Developers Seed Sparkle Labs have released many new details for their ambitious new game, Starsand Island.
Promising an escape from the urban grind of city life, the paradise of Starsand Island is hailed as the “Star of the Deep Sea.” In this new game, players are encouraged to slow down and enjoy the comforts of island life.
Whether you want to bond with cats, dogs or even capybaras, spend your days fishing from the bountiful pier, or explore the mystical Moonlit Forest, the choice is yours. Starsand Island also features an extensive DIY building mode that lets you create your ideal island home.
Three building modes are available: free-view building, character perspective and local view.
In free-view building, players can alter the texture of materials using “paints,” such as wood grain, brick and stone, from a total of eight available textures. While building, players can also change the time of day or night to see how their creations look under different lighting conditions. Blueprints can be obtained from NPCs, allowing players to construct prebuilt structures.
If your build is not coming together as planned, the batch-editing feature lets you demolish large sections of your work to save time or start over entirely. Building is not the only activity available. Players can also relax by tending to their farm, with automation features that free up time to explore the rest of the island.
With the aim of becoming “The Sims of the farming genre,” Starsand Island also includes an extensive friendship and relationship system. NPCs across the island have lifelike memories, perceptions, and emotions, and make independent decisions, each pursuing a long-term goal. As players progress, they can help NPCs achieve their dreams through context-sensitive requests tied to individual storylines.
NPCs also respond actively to their surroundings. Take a photo, and they strike a pose; walk pas,t and they greet you; animal lovers will even go out of their way to pet any stray cat or dog they encounter.
Every key character features signature interactions that reflect their personality. For example, befriending a fortune teller allows players to read fortunes together and, at times, gain real-life advice. Beyond NPC-specific activities, players can relax with almost anyone by riding bikes, having sleepovers or binge-watching TV.
Instead of relying solely on scripted story moments, relationships develop through daily chats, gifts, invitations and teamwork. As bonds deepen, characters become more relaxed and reveal unique quirks and gestures, rather than repeating cut-and-paste dialogue trees.
Spending time with others is rewarded in kind. Players can expect surprise gifts from NPCs with whom they share a strong bond, along with heartfelt letters, special requests and unique storylines. These relationships influence everything from how effectively NPCs help collect resources to the rewards they provide for completed jobs. Strong connections, in turn, lead to greater support in return.
The NPCs are everything in this game; they will even remember your habits and preferences. There is even combat where you will use your arsenal of weapons, like slingshots and bows, to help rid the ruins of a magical corruption while fighting mystical beasts and bosses. If a realistic life-sim reminiscent of a cross between The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing with over 100 hours of playtime tickles your fancy, then this game is for you. Make sure to go to the Steam page to learn more and for Starsand Islands‘ recommended statistics. Starsand Island releases in the summer of 2026 with early access on Steam and Xbox starting on February 11th.
