We recently got a sneak peek at Starsand Island during a media presentation, and we had a lot of our questions answered about the game. It’s currently doing incredibly well on Kickstarter, as I’m writing this, they’ve already raised over $190,000 for their campaign, with just eight days left to go. For those who haven’t heard about it, Starsand Island is a cozy island-life simulator that’s set to release on Steam in Q4 2025.
At its heart, Starsand Island is all about finding joy in the simple, everyday moments. Unlike many farming simulators that get obsessed with efficiency and numbers, this game puts emotional connections far above stats. As lead designer Golton Gao puts it: “Life has no inherent meaning, so you decide how to live it.” There are mini-events tucked into every corner, whether you’re fishing up bottle caps that might unlock secret lore or just having a laugh at a legendary “golden poop” left by one of your animal pals.
Starsand Island experience truly lies with its NPCs, who are inspired by real-life personalities, from shy dreamers to bubbly optimists. You’ll build meaningful bonds with characters like Solara, who might share midnight fireworks with you, or Serena, who might drag you on shopping trips that turn simple errands into lasting memories. “We want players to feel warmth, like they belong”, says narrative designer Richardo Wang. These subtle, heartfelt interactions, like waking up to Pastelle’s breakfast as sunlight streams into your home, truly make the world feel alive, not just like lines of code.
The team actually built a custom engine from scratch, which lets you reshape almost anything, from winding paths to entire villages. Want a Japanese alley or a Nordic hamlet? Go for it. One tester even created a maze garden so tricky that the developers themselves got lost and had to teleport out. With endless customization options, the island truly is your canvas. “It’s a nightmare for coders, but we’re crazy enough to make it work”, Gao laughs.
The multiplayer features are set to grow even further, with plans for things like photo contests and player-created Easter eggs down the line. “We want Starsand Island to feel like home”, Gao says, and the team is really committed to evolving the game based on community input, adding new events and stories after launch.
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