Game: Master Lemon: The Quest For Iceland
Genre: Adventure, Indie
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Pepita Digital
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Verified
Price: US $14.99 | UK £12.79 | EU € 14,79
Release Date: 4 November 2025
A review code was provided, thanks to Vicarious PR.
What is Master Lemon: The Quest For Iceland about?
Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland is your chance to become the kind of hero no one expects, not a sword-wielding warrior, but a language master. And, through that, a world builder. You play as Lemon, a young man passionate about discovering new words, new worlds, and more than ready for his long-awaited trip to Iceland. A once-in-a-lifetime journey… or so he thinks.
Gameplay, or the Mechanics of Meaning
Let me start by saying this: the whole game is perfectly doable on a keyboard (that’s how I played it), but if you have a controller on hand, use it. Everything feels smoother. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s focus on the inner workings of Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland.
The game opens with a cinematic that sets up Lemon’s background. But once your quest begins, things take a surprising turn. Lemon, ready to board his plane to Iceland and dive headfirst into his dream trip, is suddenly transported to another realm.
There, the world is split into islands, each with its own ecosystem. Lemon is greeted by a “Bashir”, a great master in this world, who tasks him with rescuing the Grand Tree, the very foundation of their reality. Without it, everything collapses into chaos. “But Lemon is a human”, may you object? “What can he possibly do?”.
Well, Lemon does have a remarkable power (and more than one, as you’ll discover later): his passion, his innate desire to learn new words, new languages, and to connect with others.
Every inhabitant of this realm has lost something: joy, memory, purpose. Lemon helps them by speaking specific words to them, words tied to their culture, their origins, their identity. The vocabulary you collect comes from a variety of cultures: Swahili, Māori, Sanskrit, English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and Japanese. Each discovery unlocks a codex card showing the word, its phonetic transcription, origin, meaning (and a little bonus we’ll discuss later).
There are a few “main quests” and a good number of side quests, but to me, they all felt interconnected. I recommend doing them all to really feel the depth of the narrative. The game autosaves regularly, and you still have access to manual saves. There is no timer, no hidden enemies. Just you, the words, and a sprinkle of puzzle-solving.
Honestly, it’s a lot like learning a new language at your own rhythm. Parameter-wise, it’s pretty minimal: music volume, subtitles, the basics.
There’s also a “hidden” narrative thread woven throughout the game. You catch glimpses of it here and there, and it culminates in a touching video at the end.
Lemon is, in fact, the avatar of a real friend of the developer, someone who shared Lemon’s deep love for languages and Iceland, and who sadly passed away. The entire game is a tribute to him, as Soozi Q mentioned in her demo impressions for Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland.
Art and Sound of Master Lemon: The Quest For Iceland
Visually, Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland is consistently pleasant. Each island is fun to explore, filled with small details and trinkets to gather (I highly suggest foraging every corner. Trust me on this).
The character designs clearly reflect their cultural background. You can recognize the Māori master the moment you see him, long before he speaks. As a pixel-art girly myself, the overall ambiance tugged at my heartstrings.
Sound-wise, the music is soft, with ambient variations depending on the island. But here’s what I appreciate most: there are fully voiced dialogues and key story moments. The cinematic scenes, in particular, absolutely shine. And, most importantly, you can actually hear the pronunciation of each collected word. This is a huge plus!
Languages are living things, meaning, culture, human connection… all wrapped in the physicality of sound.
So kudos for that choice. It elevates the entire experience.
Conclusion
I loved Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland. Even if some of the mechanics feel familiar, the core concept is refreshingly unique. The quests, the many philosophies behind the characters you meet, and the emotional moments. Everything enriches the journey. I even loved the ending. And for those who reach it, please come back and tell me how you felt about it. The personal story behind the game, understanding where its inspiration comes from, is simply the cherry on top. I want to wholeheartedly congratulate the team behind it. It’s a game that blends entertainment, knowledge, and emotional depth.
I think a lot, and I mean a lot, of people could enjoy it. And more importantly, finish it with something small yet meaningful left in their hearts. Isn’t that the dream? A game that stays with you?
As the wizard character, Draco, said himself, “What are games if not sorcery in code ?“A demo of the game is available on the Steam Page. Feel free to give it a try!
Final verdict: Two thumbs up! 
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