Last year was disappointing for players who enjoy relaxing farming and life simulation games – many new titles didn’t quite deliver. That’s why there’s a lot of excitement for what 2026 will bring, and one game leading the charge is Starsand Island. This upcoming life sim features a charming anime-inspired 3D art style and combines popular cozy game elements like farming, crafting, and animal care. It’s one of the most eagerly awaited cozy games of the year and will soon be available in Early Access.
I recently got to try out the early access version of Starsand Island. I’d been interested in the game for a while, but wasn’t sure what to expect. After playing for several hours, it’s hard to fully describe my experience. The game has a beautiful art style and all the elements of a relaxing, cozy game. However, it still feels a little unpolished, which prevents it from being truly exceptional. Let’s take a closer look at what Starsand Island offers right now, and how it could improve even further.
Starsand Island Offers a Stunning, (Mostly) Cozy Open World To Explore
Starsand Island begins with a short introductory scene, and then you get to create your character! The initial choices for hair and clothing are simple, but you’ll unlock more options as you play – thankfully, these aren’t things you have to buy. You can fine-tune your character’s appearance with a variety of sliders, though the body size options are a little limited, and darker skin tones could be improved. Despite these small issues, I quickly became attached to my character, as the game’s anime art style is truly beautiful.
After creating my character, I started exploring Starsand Island. I was really surprised by how large the game world is – it explains why there are so many ways to get around! The game immediately gives you quests, and you’ll spend a lot of time running around discovering different parts of the island. It’s easy to get lost in exploration because the island is truly beautiful, with swaying plants and lovely beaches. Even though it’s still in early access, the world generally feels very polished, though I did occasionally need to use the game’s ‘unstuck’ feature when exploring.
Even though it’s a fairly large map for a cozy game, Starsand Island feels lively and populated with charming animals, visitors, and townspeople. I especially like being able to chat with the visitors – even though they aren’t complex, they’ll often give you a little gift if you talk to them for a while, which is a nice touch. The townspeople are also interactive – you can chat with and give gifts to them, building relationships in multiple ways. As someone who doesn’t enjoy games that only let you build relationships through gifting, I really appreciate having other options for getting to know everyone, from potential partners to the island’s elders.
Unlike many cozy games, Starsand Island introduces characters with short, animated cutscenes when you first meet them. These scenes are a great way to showcase each character’s personality and clearly signal who might be a romantic interest. While these scenes could use some polish (I’ll discuss that later), it’s a clever idea that helps make the characters feel more developed, assuming Seed Sparkle Lab can fully realize it.
Quests And Reward Trees Give Starsand Island Players Plenty to Do
A challenge for relaxing “cozy” games is finding the right balance between giving players enough to do and keeping things stress-free. I have mixed feelings about how Starsand Island handles this. The game’s different jobs each have their own set of quests, which start when you talk to the right character. If you focus on one job early on, the constant stream of new quests can make the game feel a bit too focused and repetitive. It’s easy to forget you can explore the world, chat with other characters, and try out different jobs, because the next quest is always right there waiting for you.
Each profession’s quests are easy to follow, and the challenge feels well-balanced. To become certified in a profession like crafting or farming, you’ll need to gather and make specific items. There are multiple levels within each profession, giving you a lot to do, and you’ll unlock new items and recipes as you progress. I initially found the linear progression a bit much, but switching between different quest lines made it easier to focus and know what to aim for.
Besides your main job, the game has an Island Life app with extra challenges. Completing these—like reaching goals in quests or collecting specific items—unlocks rewards. This system is similar to a battle pass, giving you clear objectives if you want them, and it’s how you earn new clothes and hairstyles for your character – I especially liked having more ponytail and bun options! However, with so many quests and rewards, it can feel overwhelming. While I appreciate having lots of ways to feel rewarded, it’s tough to remember what you’re working towards. This could probably be simplified before the game’s official release.
Some Snags Need Ironing Out Before Starsand Island Hits Full Release
Even in its early stages, Starsand Island shows promise as a relaxing life simulation game. It’s already packed with things to do, and the game world and characters are visually appealing. While performance was smooth, it’s clear the game is still under development. I noticed some inconsistencies, like unfinished cutscenes and mixed language settings – some characters greet you in English, while others still use Chinese. Cutscenes also varied, sometimes lacking voiceovers or subtitles. These issues don’t detract from the core gameplay, which is well-designed, but they do make it feel like the game isn’t quite complete.
Okay, so the game isn’t perfect – there are some cutscenes that still feel like they’re in progress and the translation isn’t quite finished yet. But honestly, I was surprised by how well the core gameplay actually runs. I did hit a few bugs, but nothing that ruined the experience. The most annoying thing was definitely falling through the floor a couple of times and getting stuck. Luckily, the game has a super simple ‘unstuck’ feature in the menu that just resets your character, so it was easy enough to fix and get back to playing. I fell through the ground maybe two or three times, and it was a quick reset each time – no big deal!
I’m really impressed with Starsand Island so far. It’s an enjoyable life simulation game with lots of activities, and the world is beautifully designed, making you want to discover everything it has to offer. After playing, it’s clear why the developers decided to launch in Early Access – the game is almost there, but still needs some refinement before it can truly compete with the top life sims.
Excited about trying out Starsand Island when it launches in Early Access? Share your thoughts and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-02-10 17:42