Game Review: Starsand Island – Cozy Cute Carefree Life Sim With All the Things
I recently had the opportunity to have access to the Starsand Island playtest version and the verdict is in! I didn’t need a lot of time to decide this game is well worth purchasing and taking time to explore. If you love an overload of cute characters, creatures, building, exploring, farming, crafting, ranching, and more… this is for you. Let’s jump in!
What is Starsand Island?
At its heart, I’d call Starsand Island a cozy life sim with all the trappings you’d expect and then some. When you start the game, you’re leaving city life to return to the home of your childhood where some of the characters recognize you and others are meeting you for the first time. Your childhood friend, Solara, greets you and, as the mayor’s assistant, offers to give you some guidance.
You’ll be introduced to the first choice very early which is, which profession do you want to take on first? Don’t think too hard. She suggested crafting and I’m glad I accepted. You’ll soon get letters from other folks offering to teach you their professions too. You can do it all!
You’ll also have a house and plenty of space to expand. There are many cute critters to befriend and adopt, and a full cast of fleshed-out characters you can choose to romance.
Character Creation
Character creation is important to a lot of gamers, me included. So, when I saw the options in the Starsand Island playtest, I was impressed. Not only could I choose from a masculine or feminine framed character and clothing options, there were a variety of skin tones (with the option to adjust the color), even more hair colors, and more.
For eyes and eye color, you can choose to have two different colored eyes and even cat’s eyes. I also gave my character little kitty-like fangs and whisker face paint. Yep. I went there.
After creating the character, you’ll can earn more clothing and hair styles and even choose your looks for day, night, and swimming.
The Professions
In Starsand Island, you’ll be able to try out crafting, farming, fishing, ranching, and exploration. And I wanted to try them all but it will take time to do everything. For each profession, you’ll meet a person who is an expert and will give you a starting quest to learn the basics.
- Crafting: (Zerine, General Store) Make things like tools, furniture, and more.
- Farming: (Graminova, Happiness Seed Shop) Plant and nurture crops for cooking and profit.
- Fishing: (Francis, AquaBlue Outpost) Go fish. And make money.
- Ranching: (Pastelle, Green Pasture Ranch) Get established then learnt to manage animals!
- Exploration: (Zephyria) Explore, gather resources, defeat creatures.
So far, having done crafting and exploration, I’m looking forward to experiencing all of the professions. One thing I learned early is that making money is a must. Blueprints for making things are not cheap (at first). You’ll be introduced to the job board quite early so make use of it.
Vehicles, Pets, and NPCs, Oh My!
As a crafter in Starsand Island, one of the early projects is a skateboard and that is so fun to ride. I enjoyed jumping onto and over obstacles and watching the animation. The controls are easy to get used to, especially for someone who isn’t as coordinated (like me). But, I didn’t use the skateboard for long because I was then introduced to renting scooters. It’s faster but the animation isn’t as fun as the skateboard. You can also rent animal mounts (see the alpacas and ostriches in the image above) but I haven’t tested that out yet.
The first time you see a pet wandering the streets, you may come to a screeching stop like I did. You can interact with various animals like cats, dogs, pandas, and capybaras. Pet them, feed them, and make them your friends so you can adopt them to come live with you. Yep. I have life goals.
Finally, I’ve already met a large number of NPCs. Each one has a backstory and personality that is unique to them. You can give them each a gift once per day to increase your relationship with them. And, some of them can be romanced.
Is Starsand Island Worth Buying and Spending Time On?
Absolutely, yes! This cozy life sim has all of the elements of a game you’ll want to spend hours playing. It is in early access now but it’s also available at 30% off until Feb 25, 2026. So don’t wait if you’re planning to add it to your library of games. There’s also a Deluxe Starsand Island Bundle that includes “classic European furniture, fashion, and vehicles. Or, you could get the My Time at Starsand Bundle which includes My Time at Sandrock, My Time at Portia, and Starsand Island for a discount of 55%.
Once you’ve added Starsand Island to your library, Steam also has two free DLC packs, the Chinese New Year Furniture & Fashion, and the Ribbit Holiday DLC. My FOMO is kicking in. I’m off to buy the full version. And, if you still aren’t convinced, check out my first looks on YouTube at Total Apex Media.
