Preview: Starsand Island Is a Cosy PS5 RPG Straight Out of a Studio Ghibli Daydream

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We recently got a chance to play Starsand Island, a charming new RPG created by Seed Lab. This beautiful life simulation game, with a lovely anime art style, is set on Starsand Island – a place that feels like it came straight from a Studio Ghibli film.

In this game, you’ll create a character and freely explore a beautiful island from a third-person view. The story starts with your return to the island where you spent your childhood. You’ll begin with a simple house and a bit of land to call your own.

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This quick guide will show you how to build and customize your home in build mode. Once you’ve learned the basics, you’re free to explore and play the game however you like!

Starsand Island offers the relaxing gameplay you’d expect from this type of game – things like crafting, farming, fishing, and catching bugs. However, it goes beyond the usual by adding a significant role-playing element. You’ll need to manage your character’s stamina, which goes down as you do things and can be restored with food and sleep. Make sure to get enough rest, or you’ll face penalties!

The island feels vibrant and full of life, with many interesting characters to get to know. What’s really cool is that the characters remember your past interactions, making your decisions feel more meaningful and having a real impact on the story.

The closer you become with a character, the more you can do with them – you’ll unlock opportunities to hang out, visit their place, and even move in together. And, naturally, you might also find romance along the way.

The game world is a joy to explore, filled with lots of things you can interact with. You can shop at various stalls, use vending machines, and even search through trash – it’s surprisingly detailed!

The game features a vehicle rental system, letting you explore the world by bike, scooter, and other unique modes of transport. However, the lack of other vehicles and people on the roads makes the world feel a little empty, which slightly impacts the overall immersive experience.

Starsand Island differs from games like Animal Crossing because of its detailed building system. It’s more similar to The Sims, letting you customize buildings extensively – you can change their size and shape by freely adding, moving, and removing walls, doors, windows, and roofs, along with decorating the inside however you like.

Unlike games like The Sims where you primarily use money to build, this game focuses on crafting. You’ll need to find rare materials, which encourages exploration. Building something yourself and then getting to live in it is really satisfying, and lets you create a truly personal space in the game world.

Beyond personalizing your own home, you’ll soon be able to customize properties in other locations, with the Starsand Island Waterpark being the most thrilling. You’ll be able to design and build your own water slides and attractions – much like in Planet Coaster 2 – and then experience them firsthand.

Starsand Island seems like a really appealing game, blending relaxing farming and crafting with detailed building and engaging role-playing. All these elements work together seamlessly, creating a fantastic experience for players who enjoy building and simulation games.

With its bright anime-inspired graphics and inviting world, Starsand Island is sure to attract anime enthusiasts. The game launches on February 1st, and we’re looking forward to experiencing it and seeing how it evolves.

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2025-11-03 21:07