Realistic 17th-century VR survival roguelike from Maru VR inspired by Robinson Crusoe, challenging shipwrecked players to craft, hunt and endure tropical hazards on SteamVR and PlayStation VR2.
Bootstrap Island is a first-person VR survival roguelike adventure developed and published by Estonian studio Maru VR. Inspired by classic castaway fiction such as Robinson Crusoe, it casts players as Daniel, a 17th-century merchant shipwrecked alone on an unforgiving tropical island where survival depends on physical interaction, observation, and trial-and-error learning rather than quest markers or hand-holding tutorials.
Systems-driven survival and roguelike progression
Every run places you ashore with shifting weather, resources, and hazards across beaches, river valleys, dense jungle, and volcanic highlands. Fire, liquids, day-night cycles, tropical storms, and wildlife react dynamically to what you do, turning everyday survival tasks into tactile VR problems.
- Hands-on crafting and weaponry: Crack coconuts with knives, tend campfires, purify supplies, build shelters, and defend yourself with bows, torches, and black-powder flintlock firearms that must be loaded and cocked by hand.
- Relentless island threats: Survive nocturnal predators, venomous plants, tropical sickness, violent weather, and tense encounters with the island's indigenous tribe.
- Roguelike unlocks and Cargo Master mode: Death resets your run while carrying forward permanent knowledge and unlocked items. Added in November 2026, the separate Cargo Master mode introduces 19 escalating supply-delivery tasks, mystical rewards such as Boots of Jumping, an Infinite Bow, and an Infinite Flintlock Pistol, plus timed global leaderboards culminating in the Golden Seashell.
Platforms, comfort and what to know before buying
After launching in Early Access in February 2024, Bootstrap Island reached its full 1.0 PC release via SteamVR on March 12, 2026, followed by its console launch on August 13, 2026.
- Console headset support: Requires Sony PlayStation VR2 and PS VR2 Sense controllers on PS5, with optional headset rumble and adaptive trigger effects.
- Play styles and comfort: Single-player only, supporting seated, standing, and room-scale play (minimum 2 m × 2 m for room-scale) with tracked motion controllers and a Moderate comfort profile.
- Pricing and editions: $24.99 USD for the standard edition on PlayStation Store (~$24.99–$27.99 USD on Steam depending on region and bundles), with an optional cosmetic Ornate Arms Collection bundle.
- Storage, languages and age rating: Requires roughly 25 GB on PC; English voice acting with interface and subtitle support across 12 languages; rated 18+ / Mature for blood and intense violence.
