Starsand Island Preview
What do you get if you mix just about every cozy game in existence, then dial it up to eleven? Probably something like Seed Lab’s Starsand Island. It’s like if Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, The Sims, My Time at Sandrock, Fantasy Life, I and others had an adorable mutant baby and it moved back home to an island paradise.
In Starsand Island, you are returning back to your childhood home, ready to embark on a new life for yourself alongside both old and new friends. This game is a bevy of activity. If you’re a seasoned cozy gamer, you’ll probably find your favorite feature here, with more depth in every facet. From farming, crafting, fishing, decorating your various abodes, all the way to romance, mounts, land, water, and air vehicles. Plus so many functional bits and pieces. Honestly, I can’t mention enough the number of times I was convinced something random would just be set dressing and turned out to be interactive. It’s insane how excited I was about a usable vending machine in the wild.
So Much To Do, So Much To See
Once you’re back home in Starsand, you start out the usual way. You create your character. There’s a pretty cool character creation system with lots of adorable clothes and accessories for both body types. Get your living space, a little worktable, and the like is apparently all that one needs to have the makings of a successful Island dweller. From day one, you’re pulled into the Mentorship system. Many of the activities and skills you’ll gain from these mentors. They’ll teach you farming, fishing, crafting, and others. And you’ll max out your skills of these things with good investment and badges of approval once you’ve completed whatever requests they wish.
Crafting and Farming turned out to be my favorites. It’s the usual process, taken from the “My Time At” games formula, where you need certain tools, blueprints, and tool levels to be able to complete certain tasks. But it’s more than just work.
More and MoreÂ
You can talk to your island friends and build relationships and romance, and give gifts. Take a vehicle around the island and see the sights, solo or with a companion. The driving in this game is super smooth and comfy too. Even people who haven’t played with a driving mechanic can easily get into the flow. You can also stop by a vending machine and grab a snack or a drink, take a selfie with the gorgeous views of the day and night cycle and many more. Get a cute pet. Build and customize your land and home with a really well-done and extensive system. I once had my character sit on a swing set he repaired for just hours on end, and took pictures of him.
You not only earn money as you work and trade. But there seems to be a separate point system that’s reminiscent of Animal Crossing Nook Miles. These are used for the mentorship programs and other extra goodies. You gain them by completing separate tasks around the island. Some big or small. From decorating your house to gathering a specific number of vegetables. Or crafting your first fishing rod. All at your own easy paradise pace.
Still CookingÂ
Although I enjoy many things about Starsand Island, it’s definitely a bit unpolished. Understandable, given that this is an ambitious project. Though I honestly don’t have too much to complain about. Just a few kinks. Some grammatical errors, misspellings, and UI texts are not completely translated. The character models are still a little wobbly and malleable, especially when interacting with their environments. My character’s hair, eyes, and skin changed when they went to bed. But to be fair, this is ticky-tacky stuff that will most likely be fixed by release.
Starsand Island lets you completely lose yourself for a long time. There’s a ton to do at whatever pace you wish. A lot of systems go deeper than the usual formula. I am super excited to see the final product if this is how good it is as a work in progress. There’s a lot promised post-launch for this already impressive game, so I look forward to that.
***PC code provided for preview***
