Starsand Island (Chinese:星砂岛) is a life simulation game developed and published by Seed Sparkle Lab. It is being developed for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. It was released into Steam early access on 11 February 2026, with a full release due on 18 August 2026.

Gameplay

Starsand Island is a life simulation game where the customizable player character begins a life in Starsand, their childhood place. Solara, the player character's childhood friend, gives a guide of how to make progress in the beginning of the game. The player can choose different careers, including an angler, crafter, explorer, farmer, or rancher.

The game has romance and friendship system with which the player can nurture relationships with NPC inhabitants.

Development and release

Starsand Island was developed by Chinese studio Seed Sparkle Lab and produced by Golton Gao, with investment from Kingsoft and its subsidiary Amazing Seasun Games. The game was first announced on 6 May 2024. The game was originally announced to be released for Microsoft Windows in Q4 2025. Other considered platforms were PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. A crowdfunding campaign was launched at Kickstarter to fund the game's development. The Kickstarter campaign ended on 31 May 2025, earning over $300,000.

The game released into early access for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 11 February 2026, with a full release for Windows, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 August 2026. It will have a collaboration event with Pathea Games' My Time at Portia, featuring two characters from that game. The developers have further promised to allow players to define their own “life story” through daily activities, relationships, and choices. It has been considered a cosy game by Emma-Jane Betts of GamesRadar.

The game was temporarily delisted from Steam due to unauthorized use of visual elements from an unspecified title. It was theorized as a reaction to the game's minigame copying Tetris. The developer promised a free DLC costume as a compensation to players.

Reception

Screen Hype's Lyssa Greywood comments that it's a game that knows its audience, calling it "escapism in the quietest sense," but also taking the time to uncover and report various early bugs that affected their gameplay. Loot Level Chill's Kieran Singh commends Starsand Island for being "surprisingly high quality" despite its Early Access status. However, Indie Games Devel's Laura Rosada picks apart the game's limited exploration aspects, pointing out that the only notable exploration area is the Moonlit Forest.