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Starsand Island is one of the latest life sim and farming games in development, and ahead of launch Seed Lab continually mentioned the goal of offering an experience that makes connecting with characters feel more realistic. There are so many references to the NPC Affection System and ways in which we can interact with people. (It comes up so many times on the Steam page!) While this does seem valid and accurate, I noticed another thing when playing an early build for this preview. It’s also a game that feels more like it is designed to simulate daily life in a small town on an island, rather than just focus on farming.
Like many farming games and life sim titles, Starsand Island begins with a prodigal son sort of approach. You’re familiar with the place! A lot of your time as a child was spent there at your grandfather’s cabin. He’s gone, sadly, but that home is your inheritance. Upon customizing your character, your childhood friend Solara takes you through the now overgrown space. After clearing up some of the rocks and branches, the nearby workbench can be repaired. Instead of getting tools from other people, you build them up yourself. After making the tools needed clear the shrubbery blocking the front door, there’s a brief introduction to crafting things like a bed, armoire, and storage box.
From there, instead of forcing you into a life of a farming and animal husbandry, Solara opens up the world to you in Starsand Island and gives you a chance to just… live your life in the game. The initial part of the tutorial in this build ended with her basically asking me what I wanted to do. There are different careers here, each with a different NPC mentor tied to them. It isn’t quite like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, but it feels like an effort to acknowledge things that other farming and life sim games sometimes bundle in as an extra, not as well fleshed out feature or bonus mechanic. I could head off to become an angler, crafter, explorer, farmer, or rancher. You’re never locked out of one path if you choose to prioritize another first, just like in Fantasy Life games. However, going through the initial introductions to each basically acts as a tutorial for those types of mechanics and helps you get situated.
Since this was an early build, I didn’t want to get too invested in a long-term type of role with a lot of gathering tied to it, like a crafter or a rancher. But I did dabble in some farming, fishing, and crafting. In the case of farming, it is typical fare. You till the soil, plant crops, and water them. It does feel a bit more focused on ensuring you pay attention to crops. Like I’m used to ensuring everything is watered every day, but there was an instance when I got caught up exploring the world and found the first three plants already dried out by the time I got home. (Fishing and exploring aren’t nearly as sensitive occupations.) However, I did appreciate that when I’d over over a planted crop, I could see its exact water levels and % in the growing cycle, as well as a reminder of what it was in case it hadn’t grown enough to be immediately recognizable.
As for the other two tasks I experimented with, I appreciated how I saw them affect my life in the community in different ways. Like games such as Animal Crossing and Fields of Mistria, fishing isn’t just about getting items to sell or ingredients for cooking. It is also about supporting the local aquarium. Also, I noticed right away that the island is huge, and event getting from one area to the other can eat up valuable time that could put my farm in jeopardy. But because I also introduced myself to the crafting mentor ASAP, I learned how to make a skateboard. Now, it wasn’t as fast as say a Story of Seasons horse, but it made a substantial difference.
All of this makes me excited for what could be next for Starsand Island, as it feels like it is doing more to make sure we are living a virtual life instead of just going through social routines and filling time with other activities in a dedicated farming game. There’s a lot to do here. The “career” paths I experimented with felt like they each offered a lot and could stand on their own. It also felt like, in ways, they could also work together in providing extra resources and income. I’m hoping things stay this promising!
Starsand Island is in development and will launch in 2026.
