The Mysterious Island” inspired by the Jules Vernes's novel.
- Many quests, easter eggs, secret paths and twists.
- Overpowered spells are not easily accessible.
- No Fly and DD.
- Best challenge in maximum difficulty (King).
Author: 32167, 13-06-2025 17:47 Like :) - The Mysterious Island Dear players, I want to share my experience from the test run of this version of the map. For me, this was already the third attempt for different factions. Most likely my review will not be suitable for those players who are playing the map for the first time.
The first time I played I simply enjoyed the map's lore, and the next two times I tried to reduce the time it took to complete it as soon as possible. The difficulty level at the start in the current version is of great importance for further gameplay.
You will only get the maximum pleasure from the playthrough and speedrun the map at the King level.
There is a small spoiler further down. The sooner you get to the red player, the more interesting it will be to play the final part. You yourself trigger the event with the release of intermediate red bosses.
But speedrun is only possible if you know the map well and have a clear strategy at the very beginning. I have a feeling that the map can be completed in 6 months. I made a mistake and lost about a month of game time in the middle third of the game...
With this approach, every day will be important and you will definitely not be bored for a minute.
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 12-06-2025 23:07 - MAJOR UPDATE 1.2 - - The Mysterious Island Three months ago, I released the result of 5 years of work:
This giant custom map for Heroes III: Horn of the Abyss, inspired by Jules Verne’s novel: "The Mysterious Island" — but with my own twist ;)
After thousands of downloads and tons of helpful feedback (thanks for that again), I’m excited to present the most polished version yet: v1.2.
There won’t be any major updates until the HoTA team releases the Bulwark faction or another major patch.
If you’ve never played my map before, now’s the perfect time to dive in with the best version to date!
And if you’ve already completed it, why not try it again with a different faction? I’ve added new content and a few surprises... including some truly epic ones ;)
-------------------
Changelog v1-2
-------------------
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD – Do not read if you haven’t played the map yet!
If you’ve finished at least one previous version, feel free to continue. Otherwise, reading may ruin the discovery.
Major Changes:
Endgame overhaul: The late-game (after taking full control of the island) has been completely redesigned with new events and improved difficulty — making the final phase as engaging as the early and mid-game.
New MAJOR event: Triggered by the player's actions (not by a fixed date). No spoilers… but get ready for a big surprise!
Volcano event replaced: The timed volcanic eruption (Red player) has been replaced by a coordinated pirate attack (Pink player), with a new date and locations. You can uncover the exact timing and places through quests. Hints are provided, but time is limited.
Red towns locked: All Red towns (except one) are now inaccessible until the final boss is defeated. You can no longer beat the boss using armies taken from old Red towns.
Inferno town "Bloodbath" is now restricted: It can only be unlocked by the Red player or by obtaining the Red Keymaster.
Spell updates:
"Slow" and "Armageddon" added to Bloodbath’s mage guild.
"Force Field" added to a shrine after Xeron.
"Blind" added to a shrine in Red territory; removed from the Nautilus. Blind is now accessible earlier on difficulties 1–4. Only difficulty 5 (Impossible/King) is more restricted.
Balancing:
Pirate (Pink) naval progression reworked: Pirates now access coastal zones in this order — Purple → Green → Teal → (much later) Orange/Blue/Brown. This helps balance the fact that Purple and Green have fewer neighbors.
Blue faction rebalanced: Previously overwhelmed by 3 fronts. Sea access to Blue territory is now harder (non-capturable sea garrison + gated coastal garrison with Blue Keymaster).
Teal can't choose Conflux (until Bulwark is released). Currently, Blue has a placeholder Conflux town. If Teal is also Conflux, there are 3 total — which is unbalanced. This restriction will be lifted once Bulwark is available.
Orange can't choose Inferno: To avoid too many Inferno towns (for both player and AI Red if Krakentooth is captured). Orange is now strictly Dungeon.
Note: You can re-enable Inferno in the map editor (Tools → Map Specifications → Player Specs → Player 5 → check "Inferno"), but it will break balance.
3 Pendants of Negativity added in different locations, including one near the Blue player — to reduce randomness in acquiring this key anti-Chain Lightning item.
Spells distribution adjusted: Mage guilds in the 3 towns per starting zone now include guaranteed key spells (Resurrection, Hypnotize, Chain Lightning) — no more RNG frustration.
"Master of Coins" heroes limited: Only one per faction now.
Minor Changes:
Kilgor (Behemoth specialist) is no longer in prison and can now be recruited or chosen. His specialty doesn’t scale with level, so he’s more of a secondary hero option.
Red Keymaster logic changed: Same access for the human player, but different for the Red AI (see Major Changes).
Red hero recruitment limited: Red can only recruit a few specific, boosted heroes (XP and skills). These are reserved for Red only — other players cannot hire them.
Hint added for Red Tent location.
A Scholar granting "Logistics" is now available at game start for players 2–6.
Scouting heroes (to be freed early) now start with Pathfinding and Equestrian’s Gloves.
Witch Huts with Pathfinding added in all 6 starting zones, often near the early scout hero.
Impossible difficulty: Final boss gets more creatures starting from month 11.
Northern underground university added with all 4 magic schools (matching the southern one) in preparation for replacing Blue’s Conflux with Bulwark later.
New lore texts and clues added.
All timed texts revised for consistency and clarity.
Minor bug fixes.
Mini history of the map added at the end of the game.
New "Hall of Fame" section at game end — shows best known scores.
Fewer dragons on the 6 paths to Captain Nemo.
Well-guarded, non-capturable sea garrisons added to all 6 sea access points.
Faction artifact quest line: Each of the 3 rescueable heroes per faction holds a piece of a powerful combined artifact — assembling it grants a bonus.
Each rescueable hero (Scout, Master of Coin, Expert Eagle Eye) can complete a unique quest with special rewards.
Angel Feather Arrow quests reduced to 2 (one north, one south, both underground).
Primary skill spots added at sea — making sea exploration more rewarding. Final boss boosted accordingly.
Creature requirements updated for quests rewarding the Vial of Lifeblood.
Author: Eira (Sweden), 10-06-2025 11:40 Meticulously crafted masterpiece - The Mysterious Island Just wow. I have downloaded a lot of maps from this site. Lots of them. I rarely leave a comment, but this time I really felt the urge to do so.
It's incredibly well-made. Even some of the best maps I've played I've stumbled upon a mistake somewhere, such as a dwelling not being accessible or a shipyard that spawns the boat in the wrong place. Not this map. It just keeps giving! As someone else commented, when you think you have discovered just about everything - there's more. It's amazing.
For anyone who hasn't played this map - trust the author on this one! The messages and the quests are critical for success. Or you just won't know where to go.
Thank you so much for this comment - The Mysterious Island
Hi Eira,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind comment — it really means a lot to me!
I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed the map this much. :)
And the adventure isn’t over yet! If you ever feel like replaying it with a different faction, I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a big update (mostly improving the late-game fight against the red player — but not only that). It should be published sometime next week (between June 16th and 21st).
Out of curiosity — which difficulty and faction did you play this time?
Thanks again for your feedback, and happy adventuring!
Papyjama
Eira (Sweden) writes:
13-06-2025 16:52
Some thoughts and observations - The Mysterious Island
I actually *finished* the map playing as Cove on Rook difficulty. I often purposefully pick a lower difficulty because I really enjoy exploring, so I am not going to comment on the difficulty of the map.
However, my main observation was that Tower (blue) feels disadvantaged, especially compared to Green. Both are located in terrain where movement is heavily penalised, but Cove has easy access to a Witch Hut with Pathfinding whereas Tower doesn't. Tower heroes are also fairly unlikely to get Pathfinding as a skill when leveling up. Moving so slowly in the beginning is a pretty big disadvantage if you ask me. Another factor is that blue gets attacked *all the time*. Especially the northern town. It's definitely harder in every way to play Tower if you ask me! (Maybe I've missed something and that was the point?)
You're right blue is the most difficult - The Mysterious Island
Thanks for your feedback — it's actually really interesting to hear from someone who didn’t play on "Impossible" difficulty for once!
You’re absolutely right about the disadvantage of the Blue player. In fact, someone who completed the map with all six factions on Impossible (yes, really!) made the same observation.
In the big update I released last night (v1.2), I introduced a lot of improvements, including a Pathfinding Hut for everyone and a rebalancing to reduce Blue’s disadvantage.
Blue is still the hardest faction to play in the new version, but the gap has been reduced compared to the version you played :)
Author: Kleidson Abreu (São Paulo, Brazil), 31-05-2025 16:48 Amazing! - The Mysterious Island Simply incredible!
It could easily become a campaign.
The map is full of discoveries and challenges.
The map is adapted to the game's difficulty control, so when I played on a lower difficulty I couldn't explore everything the map has to offer, however, on the highest difficulty the experience is incredible, although very difficult, so you may have to reload your save a few times.
Thank you so much for this comment — it really means a lot to me!
I'm thrilled you enjoyed the adventure :)
You're absolutely right — the challenge is much more engaging on the highest difficulty (and it will be even more so after the next update, which should be out in 1 to 2 weeks).
It’s not the first time someone has suggested turning it into a campaign — I’ll definitely keep that idea in mind ;)
For now, I’m focusing on the final major update for this map (as mentioned earlier). After that, I already have a few ideas for another, smaller map... Stay tuned!
Author: BakaWoody (Germany), 31-05-2025 10:08 Damn, that was a blast - The Mysterious Island Just finished the map with my Brother and we have to say. Brilliant.
So much funand we needed to communicate towards the end so clear as fast as possible.
Thank you in advance and we are looking now regulary if there is a new map from you.
i found this map via the Homm3 subreddit.
Thanks for your feedback ! - The Mysterious Island
Hi there!
Thanks a lot for the comment — I’m really glad you both enjoyed the adventure!
I hope one day I’ll also be able to play it in co-op with my child when they’re older ;)
Did you play the cooperative version?
I’m curious, because if that’s the case, it would be the very first feedback I’ve received on the co-op version — I’ve never actually tested it myself.
Do you happen to have the link to the HoMM3 subreddit thread where you found the map?
Thanks again!
Before I dive into creating a new map, I’ll be finishing up improvements on this one.
The next major update (probably the last big one) will be released within 1 to 2 weeks — it’s currently being tested by experienced players.
See you soon!
BakaWoody (Germany) writes:
01-06-2025 15:42
Co-op - The Mysterious Island
Yeah, we played the allied version. I started as purple and my brother as Blue.
We had no issues to play. At first simultanious and when it came to the end we had to trade a bit and played oldschool turn by turn.
Author: Feshio (Poland), 25-05-2025 21:12 Like god damn it - The Mysterious Island I had a pleasure to play it on hardest difficulty. Man, what an adventure. Amazing map with a lot of twists. I got cut out of life for a week, just to succumb to this addictive masterpiece
Author: Jeff (United States), 22-05-2025 21:28 Like What a map! - The Mysterious Island I had a blast!! Played Inferno (orange).
I kept thinking I had the map beaten. First when I was about to take the main island finally getting all the colored keymaster tents, and then realized I had to get rid of pink. Track him down on the ocean, get through the gates, and take all his towns that I can when I realize red is a significant end game threat.
Then I spent several months taking the red castles I could and preparing to assault that heavily fortified necro town. Once that fell, finally beat it (with a little clean up)! Took just over 18 months.
It's extremely well made. Thankfully red never got their hands on any of the colored tents, so they were always pretty bottle-necked.
I thought the way you did the central hub was perfect, with multiple ways leading there but only able to use your own way out until you started collecting keymaster tents. With that much access, not having town portal wasn't that big a deal and it made traveling a little more fun.
I enjoyed the GoT and VLDL references scattered about. Somehow, early on, my Deemer (ended up being my main hero) got the scholar skill (I think through a scholar?) - and that made things easier as well. I never did the eagle-eye specialist to steal Berserk/Armageddon, just pushing through without them but they admittedly would have helped.
Thanks for rating and feedback ! - The Mysterious Island
Hi Jeff!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the adventure and the event sequencing :)
You're very welcome for the map — and it's not over yet! I'm working on a big update with improvements and new surprises, but shhh, no spoilers ;)
I'm happy to hear that my Teleporter system offered a fun alternative to Town Portal, at least until you finally discover that spell.
You were smart to enjoy Inferno while you could, because in the next version it won’t be a playable faction anymore — for balance reasons ;)
Indeed, Inferno has more towns than the others, especially thanks to the ones you can capture from the red player.
I hope someday you’ll have the courage to try out the future version ;)
Thanks again for your comment!
Papyjama
Author: Sulim81 (Poland), 09-05-2025 11:56 Feedback - The Mysterious Island I am aware of positioning of factions and difference in difficulty of each of them. It is not an issue in your map. As I have already written, first part - fighting on domination over the island is great for me. Second part - defeating pink and red is dissapointing, having in mind I have already spent many hours for conquering whole island, have access to huge resources and many towns. 9th month invasion with hints for running away and consolidate armies brought some smile on my face,cause I was able to beat these invaders with secondary hero with just part of my army . Red and pink need huge buff, not just some buff in my opinion, in order to keep the level of challenge till the end of map.
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 08-05-2025 23:27 Thanks for the quick feedback! - The Mysterious Island From all the feedback I've received, the Purple player (Castle/Rampart) seems to be the easiest faction to play, and Blue (Tower/Future Bulwark) the hardest, since it's surrounded by enemies.
I'll see what I can do to rebalance that.
Thanks for confirming the need to boost the red and pink AIs - I’ll work on them to make the experience truly epic!
Author: Sulim81 (Poland), 08-05-2025 23:19 Feedback - The Mysterious Island Hi, I played castle faction, so guess it was purple. Yes, definatelly AI should be buffed - red for sure, pink - also, so they become real threat not some tickling. In case of buffing pink I would only delay its access to island, to not overwhelm in the beginning. Map has potential to be epic, thanks to its complexity, but currently only first part is working - which takes place in all autogenerated maps anyway.
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 08-05-2025 22:54 Tanks for your personal story and feedback - The Mysterious Island Hi Sulim81,
Thank you so much for your message and feedback.
It’s very touching that The Mysterious Island was your first book — it had a strong impact on me too.
I completely understand your thoughts — the "endgame" isn’t necessarily on par with the beginning and middle of the game.
This week, I managed to implement something for the next version that will hopefully address that.
I found a way to trigger an event (I won’t say what, to avoid spoilers) based on a player’s action, rather than just a fixed date in the game timeline.
It completely changes the dynamic of the late game, once the island is conquered and the assault on the red territory begins.
The upcoming version is currently in the testing phase, as balancing is quite tricky: too easy and it gets boring, too hard and players drop off.
I assume you played on the hardest difficulty.
Could you tell me which faction you chose?
Do you think the AIs should be buffed even more?
Thanks again for your comment!
Author: Sulim81 (Poland), 08-05-2025 22:05 Mysterious Island - The Mysterious Island When I was a kid (around 8), it was late communism time in Poland and my uncle recommended me to read Julius Verne's book - Mysterious island. I think it was first book I read in my life and still remember this thrill. It was like looking through the window to totally different world. This is why I just HAD TO play this map. What can I say? It is just too easy for me, there is no thrill at all. World is very nice, many quests, hidden places, everything seems fine, but something is missing here. The only fight, which made me think "This is it, action is finally starting" was Night King, unfortunatelly first and lasttime. First part, fighting for domination on island is quite challenging, but then, nothing left. When you rule the island, game is practically over, even though there are still two factions to fight with. I think this is biggest dissapointment and something worth considering - how to match two halves of an apple better.
Can you send me save file at month 9 or 10? - The Mysterious Island
Okay, thanks for the clarification :)
In order to better adjust the major boost for the pink and red factions, would it be possible for you to send me a save file by email from around month 9 or 10, and maybe another one just before finishing the game?
My email: francois.papyjama[at]gmail.com
This would help me a lot in assessing how much I need to boost the red and pink AI.
Thanks in advance!
Sulim81 (Poland) writes:
09-05-2025 15:00
:) - The Mysterious Island
Sorry, deleted all old saves, cause I started a new game with blue faction.
No worries, it's all good! - The Mysterious Island
Good luck with the blue faction!
If you can, please keep some save files — ideally before battles if possible — at key moments: 1. when the first eruption happens, 2. when the red player gains access to Bloodbath (end of 13th month), and 3. finally just before taking the first portal (in the water) to go attack the red player.
f the Teal player is Necro, no problem — they will have 2 Conflux towns.
But if the Teal player is Conflux, then it's not balanced, as you’ll end up with 3 Conflux towns when you're only supposed to have 2.
In fact, the "Falls River" Conflux town in the snow is meant to be a Bulwark — a faction that hasn’t been released yet.
So, if Teal is Conflux in your game, to avoid it being considered “cheating,” make sure not to recruit armies from more than 2 Conflux towns.
In the next version, the Teal player will no longer be able to choose “Conflux” as a faction (until Bulwark is released).
Just a heads-up — after hundreds of hours of improvements and testing by around ten experienced players, the new version of the map is now live ;)
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 07-05-2025 21:18 Thanks for your feedback and suggestions ! - The Mysterious Island Hi Exodus,
A huge thank you for your detailed feedback and suggestions!
I'm really glad you enjoyed my map—so much so that you're considering replaying it.
I have a proposal for you: would you be interested in testing the upcoming version currently in development?
If so, I can send it to you by email (along with the detailed patch notes). Just keep in mind that the new version hasn't yet been tested in a full playthrough.
In this upcoming version, there will be an event triggered not by a fixed date, but by the player's actions (I won’t spoil anything more).
Regarding your comments:
Are the player-colored gates you found frustrating the ones blocking level 7 recruiters that aren't from your faction? Or others? Could you please clarify which ones you meant? Thanks!
As for the ocean design, I'm gradually adding more details to it. Since it’s such a large task, I haven’t made it a top priority, but it’s progressing with each update.
If you remember any hint messages that broke immersion a bit, I’d really appreciate your feedback. Striking the right balance between helpful hints and overly explicit guidance isn’t easy.
Anyway, thank you so much again!
Author: Exodus, 07-05-2025 19:34 Outstanding Map - The Mysterious Island I just completed my first blind play-through of this map (1.1d, playing purple) in 13 months. I have played most of the Hota Giant maps out there, and this one stands out. I never replay giant maps, but I am considering replaying this one right now. My overall thoughts:
1. Town portal access is very late. Normally, I hate this on Giant maps, but on this map, I 100% agree with this design choice. Players must carefully consider how to plan routes and navigate the map and monolith/portal systems.
2. The map is quite loyal to the original novel and rich in thematically on-point details. Combined with point 1, the map becomes an immersive and exploratory experience. My favorite is the north-west section underground. It really felt like I was exploring the ocean floor in a submarine. I also like how the island becoming overrun by lava from the eruption is represented by hell forces.
3. The hint messages were very clear and helpful, but occasionally too detailed and immersion-breaking, especially towards the end of the game.
Suggestion:
1. The ocean is a bit empty and can use some interesting events and quests.
2. Getting gate-kept by player flag colors at quest gates is demoralizing. Maybe consider putting alternative entries that require a considerable cost, like 1000+ resources.
Exodus writes:
08-05-2025 05:29
Follow-up - The Mysterious Island
Hi Papyjama, thanks a lot for your proposal to have me test the in-development version. I'll pass on the testing, but when a new version comes out, I will replay it.
About the player-colored gates: Yes, I was referring to both the one blocking lvl 7 camps on the island and the ones on the Nautilus.
Here's an example of the type of hint message I mentioned:
"For example, in the underground beneath the city "Granit House" {Dungeon}, we can combine demons and gorgons to get lots of {Minotaurs} (who will always have positive morale)."
Thanks for clarification and details - The Mysterious Island
Hi Exodus,
No worries about skipping the testing — I understand your preference to replay on a finalized version ;)
Thanks for the example of overly specific hints. I might split some of them into two parts: one part that appears in all difficulties, and a second, more specific part that only shows up in difficulties 1 to 3 (easy).
Regarding the player-colored Gates, I agree it can be frustrating, but I don’t want to change it entirely for two reasons:
1. It would break the balance against the red boss if the player had access to all level 7 recruiters from all factions. The player's army would end up being made entirely of level 7 stacks, which isn’t what I want.
2. I want the player to stay loyal to the faction they chose at the start.
For example, if they chose Fortress (green player), their main level 7 creature stack should be Hydras, not Angels. If they want their main level 7 stack to be Angels, then they need to play Castle (purple player).
That said, I might revisit your idea by creating “backdoors” for each Nautilus “chamber,” but as you suggested (thanks!), they will have a VERY high cost to discourage use.
Difficulty and score/days ? - The Mysterious Island
Hi again Exodus,
Just out of curiosity: what difficulty did you play on?
And what was your final score and number of days?
Thanks! :)
Exodus writes:
11-05-2025 06:27
Difficulty and score - The Mysterious Island
Difficulty was King. The score was 360, days took is 370 (I deliberately waited for the 14th month armageddon gate to see if I could get the gear behind, but was gated by flag color.)
Thank you!
Indeed, the area to trigger the apocalypse is reserved for the red player only. I’ll add some notes to prevent other players from waiting for nothing.
Thanks again for the feedback!
Author: Pg (Toronto), 06-05-2025 17:02 A very beautiful map! - The Mysterious Island I loved playing the old version of this map.
It was complicated and engaging and congratulations to the author!
Thanks for your review and congratulations - The Mysterious Island
Thank you very much, and congratulations to you for completing the first version of the map, which was really not easy - especially due to the lack of clues about where to go.
The new version (1.1.d or later) is much smoother to play ;)
So well done!
Author: rusi (wawa), 05-05-2025 12:42 Like Positively amazing! - The Mysterious Island Dear Francois!
Dear Heroes and Monsters!
Dear all!
Have just finished the map on Month 21 week 4 day 4.
Great! Feel sorry to part with this map, too, as I had loads of fun!
my strrategy was waiting and cummulating the army. So I didn't send Nemo on a suicidal mission. I did it with my main hero: berserk and resurrection.
Issues: enemies don't open doors they are supposed t open and don't collect the resources. Balloon is FUN!!!!
Thanks for feedback and rating - The Mysterious Island
Thank you, Rusi, for your feedback!
I'm really glad you enjoyed my map!
Regarding the fact that the AI doesn't open the gates to collect resources and/or creatures - that actually depends on the game's difficulty setting, but even on the highest difficulty, the AI is sometimes not very smart... Fortunately, I compensated for that by providing it with resources and creatures through other (invisible) means (in highest difficulties only).
Author: Monthly Python (Serbia), 05-05-2025 11:40 Like The gift that keeps on giving - The Mysterious Island I've went into this map blind, hoping to make giant armies and clash them against other enemies.
Getting used to no TP, FLY or DD felt very refreshing.
At the time of writing this review, I have played 4 different versions of this map with every faction.
Versions that let you start with slow and versions that make it available only in shrines later on.
Versions with easier access to bloodbath and versions where eagle eye isn't as important.
CHOOSING YOUR DIFFICULTY
Assuming you are playing on the highest difficulty, several factions are harder to work with than others.
ORANGE & PURPLE - Easy to defend, progression naturally tied to exploration. Recommended for first time players.
GREEN & WHITE - Few paths you need to defend but still able to hold down a defensive position.
TEAL - You start pincered between 3 enemy factions on the island. Trying to get anywhere is challenging.
BLUE - This is the faction I decided to leave for my final playthrough, seeing their positioning on the map, the multiple routes that need to defend it, enemies from all sides, I don't recommend this for your first time playing this map.
And by first time playing this map, I mean this map has wonderful replayability. My first attempt took me just over 18 months, my fastest time was just under 10 months and 2 weeks. Understanding the ins and outs, secret passages, and how to maneuver really makes it a joy to play over and over again.
The tent system rewards exploration with map movement and a stacked creature dwelling when you get back home!
I thoroughly enjoyed the movement limitation on this map, and it would not work as well with Fly or DD.
Saying navigation is a useful skill is not something you hear often. Digging holes along the coast to defend from enemy boats? Never done that in my life before this map.
Tons of wonderful memories and clutch moments!
Highly recommend.
P.S Pick a scaling hero, and don't stick to just 1!
Thanks for rating and summary of your many adventures! - The Mysterious Island
Thank you so much, Monthly Python, for the rating and for sharing this summary of all your adventures on my map!
It will definitely help other players, and it really helps me too!
I'm truly happy that you enjoyed my map so much that you played it multiple times.
Congratulations on your persistence, and thanks again :)
Author: 32167, 03-05-2025 21:26 Like amazing map - The Mysterious Island Finished playthrough! I felt a little sad parting with such amazing map.
I have a few ideas on how to improve it a little. I'll try to write about it tomorrow.
Thank you for giving me a few days of exciting travel!!!
Thanks a lot for your message — glad to hear you’re missing my map! I’ve just updated it (and there are quite a few improvements) ;)
Author: Azraelf, 03-05-2025 08:15 Like Amazing adventure - The Mysterious Island Love the adventure and the pacing the map provides. Had several playthroughs on it and still discovering new things. The map maker made a great effort to craft a really great experience. Highly recommend it.
Thanks for review & TP spell adept - The Mysterious Island
Thanks for your feedback!
Indeed, I'm not a fan of the "Town Portal" spell at all — I find it way too powerful. That’s why I implemented a new Teleporter system (version 1.1.d or higher), which helps with moving around the map, but without being as overpowered as TP.
Author: Andrey, 02-05-2025 17:09 Like Good map, thanks to the author. - The Mysterious Island Finally finished. Good map, had some issues with portals. Probably the single concern - TP too difficult to find and probably too late. And may be too many useless quests. But overall the map is good.
Thanks for the Feedback :) - The Mysterious Island
Thank you for the feedback, Andrey!
Could you let me know which version of the map you played?
I recently released a major update (v1.1.d on April 27, 2025) based on the first round of feedback, particularly regarding the teleporters being too complicated and the ending too difficult to find in the initial version of the map (March 27, 2025).
It’s true that not all quests are useful — many are meant to "convert" units into other types, for example, and are only relevant for one specific faction, not all six at once.
I'm glad you enjoyed my map and that you took the time to share your feedback!
Andrey writes:
03-05-2025 13:24
Map version - The Mysterious Island
According to map description it was the old 1.0.L (I downloaded it earlier, but finished only recently).
Map version - new teleporters system - The Mysterious Island
Thank you for your reply!
Indeed, the issues encountered with the various teleporters have been improved in the latest update, which you haven’t had a chance to play yet.
As for Town Portal, I’m really not a big fan of that spell — the new Teleporter system was specifically designed to offer an alternative to it, but without being overpowered ;-)
Andrey writes:
03-05-2025 20:36
Portals - The Mysterious Island
I agree that a great work with portals was made and during game I did noticed that even one-way portals are pretty useful.
And I agree that TP is too powerful. But for me map without TP at all - is not my map)
Author: xy (cro), 02-05-2025 01:22 Terrible - The Mysterious Island Total shit, so many portals, so many mistakes on the map.
Thank you so much for this really constructive feedback, the list of "mistakes" is truly very helpful!
I'm glad you took the time to leave this comment, which completely aligns with all the other feedback I've received over the past month...
Have a great day!
Author: Lys (Toulouse, France), 29-04-2025 19:06 Awesome - The Mysterious Island How to say... Probably the best map I ever played : well constructed, tons of quests, and huge amount of Easter eggs ;-)
A must to be played, and again
Thanks for your rating and feedback - The Mysterious Island
Thank you so much, Lys!
I'm glad you enjoyed this adventure and its secrets :)
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 27-04-2025 21:42 hotfix v1.1.d - The Mysterious Island v1.1.d
Hotfix for an oversight that allowed Fafner to have a secondary skill that shouldn't have been available.
Thanks to "32167" user :)
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 27-04-2025 16:14 Thanks so much for catching that mistake! - The Mysterious Island Hi!
Hi!
I'm so glad you're enjoying my map! Thank you so much for letting me know about that mistake - I've sent a corrected version (v1.1.d) to fix it.
Enjoy your adventure on my map! :)
Author: 32167, 27-04-2025 15:45 Like :) - The Mysterious Island I started playing the new version of the map. So far I like everything very much. The only moment - I found Fafner in the tavern.
Thanks for your feedback and future ideas - The Mysterious Island
Thank you so much for the feedback!
I'm really glad you enjoyed the adventure :)
I’m looking forward to reading your ideas on how to improve it a bit ;)
It was a pleasure taking you on this journey—see you soon!
32167 writes:
04-05-2025 22:49
:) - The Mysterious Island
Once again, thank you very much for the map.
I played for the titans, on the highest difficulty. This is probably the most difficult location to play. Enemies start attacking from three sides pretty quickly. I had to change the starting main character from armor specialty to logistics and dig the shoreline!. There were never enough resources, I was able to open my teleports only in the fourth month.
The AI developed faster and surpassed me in army and primary skills. It was even more interesting to play with the limitations on magic. The turning point came in the middle of the fifth month.
From the sixth to the eighth month I was clearing the territory of the island, there was a lot of running around. By the middle of the ninth month he came to the Night King and took TP. I got a beating from him and went away to think about what to do with him. The fire riders who came out at the beginning of the tenth month were no longer dangerous, I dealt with them on the day of their release.
I returned to the Night King in the middle of the tenth month (the beginning of the battle on the screen). It was a fantastic battle, I spent half a day replaying it using different tactics! A brilliantly designed final boss! However, if you come to him in two or three months, he will already be easily passable.
This leads to my suggestions:
- change the release time of the fire riders
- release one at the beginning of the sixth month (clearing the map in the period of 6-8 months will cease to be monotonous, a spark will appear)
- the second one will be released at the beginning of the eighth month, but it will already be significantly strengthened
- make the third one more powerful than the Night King and release it at the beginning of the 12th month. To encourage the player to fight the Night King early. And, of course, warn about it.
And light up the final location with the Eye of the Mage. So that the player doesn't have to struggle with searching at the moment when the game is essentially already won.
The map goes into my golden collection!
Thanks for feedback and ideas! - The Mysterious Island
Thank you very much for this detailed feedback and your suggestions!
I’m actually working on the next update at the moment (less substantial than the last one).
Regarding the blue faction, it’s indeed the hardest one since it can potentially be attacked from three different sides. I need to think about how to better balance this compared to the others. I have a few ideas: give them more resources (Tower is expensive, though I’m curious to see how the upcoming Bulwark alternative will perform...), and/or make their sea access unreachable (because by sea, there's a backdoor allowing direct access to the main town, bypassing the secondary ones).
I'm impressed by how fast you managed to clear the map — in all my test runs I never reached that speed (I wouldn’t say I’m a very strong player).
Regarding your suggestion to change the timing of the Fire Riders, I totally understand the logic. However, I see two main concerns:
The first is that not everyone plays at the same pace (even on maximum difficulty), so what fits your timing might not work for others. Your “turning point” was in the middle of month 5, but for others (including myself), it might be in month 7 or even 9. If a Fire Rider appears while the player is still struggling against the “standard” enemy factions, it could be a fatal blow.
The second issue concerns staggering the Riders’ appearances: this could cause a big imbalance, especially between the southernmost and northernmost spawn points. If the player hasn’t finished clearing the island and a Rider spawns nearby, it’ll be very different than if it spawns far away. Having all 3 appear simultaneously (especially when the island isn’t fully cleared) helps ensure an “equal” threat.
That being said, I completely understand your idea to better pace the Rider spawns and keep the pressure on.
And actually… last night I came up with a devious idea: what if another eruption (at all 3 locations) is triggered when the player enters the red portal near the Nautilus?
I’m still developing this so I’m not sure it will work, but here’s the concept:
On one shore, a red hero is blocked but has Boots of Levitation (to walk over water).
On the opposite shore: the terrain is riddled with holes (so human players can’t land), but the red hero can cross the river thanks to the boots.
The red hero is prevented from crossing by black guards… until the human player removes them in order to pass — and that will allow the red hero to move, pick up the red key (unlocking unlimited access to all 3 spawn points for the red player), and then go on to free 2 other heroes.
Each of these 3 heroes will only be able to access one specific spawn location (thanks to a quest gate tied to their name), causing all 3 appearances.
I really hope it works — this way, the new Fire Rider threat and access to those locations won’t be time-based anymore, but instead tied to the player’s decision to invade the red territory... Muhahahaha!
Finally, about the Night King — he’s really hard to balance. His army grows in a very linear fashion, and I could easily scale it up at key points. But again, those key moments vary depending on how experienced the player is. And testing it is very complicated, because it requires a very long game.
Maybe I could boost his troop generation starting from month 11 — what do you think?
32167 writes:
05-05-2025 11:21
:) - The Mysterious Island
Your idea of a red hero with levitation boots would be much more interesting. But it would be better to significantly strengthen the Fire Riders. And another tricky spot is protecting the red hero with boots from the stupid behavior of the AI at low difficulty levels. The AI attacks everything that moves without assessing the enemy's strength and, thus, can kill itself against a human player without having time to visit the tent.
I also really like the idea of increasing the population of the Night King's city from month 11.
If you need to test a new version, just send it to me by email!
Thanks for testing proposal - The Mysterious Island
Thank you for the feedback, I'm really glad you like my idea!
And I have excellent news: I tested it last night, and the red hero system with the levitation boots works! He successfully crosses the river once the human player removes the black guards in the water.
I set up a system where he must give up the boots in order to continue, so after crossing and passing the garrison that requires the boots, he won’t be able to go back.
The only issue, as you pointed out, is if a player intentionally leaves a boat near the shore and the red hero suicides by attacking it instead of moving forward.
I’ll also run tests on "easy" difficulty to see how the AI behaves : thank you so much for thinking of that detail!
It would be amazing if you could test the new version!
A huge thank you for the offer! This is really what holds me back the most: lack of time to test.
I’ll send you an email right now to make sure it doesn’t land in your spam folder.
Author: Papyjama (Toulouse, France), 27-04-2025 11:41 MAJOR UPDATE v1.1.c - The Mysterious Island 27 April 2025
New MAJOR Update (v1.1.c) is here!
Thanks to all your feedback and suggestions, the adventure just got even bigger, better, and smoother!
Here’s what’s waiting for you in the latest version:
Major Changes:
--------------
Revamped teleporter system:
Now fully two-way between the 3 cities of each zone! But it's not free, you will see...
Bloodbath access reworked:
One-way portal chain from Mansions -> Bloodbath -> Starting zones, for a smoother late-game flow.
Final boss access redesigned:
Less tedious walking and a new, improved riddle!
Higher difficulty = better challenge:
On "Queen" and "King" difficulties, spells like Slow, Blind, Force Field, Berserk, and Clone are harder to find.
Lower difficulties remain more accessible to casual players.
New rescue missions:
3 hero rescues sprinkled throughout the adventure: early, mid, and late game!
New boat shortcuts:
Find fast routes during the Grail quest - no more tedious backtracking!
Secret passages:
Tons of new hidden paths unlocked after getting the Black Key... Explorers will be rewarded!
Story-driven events:
More lore, more clues — you’ll always know where you should head next!
Minor Improvements:
------------------
Updated map description:
Clearer info: no time limit, standard victory conditions.
New decorations and sea details:
More immersive worldbuilding! To be continued...
Simplified underground tunnels:
Shorter routes, fewer fake paths that waste your time.
Movement boost at the start:
All heroes now start on equal footing regarding distance to their first town.
Favorable Winds:
Aircrafts and ships can find special spots on the sea to fully restore movement points!
Hidden Easter Eggs and references:
A lot more secrets for the curious players out there.
Thank You Section:
At the end of your journey, a tribute to all players, streamers, feedback-givers, and mapmakers who made this possible!
Thank you again for your incredible support - and get ready for an even greater adventure!
Good luck, and may your heroes become legends!
Author: Irene and Vasily (Moscow), 11-04-2025 09:41 Like The Mysterious Island - The Mysterious Island Шикарная, сложная карта. Спасибо!
Извините за орфографию, я использовал Google Translate.
Author: Andrey, 08-04-2025 07:45 Like Town Portal - The Mysterious Island How to get to "town portal"-shrine? I cannot find a way to it even with map viewer. I need to reach pink portal but I do not see a way to do it.
Access to the two way pink portal in v1.0.L - The Mysterious Island
In the version of the map you're playing (v1.0.L), The red portal just above the town of "Rognaras" gives a clue about the location of the access to the pink portal.
Is that okay with you?
If not i can tell your where it is.
Note for other players who might read this comment later: in the upcoming update (1.0.M or more), this part will be greatly simplified.
Andrey writes:
08-04-2025 18:00
Access to the two way pink portal in v1.0.L - The Mysterious Island
Thanks, if I understand correctly, your hint points to the purple 2-way portal, doesn't it?
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