It looks like a new cosy life simulation game will be heading to PC and Nintendo Switch, along with Xbox and PlayStation 5. With a new teaser and a release window showcased during the Galaxies Showcase, this upcoming Studio Ghibli inspired game is expected to launch worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2025!
The game in question is Starsand Island!
What is Starsand Island All About?
Starsand Island is an upcoming release from Seed Lab. Described as a game that combines various elements of casual cosy role playing games.
Within the game, you’ll be able to take off on a journey of personal healing. Part of your journey will be to return to your childhood island home. Relax into activities such as fishing, farming, raising and looking after animals, building connections with the intriguing and curious locals and more. However, there’s more!
The game also has an in-depth DIY and building system, adds another level of customization for players to truly shape their island, make it their own and create a true island paradise.
Better still, you’ll be able to invite your friends to help you in your journey to creating the perfect getaway paradise!
Curious? Have a look at the trailer featured in Galaxies Showcase that was on the 17th April 2025.
The Kickstarter
With the reveal of a new heartwarming and wholesome trailer showcasing some of what Starsand Island has to offer, the team will be launching a Kickstarter Campaign. The aim of this launch will be to help add even more exciting features to the game, including a Water Park and Boat House customization!
The Kickstarter is planned to launch on the 29th April 2025 and more information about the campaign can be found here.
Thoughts So Far
From what I’ve seen of Starsand Island so far, it looks really promising. Certainly a game that appeals to me and one that I am curious to find out more about. It has a lot of elements that I love is cosy games such as fishing, farming and getting to know the locals amongst many other interesting features. What helped Starsand Island appeal to me even more is the DIY Building customization features.
As a longtime player of The Sims, where I love building different ideas in varying degrees of success, being able to do the something similar in this game does seem to make it stand out from other games that incorporate a range of notable cosy features. This is something I certainly want to read and see more about during development.
Albeit brief during the video, the Character Creation looks fun and has the potential to have a lot of clothing and accessory options for players to create their own one of a kind characters in the game. A feature I’d love to find out more about!
A Deeper Dive on Steam
Jumping to the Steam page for Starsand Island gave me a better look at the game, with more information and glimpses at what the game will look like!
The information on Steam talks about how you can immerse yourself in a slower paced lifestyle, with Starsand Island being hailed as the “Star of the Deep Sea.” A world full of cute cats, dogs, capybaras and more. With plenty of places to explore such as the magical Moonlit Forest to name a few. If I’m honest, you had me at capybaras!
As well as an exciting farming experience where you can curate your own farming space and building features to decorate the island, the game also boasts about the “Freedom to Roam.” This is interesting as the page shows that other than walking and running around the island, you’ll be able to ride a moped and skateboard throughout the world. Travelling around via a moped certainly gave me the thought of how you used to use on in The Sims Bustin’ Out back in the day! There was also a glimpse of a boat in the latest trailer, which I would guess is part of the fishing activity and sailing to different locations to discover different fish.
Of course, no cosy game is complete without some kind of mystery, and Starsand Island incorporates this through a host of fun interactive battles and mysterious ruins which look like great fun to explore!
Finally, and one aspect of this style of game that I love is getting to know the locals and discovering their stories. Who are they? What do they like? Have they always lived on Starsand Island? Of course, there may be one or two locals that you might decide to further that relationship and try your hand at a romantic relationship instead. Imagine spending your time living your best island life with your favourite person?
Final Thoughts
Currently and based upon what we’ve seen so far, Starsand Island looks good and very promising. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this game during its development and Kickstarter campaign. It’s also one that I’m likely to pick up and play myself upon its launch.
Before I round off this post, let me leave you with another video from Seed Lab showcasing more aspects of Starsand Island!
You can follow the Kickstarter Campaign here, and you can currently wishlist the game on Steam ahead of its launch later this year.
Did you see this during the Galaxies Showcase? What are your thoughts on Starsand Island? Let me know in the comments below.
Find out more about day-to-day life on Starsand Island with two exclusive demo diaries. Read about what you can do up to day five in the game here and up to day ten here!
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