Starsand Island Allegedly Hit by ‘Overpraise’ Attack on Steam

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Developers often deal with unfair negative reviews on Steam, but the creators of Starsand Island are experiencing something different: an influx of what they believe are fake positive reviews. Starsand Island was a highly anticipated cozy life simulation game set to release in 2026, and it was expected to receive both good reviews and strong sales due to its dedicated fanbase.

People quickly noticed something strange about the reviews for Starsand Island on Steam. Some positive reviews came from players who hadn’t spent much time with the game—less than 10 minutes—and others appeared right when the game launched. Fans and social media users pointed out these odd activities, with some accusing the developer, Seed Sparkle Lab, of manipulating the reviews. However, the studio’s response suggested a much more interesting explanation was coming.

Starsand Island Claims to Be Under ‘Reverse Review Bombing’ Attack

Seed Sparkle Lab, the developers of the game, recently asked players to stop leaving excessively positive reviews on their Discord server. They initially thought the enthusiastic feedback meant the game was being well-received, but they’ve noticed some suspicious patterns. Many glowing reviews came from accounts that played the game for only a short time and then requested refunds. The studio suspects someone is intentionally boosting the game with fake positive reviews and has asked them to stop, so the team can focus on improving the game.

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Some people are finding it difficult to believe claims of fake reviews, especially considering how they’re often made. Typically, individuals or automated programs are paid to purchase a game, play it briefly, and then submit a review. Essentially, Seed Sparkle Lab is implying that someone might be paying to artificially inflate the positive reviews for their Early-Access cozy life simulation game. This leads to the question of why anyone would attempt to harm a game’s reputation or development by flooding it with overly positive reviews – a tactic some Steam users call ‘review padding’.

YouTuber Josh (@JoshGamingGarden) found some potentially suspicious activity related to the game Starsand Island and its reviews. He noticed multiple Steam accounts showing very similar patterns of use – they all quickly left positive reviews after playing the game for only a short time, suggesting the reviews might not be genuine.

Many Fans Say the Game Doesn’t Need Fake ‘Overpraise’ Campaigns

Image via Seed Sparkle Lab

Many Reddit users believe Starsand Island is a fun and promising cozy game that can succeed on its own merits, even with its current bugs and gameplay problems. They feel the game doesn’t need fake positive reviews to sell well and is capable of thriving independently.

According to SteamDB, Starsand Island has recently attracted over 10,000 players at the same time, which is a strong showing for an independent game on Steam. Because it’s also available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the actual number of players is likely even higher. Plus, the game has received “Very Positive” reviews on Steam, with 91% of over 1,700 players reporting a positive experience. Despite a few potentially unreliable reviews, most players seem to be enjoying Starsand Island and recommending it to others who like this type of game.

The developers of Starsand Island haven’t announced a specific release date for the full version, but they’re currently targeting a Summer 2026 launch on all platforms.

The game is showing encouraging sales figures even while still in early development. Gamalytic estimates around 20,000 copies have been sold, bringing in approximately $553,000. These numbers aren’t exact, but they indicate a successful start for the Early Access version. It remains to be seen if the player community will continue to expand, or if potential buyers will hold off until the full game is released.

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2026-02-12 21:35