Early Access Review: Starsand Island

I haven’t traditionally been a big fan of cozy games. While I’ve enjoyed a few, like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, I usually don’t stick with them for very long. I appreciate the genre, but I haven’t found many others that really grabbed my attention.

I have to admit, I was really curious about Starsand Island. All the excitement around this new life simulation game caught my attention. I’ve already spent about 15 hours playing the early access version, and I’m still discovering new things – there’s so much to see and do!

I’m really hooked on this game and plan to keep playing. It’s so good that I don’t want to stop! If I didn’t have work and other commitments, I’d easily be past 100 hours of playtime already.

Even though it’s still in early development, this game is already quite good. Starsand Island has the potential to be a really charming and enjoyable experience. Here’s a closer look at what makes it stand out.

Life is a Vibe

Starsand Island Early Access quickly gets you started after you create your character. You’ll find yourself in a cozy cottage that you can immediately decorate and make your own. The game features charming, Studio Ghibli-inspired art and a wonderfully catchy soundtrack.

You’ve returned to the countryside after tiring of city life, and Solara – a friendly, helpful character like Isabelle from Animal Crossing – is there to greet you. While the setup is familiar and a bit of a classic trope, it still feels charming and enduring.

Once you learn the ropes, the game gives you complete freedom to do as you please. You can follow quests, tackle numerous side objectives found in the menus, meet new characters, complete tasks, explore the world, and discover tons of content. It might seem like this relaxing countryside life is just as busy as city life, but there’s one key difference.

Starsand Island offers plenty to do right away, but it’s wonderfully relaxed. Unlike many games, there are no strict deadlines – you can complete optional tasks posted on bulletin boards whenever you feel like it, or simply ignore them. I found this laid-back pace incredibly enjoyable. You’re free to take your time and focus on having fun, knowing that anything can be done tomorrow.

Lately, I’ve been stuck in a cycle of working non-stop, rushing from one project to the next. Playing Starsand Island was a good reminder to relax and enjoy myself. The game constantly reveals new things to do, with layers and layers of content – it’s like an onion! Most games with this much to offer would feel overwhelming, but Starsand makes it feel liberating and gives you a lot of freedom to explore at your own pace.

I’ve really been enjoying the relaxing pace of Starsand Island. It’s a stressful world, and sometimes you just need a game that lets you escape and recharge. This game has been incredibly soothing and revitalizing for me – it’s hard to explain the feeling until you’ve played it yourself.

Time moves at a reasonable pace in the game, unlike some others where it matches real-world time. You need to make sure your character goes to bed before 2am, or they’ll collapse from exhaustion and lose energy for the next day. However, even with this, the game is generally relaxing. Each day starts again at 6am, ready for work!

So Much Room for Activities

What can you actually do in Starsand Island? Quite a lot! The game centers around five main activities: crafting, farming, fishing, ranching, and exploring. While the game encourages you to start with crafting – as it’s useful for everything else – you’re then free to focus on whatever skills you enjoy.

Throughout town, mentors will give you tasks to help you learn different professions. As you complete these tasks, you’ll earn higher-level certifications in your chosen field. Improving your certifications unlocks better crafting recipes for powerful gear, new decorations for your home, improved rewards, and stronger relationships with the townspeople – and that’s just the beginning!

What really stands out is how surprisingly complex each job is. For example, ranching doesn’t just mean owning animals – you start by raising rabbits, building their homes, caring for them, even giving them names and building a relationship with them. You can expect this level of depth in every profession – it’s far more detailed than you’d initially think. The best part is that these systems unfold gradually, building on each other naturally, so it never feels like too much to handle.

Starsand Island features a second major area called Moonlit Forest, which functions as the game’s dungeon. This is where you’ll gather essential resources like iron, copper, and tin. Expect to find treasure chests, battle enemies, and navigate some simple platforming challenges. You’ll also encounter light puzzles, often involving guiding spirits to unlock doors or fixing bridges to progress.

Okay, so all that stuff is already like a full-time job in the game! But Starsand Island doesn’t stop there. You can actually buy lottery tickets and try your luck! I love that you can cook food, which isn’t just for fun – it gives you stamina and boosts your skills. There’s even an arcade with Tetris and Snake – I’ve been racking up rewards there! And if you just want to chill, you can go fishing or bug hunting. Plus, if you’re willing to gather resources, you can unlock fast travel points all over the map, which is a lifesaver!

Alternatively, you can jump right into building and customizing things on Starsand Island. I’m not much of a builder myself – it’s actually my least favorite part of Fortnite! – but Starsand has a really comprehensive set of tools for anyone who enjoys construction. I personally preferred to buy pre-built upgrades from a shop to improve my house quickly and easily, but you can choose to build things however you like.

Beyond all that, getting around Starsand Island is a blast – much more fun than in similar games. You have a huge variety of vehicles to choose from, including skateboards, rollerblades, motorcycles, cars, jet-skis, boats, and even some quirky options like ostriches and llamas! There are so many ways to travel that it’s hard to list them all without keeping you from actually playing the game.

Social Without the Anxiety

I’m really excited about the social side of Starsand Island! It’s packed with characters and cute critters to discover as you wander around and help out with tasks. You can build relationships with everyone – there’s an affection meter for each person and animal that goes up the more you chat, give them gifts, or just help them out. And with the animals, you can even pet and feed them using items you carry, which is so sweet!

You can befriend animals and have them become pets, or you can simply buy one. If you develop close relationships with people in the game, they might eventually move in with you. The game gives you complete freedom to choose who you want to befriend and live with – there are no forced relationships or story paths. It all depends on your personal preferences.

You’ll find a list of everyone you meet within your phone’s menu – alongside your apps and other helpful tools. This is where you can track your relationships with people, seeing how much they like you (their Affection Rank), as well as learning about their preferences and personalities. This helps you figure out who you connect with and how to build stronger relationships with them.

Don’t feel rushed! Even if a gift isn’t a perfect match, it won’t change how much someone cares about you. Because there’s no time limit and you can play at your own pace, you’re free to explore the characters and get to know them naturally. This gives you the space to figure out who you really connect with, without being pressured into anything before you’re ready.

Beyond just receiving items, the characters you interact with will also open up and share more with you as you build relationships. Many games with similar systems make it feel like you’re the only one putting in effort, but in Starsand Island, it’s refreshing that the characters genuinely seem to enjoy your company as well.

What Needs Ironed Out

I’m really loving Starsand Island so far, even though it’s still in Early Access! But I wanted to share a couple of things I’ve noticed that could use a little extra work before the full game comes out. I spotted a few typos here and there, and sometimes saw bits of developer text that hadn’t been removed yet. Also, I was playing in English, but a few NPCs would randomly start talking to me in Chinese, which was a bit confusing since I couldn’t understand what they were saying!

It’s often hard to tell with older PC games if problems are caused by my computer or the game itself, but I experienced a lot of screen tearing, lag, and objects appearing suddenly. Starsand doesn’t seem very demanding, so it probably needs further optimization to run smoothly.

The combat in Moonlit Forest is very simple, and the boss fights aren’t particularly enjoyable or engaging. While the game has a lot of character interactions and story, I haven’t found any of the narratives truly captivating yet. Most quests involve collecting items or spending a lot of time on tasks like mining, gathering materials, and crafting.

I ran into a few frustrating glitches with the button prompts. For instance, when I tried to increase my backpack space – which should be done by pressing the View button – the game kept opening my map instead. It seems the game got confused about when I was in a menu. There were also times when I had two choices, but both options incorrectly told me to press the A button to do different things. It was a bit of a mess!

Right now, the game is designed for solo players only, meaning you can’t play with friends. Later in the game, some tasks can become repetitive, possibly to encourage players to keep playing.

Despite any flaws, I’m completely captivated by Starsand Island and keep returning to its relaxing world. It’s incredibly addictive! While the game could use some polishing and optimization, it more than compensates with its variety, charm, and a gameplay loop that I’m really enjoying.

Keep in mind that this game is still in Early Access, meaning it’s constantly being improved. Even so, there’s already a lot to do and enjoy on Starsand Island, making it worth playing right now.

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2026-02-10 17:11