Hi, Beaner! Virtual Villagers, like all of our real-time games, is designed to be open-ended. Each game has clear goals, but the games can continue to go on and allow you to play as long as you like. The Island Events will continue to happen, which can dramatically change the way things are going for your villagers. A lot of people have set new challenges for themselves, such as trying to get to the end of the game without ever discovering fishing, or completing the game before any of their villagers die.
This thread contains links to several good discussions on this topic!