on Steam last month, allows your friends to join you even if they haven’t purchased the full game. The Friend’s Pass also works as a demo so you can learn how to play.”
Ikonei comes from publisher Jetpack Collective and developer Snowcastle Games, the studio behind the single-player RPG Earthlock (hence the multiplayer game’s subtitle). In Ikonei, players are encouraged to build the island paradise of their dreams, form bonds with the island’s creatures to collect materials, and explore the area, with plenty of familiar trappings like house building, farming, crafting, and gathering.
A demonstration of the Friends’ Pass feature, as well as an earlier launch trailer, are both awaiting below.
