Starsand Island is a new anime-inspired life and farming sim game that takes cues from some of the genre’s most celebrated favorites, like My Time at Portia and Stardew Valley. Not only does Starsand Island borrow elements from those games, but it manages to stand out with a charming aesthetic and a unique progression system that hooked me in the early hours of the early access version. I want to save my long-term experience with Starsand Island for an in-depth review with the full version, but I still think there’s so much to discuss with the current version of the game in Steam Early Access.
Starsand Island begins with the player character experiencing a commute to a mundane 9-to-5 office job, setting the tune for an isekai-like plot from the start. Instead of going to work, the player character decides enough is enough and its time to go back home—the game’s titular island. A journey of personal healing begins after you personalize your character’s looks and base attire, as you meet up with your childhood friend, Solara, and revisit your home, which isn’t in the best state. Fortunately, your friend gives you what you need to get your feet off the ground, such as blueprints, basic crafting materials, and crafting tools and equipment.
Starsand Island Has a Really Solid Progression System in Steam Early Access
The game really opens up after the first 30 minutes or so, as you’ll have access to Starsand Island at large. From there, you’re tasked with getting your bearings on the island, since you haven’t been there in a long time, story wise. Starsand Town, which is right next to the player’s home, serves as the beginning hub of the game and where you can advance the Crafter skill tree with Zerine, the timed owner of the general store in town. Zerine is also one of the first companions that you can raise your affection with by completing tasks and handing in gifts. These tasks involve getting blueprints and creating goods for the quest giver or an NPC, so Starsand Island lets you network with its inhabitants in some insightful and convenient ways for progression. The affection system is really straightforward at first, but with time, you expect relationships between my character and the others to flourish, with romance around the corner.
There are multiple trades to pursue in addition to crafting, such as farming and fishing—each with a skill tree full of unlockable perks in the Workpedia menu. In general, the gameplay loop involves crafting for yourself and clients, turning in products for quests and optional requests, unlocking perks, and selling goods for profit you may need to build out your home how you see fit. Starsand Island is a lot like Animal Crossing so far, but there’s more emphasis on the various trades you wish to pursue, with each having main quests to follow. I think the progression system is quite sound and intuitive, even for a game in early access.
The early access version of Starsand Island has a lot of content, with the developers stating around 100 hours’ worth and a seasonal cycle that transforms the scenery to illustrate the passage of time. However, I can definitely see that number being higher since there’s so much to explore and craft. There’s an encyclopedia (or in this case, Islandpedia) with hundreds of discoverables and craftables to consider, and the leveling system is very rewarding. You’ll level up by completing tasks, crafting items, or just about doing anything that aids your progress in the game. With every level up, you earn useful rewards, including clothing, Starsand currency for perk upgrades, and blueprints.
The Island is Your Oyster
Life and farming sim games tend to have some limitations when it comes to interacting with the game world, whether in the form of build limits or how much of the outside world you can explore, for example. However, the presence of said limitations isn’t as prevalent in Starsand Island. You can chop down trees, forage ingredients, and collect raw materials basically anywhere—finder’s keepers. There’s a clear emphasis on player freedom and agency, too. On your plot of land, you can build anywhere on it as long as objects don’t conflict with each other, and the Build Menu itself can be pulled up at any time.
The variety of tools and gadgets you can craft in Starsand Island is impressive as well. From axes to slingshots and even skateboards and roller blades for traversal, the assortment of tools and gadgets is quite compelling and makes you interact with the world in fun ways. You can also rent or own vehicles and summon them when needed, but if you want to be more in tune with nature, you could mount a horse instead. Starsand Island is full of options to let you live the fantasy life you want, essentially.
What’s more, Starsand Island has Rune Factory and Stardew Valley-like elements when it comes to combat. Although island life is mostly peaceful, seeking the rarest items, materials, and treasures requires the player to have a respectable arsenal. This is especially true when you venture to some of the strange ruins and fog-covered areas in the Moonlit Forest. Fortunately, there are ranged weapons and special effects that you can use to make your journey safer, including bows and power-ups from consumable meals. Despite the presence of monsters and threats, there’s still a relaxed and wholesome sort of feeling that Starsand Island invokes.
Starsand Island Makes a Strong First Impression
Starsand Island is shaping up to be a strong title, and feedback at this juncture will be undoubtedly valuable. Since it’s an early access title, the developers are still hard at work on various systems, and voice recording, controller support, and the user interface are all still being refined. The overall quality of the game is really good in its current state, as I didn’t encounter any visual or technical bugs that hampered my experience on PC. In fact, my 8BitDo controller worked just fine, despite being in its Switch 2 mode. Your mileage may vary per PC, however, so it’s worth emphasizing that what you buy into now will be a work in progress.
In its Steam Early Access form, Starsand Island is quite promising as a potential breakout title from developer Seed Sparkle Lab. From my experience with the game, Starsand Island is a happy and fulfilling medium for fans of life-sim games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, and there’s so much to explore and enjoy, even for players who typically doesn’t dabble in this genre. The music is quite cozy, and the anime-like aesthetic appeals to me greatly, especially with the characters you can earn affection with.
With all that being said, I’m curious to see how Starsand Island evolves in the lead-up to its full release this summer. When Starsand Island launches, it will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam with Steam Deck support. I’ll be sure to have more fully fleshed out thoughts on the overall systems and gameplay that Starsand Island offers once the full picture is there.
Disclaimer: Seed Sparkle Lab provided a Steam key of Starsand Island for early access coverage purposes.
