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Game
Game2021
Beasts of Maravilla Island
Developer Banana Bird Studios, LLC
Beasts of Maravilla Island is a photography video game developed by Banana Bird Studios and published by Whitethorn Digital. It was released for Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch in June 2021, for Xbox One in July 2021, and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2022. The player takes the role of Maria Montez, a young wildlife photographer who travels to a magical island in order to document its… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
210 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 11, 2026 · last updated Oct 12, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
161 positive · 35 negative
95% range 76–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 161 | 35 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
292 of 336 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 163 yes, 35 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 198 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (451 of 518 positive).
Players describe it as a short, relaxing photography game with charming creatures and environments. [1][2][3] Some reviewers report bugs and janky controls that detract from the experience. [4][5][6]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
The game's premise of exploring a magical island and photographing its flora and fauna is fun! It was clearly made by a passionate beginner team, but unfortunately it is also very unpolished. I can't help but feel like the team bit off more than they can chew, or they focused too much on the wrong things. The magical creatures of Maravilla Island are definitely the main appeal of the game and I was delighted to …
- [1]
An adventure that lasts a couple of hours and the full price is certainly too high. However, it remains a good game, divided into 3 chapters with good (but not excellent) graphics. I didn't like the soundtrack but that's my personal opinion. In general I recommend it at a discount, 7/10 my rating
- [3]
A lovely, short, fun game! I had a great time with it. You run around beautiful envioronments taking pictures of cute, original creatures (and plants). It was just the relaxing experience I needed. I can highly recommend it, but be aware the game is only ~2 hours long.
- [11]
Short Answer: A photography adventure game that's rough around the edges, but has a certain charm to it. The photography mechanics are simple and the puzzles even simpler, with vibrant landscapes and wildlife to practice your photography skills at a relaxed pace. A 2-3 hour romp through digital nature that wants to remind you how important it is to respect and protect the world around us. NOTE: Players deaf or hard …
- [2]
Beasts of Maravilla is one of those games that is not sure what genre it fits. It is part exploration, part photography, part creature collecting and part puzzling. It would have been wonderful for those locked down in the Covid period with a bright, colouful fantastical world to explore! You play Marina, an aspiring wildlife photographer and you discover your Grandfather's journal about the Maravilla Island whose …
Summarised from 34 of the 212 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Beasts of Maravilla Island talk about beautiful and colorful environments with creative creature designs; those who didn't talk about very short, often under 3 hours to complete. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The game received an aggregate score of 59/100 on Metacritic for its Switch version, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Laura Gray of Screen Rant rated the Switch version 3/5 stars, praising its creatures, setting, and artwork, and saying the gameplay was simple and intuitive, but that the game needed a few patches. She called the biggest setback in the game its glitches and bugs, recommending that climbing animations be smoothed out. The game's PC version received a 6/10 from CD-Action, calling it charming yet unpolished, and criticizing the game's photo mode as well as interactions with the environment.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 210 · most liked firstAn adventure that lasts a couple of hours and the full price is certainly too high. However, it remains a good game, divided into 3 chapters with good (but not excellent) graphics. I didn't like the soundtrack but that's my personal opinion. In general I recommend it at a discount, 7/10 my rating
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beasts of Maravilla is one of those games that is not sure what genre it fits. It is part exploration, part photography, part creature collecting and part puzzling. It would have been wonderful for those locked down in the Covid period with a bright, colouful fantastical world to explore! You play Marina, an aspiring wildlife photographer and you discover your Grandfather's journal about the Maravilla Island whose legends were narrated to you as a young child. As you land on the island, you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game's premise of exploring a magical island and photographing its flora and fauna is fun! It was clearly made by a passionate beginner team, but unfortunately it is also very unpolished. I can't help but feel like the team bit off more than they can chew, or they focused too much on the wrong things. The magical creatures of Maravilla Island are definitely the main appeal of the game and I was delighted to unlock an extra menu where I could view statues of them all to admire them in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just a big OK. Aesthetic/Story: 7/10 Bare bones story but it's not super dull. Game is focused around cool creatures and fauna. Gameplay 3/10 Screenshot/walking simulator. Very light puzzles. Almost 0 difficulty unless your game gets bugged out. Can be pretty buggy. Camera gets wonky semi-often. I saved the game at the start of the last chapter. Next day, I load the game and I'm spawned halfway through the chapter but I didn't know this until I played the chapter again for achievements. ~2…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beasts of Maravilla Island is cute, but it doesn't reach the realms of excellence that is Pokemon Snap. It's too short, too simplistic and doesn't have the additional mechanics to make you spend time in the world. I actually quite enjoyed it, but unless you pick it up incredibly cheap, it's not worth the price tag. The main reason for this is how short the game is. If you really take your time and look around, you might get three hours out of it. Yes, I know my records say 5.8 but I have a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can forgive this (somewhat) for being a budget title from a small group of developers, but overall the issues with this game are too widespread to be pushed aside. It's extremely short, to the point that it only took me 90 minutes to finish. Control issues. You will find yourself pressing the button to 'pick up' five times before the character actually picks up the item. Severe lack of puzzles, and what's there is so easy it may as well have not been included. General bugs…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →almost recommendable but still way too buggy ~2-hour photography/hidden object-like game. I'd say it has light platforming and puzzling but even that would be an exaggeration. I don't particularly like the looks but it's whatever. the intro and outro are voiced, elsewhere there's just random moans and whatnot. better than constant gibberish for sure, but unfortunately the accursed typewriter effect is present too. controls are wonky as hell. movement is really slow, no sprinting, can only walk…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really love this game but when it comes to the photo book it's really bugged, most of the animals I photographed were wrongly placed next to their names and going to a page that is marked as the rest of the photos the "A" and "D" on my keyboard stops working at that point making me unable to flip the pages and to fix it I had to go to the main menu and back to the game to make it work again. It's still a nice relaxing photography game and I can gladly recommend it. <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An extremely casual, very small project with an environmental emphasis made by a small team in their free time. That said, you probably might have noticed from that vague description, actually I’m a bit hesitant to put the game into a certain category that would serve it well. Really, don’t expect huge revelations from it, or you might be disappointed. You pretty much just walk through 3 small linear areas and take some photographs of exotic fantasy-animals, with nearly no exploration, lots of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beasts of Maravilla is a sweet, short little game about photographing fantastical wildlife that I played through on my Steam Deck. There was one bug I encountered and it is decently short overall (even to 100%), but it made me nostalgic for a world I had not seen before. That in itself makes me think it is worth some time. The wildlife is cute and eye catching; the moral of the plot wholesome; and I love the neat soundtrack and virtual figurine extras (they used to be so common in games, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lot of work clearly went into the artwork of this game, but I feel like the quality of the programming and animation really falls short. The platforming and puzzles are clunky and unrewarding. You get locked into cutscenes and animations constantly. The story isn't very compelling and feels kind of pointless. It's also a very short game, overall.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get to know me (video game edition) 🎮 First game: Doom (I think) Last game: Beasts of Maravilla Island Favourite game: Pikmin Worst game: Skully Game I’ve played the most: Clubhouse Games 51 Worldwide Classics Most surprising: Biomutant Next game: Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan
neutral · AI labelView post →There's not much to say. It's cute and doesn't take much time to complete. I managed to finish the game and obtain all achievements in under two hours. The controls are a bit janky. Probably fun to play with kids. I got this as part of a bundle, I wouldn't pay full price. I wish there was a neutral option, this game is a solid 5/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🦌 Beast of Maravilla Island 🦌 Made by Banana Bird Studios, LLC and published by Whitethorn Games, The Last Observer is a 3D low-poly exploration adventure. You play as Marina Montez, a young wildlife photographer. After finding a letter from your grandfather, you decide to gather his journal and camera to continue his work on Maravilla Island—a place filled with unique creatures and shrouded in magic. Once there, you discover you must restore the island’s lost magic through a journey that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If interested id get this game on sale. i 100% achievement ran it in 4 hours. its like pokemon snap but free walking. There are some puzzles and missable things. the design of the few re-occurring creatures in the game is really good too. However there is only like 3 hallway like biomes to explore and the story never really developes or feels satisfying. this isnt the worst game but its just not for everyone and i recommend getting it on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could be completed in about 2 hours or less if you missed the point of the game and really hustled. It was fun and super cute. One annoying thing was having to stop what I was doing in order for the character to talk to themselves about things I already knew or could intuit from game play. If you let me just play and didn't take away my control for character to drop needless exposition this would be a 10/10. I'd love to see more games like this. Just let me lose on an island and let me take…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a buggy mess! Yes, it's beautiful but the photos get scrambled all the time and best you look at them directly after taking because you might never find them again since you can't turn all the pages. You get stuck in plants and trees and have to restart.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really excited by the game because I loved the concept and after playing Pokemon Snap, I wanted something similar. At the start of the game I was a little frustrated because cut scenes and tutorial hints kept interrupting me trying to take a photo, but I tried to ignore this. I was also quite disappointed at the graphics quality, it reminded me very much of early PS1 games and animations felt quite clunky. Textures felt quite stretched at times, and basic in a way that didn't see,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lovely, short, fun game! I had a great time with it. You run around beautiful envioronments taking pictures of cute, original creatures (and plants). It was just the relaxing experience I needed. I can highly recommend it, but be aware the game is only ~2 hours long.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a short game of about 2.5-3ish hours, fairly easy to get all the achievements in one run, but also mindful of your time and letting you hop back to a chapter once you finish the game. There's not much replay value outside of lining up different shots per your preference once finished. This game has bright, colorful visuals with a feeling of a lush and nature-filled habitat, with charming bugs and critters flitting around vibrant plants. It was a bit slow to charm me, as I think I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New game: Beasts of Maravilla Island! www.twitch.tv/kikirakiraa
neutral · AI labelView post →It's short (took me about 3 hours to 100% it) and doesn't have much depth to it, but I didn't encounter any bugs and didn't find the controls frustrating like others did. It's a cute and relaxed photographing game with very simple 'puzzles' here and there.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beasts of Maravilla Island a relaxing game that focuses on exploring with your camera. take many photos of the creatures & fauna of the island. if you love pokemon snap and wish you could explore by foot, this game is for you. store.steampowered.com/app/1378020/...
positive · AI labelView post →I'm all for relaxing game, but this game is more frustrating than relaxing. Here are some of the frustrating parts: - Invisible walls - Pictures pointed out instead of letting you find stuff organically - Confusing small area with no map - Jumping on things you don't wanna jump on every time you pass it - The same music on repeat Avoid.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Such a beautiful and relaxing game, where you just venture around and take photos of the flora and fauna on Maravilla Island. I couldn't stop taking screenshots throughout my play-through!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lovely environments with creatively designed creatures both visually and behavioural. Sometimes buggy, but nothing major; animals' AI walking a bit wonky, controls not always spot on - especially with interactable things like vines to climb on or items you can pick up. I wish it was longer :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun experience to be sure, but I was so annoyed when the game would tell me to press A and then wouldn't register that i was pressing it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this on sale and I wish I had given it a pass. It is buggy as all get-out. Marina moves so slow and tank-like. The characters clip into each other sometimes and the puzzles are clunky and obvious. The environments are nice to look at and the animals themselves are very cute. I have no trouble with playing games with lower quality graphics, but this honestly feels like bad shovelware. It's very short as well - please ignore the playtime on this, as per usual I left it running…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ahoy! It be yar local piratical reviewer. Droppin' a sweet n' short review on Beast of Mara. Split into Ayes n' Nays like usual. Ayes Mighty pretty t' look at Provides a good sense o' adventure Lots o' animals t' take photos o' Nay bugs or misbehavin' during play. Nays She be a rather short game' I was a expectin' more then 3 areas t' explore. The controls were a lil clunky at times For me achievement hunter hearties. Thar be a few missable achievements. Check on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to be able to play this :( But I encountered a game-breaking bug in the second area during the "hide and seek" portion where the screen goes black. Restarted three times and same exact spot it just goes black and can't do anything. Sad.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short Answer: A photography adventure game that's rough around the edges, but has a certain charm to it. The photography mechanics are simple and the puzzles even simpler, with vibrant landscapes and wildlife to practice your photography skills at a relaxed pace. A 2-3 hour romp through digital nature that wants to remind you how important it is to respect and protect the world around us. NOTE: Players deaf or hard of hearing might have a bit more trouble than intended with an early-game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is the game for everyone? no but It's probably great to play with your kids or when you just in the mood to chill, turn off your brain and explore for a bit because it's short, simple and colorful. I personally loved the art, the colors and the silly creatures walking around on the island. It's not a complicated game easy to get 100% achievements on, if you missed any you can go back and there is an easy chapter select once you played through the game once.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing The Headliners, I just wanted more games that make me take pictures of lil guys. I was ready to explore an island and find creatures to photograph, but in this game, you get to "explore" a single walking trail where all of the creatures just pop up in front of you. Off the main trail, there are only a couple of deadends that have incredibly simple puzzles that. I wasn't interested in playing past the first level. Maybe good for children or people who have no frame of reference…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty! But short. Very short. Worth getting on sale!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A magical journey into a world bursting with wonder! Beasts of Maravilla Island is like stepping into a dream where every corner holds a new, dazzling creature waiting to be discovered. As someone who adores animal photography games, this one felt like a love letter to curiosity and exploration. It’s creative, charming, and an absolute delight for anyone who finds joy in capturing the beauty of the world—real or imagined.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very cute, cozy game! I was pleasantly surprised by it. If you liked Pokemon Snap, you'd probably like this! Although, I will say it's a bit limited, I finished it in just under 3 hours. So if you can get it on sale, I'd recommend that but honestly still worth it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a cute little experience. I thought it would be more of a stylized jungle sim with some interesting animal designs but once you hit that second area they just blow you away with the creativity and vibe they created. I suggest just taking your time and seeing everything at your own pace. It's nothing short of magical.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There is a great game within Beasts of Maravilla Island but end results are decent at best. For starters the game is very short. You can absolutely 100% this game in a 30-45 minutes. Then you have to contend with your character occasionally forgetting how to walk up stairs or climb. It’s frustrating but there is still plenty of charm and beauty in this title. If you pine for more wildlife photography games like Alba A Wildlife Adventure or Pokémon Snap you should totally pick this up.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Marina is a girl who sets out on a journey to find Maravilla Island on the request of her grandfather for two reasons. First, to document the island and prove its mystical inhabitants exist, and second, to return something he took from Maravilla Island long, long ago. Armed with a camera and your grandfathers journal, photograph all the mysterious island natives, the beautiful biomes you find, and maybe some snapshots of that weirdly big deer that’s following you around.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is adorable. You are a photographer tasked with taking photos of the magical animals and plants on the island of Maravilla, using hints and tips left by your Grandpa. There are light puzzle elements to the game, but your main objective is to find all the flora and fauna on your checklist and take pictures of it. It's a blend of walking sim and very light puzzle game and I found it super relaxing and lovely to look at. The music is really nice too and I enjoyed the moral of the story.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute, laid back, chilled, inexpensive game - very noice
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's an ok pokemon snap like game. I somewhat enjoyed my time with it, it felt a little janky to play through especially with the strange movement and invisible walls. The game is also extremely short and I finished everything in under two hours. Not terrible, not great, I would barely recommend it and only if you are a big fan of pokemon snap or penko park and need to play something similar 4.5/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beasts of Maravilla Island is a mythical photography nature game. Snapped photos of all the animals and 100%ed achievements on the way in 2.8 hours using a game controller. Difficulty is easy. Good game for kids. This is the sort of game you take your time on to fully enjoy. If you rush through it like a game-crazed maniac, you don't have a soul. That and you wont like it as much. There are three areas to navigate, with the first being the hardest due to all the similar branchwork.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so comfy and relaxing, not to mention how visually stunning it is!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Nature, I love photography, I love video games. This was the perfect mix! A really beautiful and relaxing adventure <3 And kudos for the credits, you made them enjoyable to watch. Glad I applied myself to make pretty albums!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had a lovely time playing this fun game! I did have to restart the game about once per "chapter" to figure out whether the game was buggy or if I just hadn't completed that area. However, I did spend a lot of time going "heeheeeheeehoohoohoo" over my computer as I watched the different bugs and frogs just do their little thing <3 If you have a controller, I would suggest you use it. I used a mouse, and I had my cursor on the screen most of the time
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"scaly facial frills... and teeth?!" 💖🖤🖤 🟩 very neat world 🔷 completely linear 🔴 kind of mindless vibes: sterile magic loops: walk around very linear maps taking photos of magical animals states: finished with 100% ramblings: this is an on rails photography game, without the actual rails, the maps are pretty much just linear hallways you go through, there is no room to explore. visually and aesthetically the environment and animals are all pretty neat and fantastical.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's cute, cozy, slightly lackluster. It's really cheap and has a nice gimmick, so I believe a lot of people will have a great time with it, but it's not really my thing (I did enjoy both Pokemon Snap and Umurangi Generation, though). The FOV is too narrow and movement is clunky. Sometimes you don't know whether the game is obtuse or if you're actually doing something wrong. Despite that, it's a colorful game that can really cheer you up if you like exploring.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A bit too boring to play, has potential but doesn't quite reach them.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While it's a very simple, short (3-4h) and messy game, I cannot be too harsh on it. Clearly made on a tiny budget and with a lot of heart. The biggest flaw for me was for sure the off-putting camera and movement controls in third person view. On the flip side the creature designs and the overall look of the Maravilla Island were pretty charming and encouraged me to keep exploring. Consider getting this game, if you're looking for something simple, endearing and not-too-expensive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ts so ahhhh. the game is in nature with animals and insects so why have a loud ah default music? i just finished the game to just get it over with. 2/5
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the game is fine, had a potential to be a great game if they expanded the nature concept pros: + exploring nature. + some aesthetic nature designs. cons: - short - average gameplay
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its good but too short maybe buy on sale
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had Beasts of Maravilla Island archived on my Switch and am rediscovering it. Play as wildlife photographer who explores the island’s ecosystems to discover magical creatures, learn their behaviors, and photograph them! So surprised this game isn’t talked about more! #beastsofmaravillaisland
positive · AI labelView post →"Beasts of Maravilla Island" is a handheld (Nintendo Switch)/console game that's also been put on Steam as a bit of an afterthought, as it's very much designed for the handheld/console gaming audience. It's a family friendly third person adventure game designed for the Nintendo Switch and features basic third person adventuring as you wander around a mystical tropical island and take photos of wildlife. Fair enough, I guess, but this is one of the worst console/handheld ports I've seen in a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was looking for a game like Penko park, Toem or Alba (a photographer game). Beasts of Maravilla Island was the one I was looking for. Pros -So many plants, insects, animals in general -Graphics are really cute, nothing special but cute -You can backtrack if you can’t find something or forgot about some photos -Sound is really immersive -You can save whenever you want -The gameplay feels nice Cons -I don’t get why the two final achievements didn’t unlock -Short game, I wish it was longer
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →could've used a sprint button and a bit more polish, but has beautiful creature designs and lovely sound
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short, simple and nice to play. You can easily get all achievements and it's not grindy at all. A good game to play in a day
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I liked playing this, but it is a bit unintuitive at times, making it hard to figure out how to move to the next area. Also sometimes a perfectly good photo does not register for the behavior it shows. Like i got stuck with the camouflage behavior and only fourth of fifth photo (that said it showed the behaviour) finally registered and I could proceed. Otherwise, it is a cute, colorful game that would be very relaxing without the cutscenes that interrupt the gameplay at inconvenient times.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It does have some issues (the climbing can be awkward and I remember getting frustrated at some time wasting jank) and there is at least one puzzle that isn't Deaf friendly which is an issue for me, but overall it felt like a good proof of concept style game, with some really pretty animals and environments.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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