Stardew Valley meets Genshin Impact in this delightful but derivative life sim

In 2025, the cozy life sim genre is pretty saturated, with countless Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing copycats available from both the Steam store and the Nintendo Switch eShop. Still, that doesn’t stop new contenders from popping up from time to time, and one of this year’s most anticipated additions is Starsand Island, a game that wears its influences on its sleeve but has plenty of heart to go with them.

I was lucky enough to get an extended preview of Starsand Island from the developer, Seed Lab, though, to be clear, I didn’t actually spend any time playing the game. Instead, I saw some unseen footage, got an explanation of some of the mechanics, and had the chance to listen to the developers explain the intentions behind what could be a future contender for our guide to the best cozy games when it arrives later this year.

So, what do you do in Starsand Island? From the looks of it, whatever you want. You can farm, fish, romance, or even, if you’re lucky, ride a pig. Still, like Stardew Valley, the core of the experience seems to be farming, and it seems pretty in-depth, too, with mechanics relating to everything from managing soil moisture to picking bugs off your plants. Oh, and you can also grow giant crops, just like you can in Stardew, and I was very impressed by the size of one particular watermelon during the preview session.

You may have noticed in the last paragraph that I said that you can ride a pig in Starsand Island, and I’m not lying. You’ll need to build up a relationship with the animal first, or any other animal you’re looking to parade through the island, but it’s possible. This suggests a deeper level of engagement with your animals than some of the picks from our guide to the best farm games, which often struggle to get the whole animal husbandry thing right. It also looks like there’s some synergy between the mechanics, with your animals assisting with farming duties, including the chickens that can pick bugs from your crop. It’s little things like this that make you feel more like you’re in a living, breathing world, and I’m a big fan.

As you might expect from a life sim, Starsand Island features a bunch of fashion options, and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the variation. This is one area where I’ve always felt that games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing struggle to deliver, but even from the quick preview, I spotted an appearance menu that boasted some serious variety in terms of looks. The game takes place on an island, so of course there’s the option of a Hawaiian shirt, but there’s a lot more than just that, and I’m looking forward to decking out my character in a safari shirt and some lovely shorts when I get the chance to go hands-on.

One thing that caught my eye during the preview session was Starsand Island’s house-building mechanics, which seem very similar to what I know and love from The Sims. You can build your home from the ground up, selecting from a bunch of different architectural styles to find whatever suits you best. To me, this almost seems like a game in itself, but if it isn’t already clear enough, Starsand is full of different mechanics, so much so that I’m a little worried that it might feel overwhelming, which isn’t ideal when you’re just in it for the cozy vibes. Still, house building is a feature that needs mechanical depth, so I’m glad to see the developer offers a bunch of options.

Now, I know what you’re thinking at this point. Farming, fishing, and frolicking with farmyard animals are all well and good, but what about the romance? Well, I’ve got some exciting news. Starsand Island features plenty of romanceable characters, though we didn’t get too much in the way of detail about how you might woo your potential boo. Maybe just don’t let them catch sight of you riding one of your farmyard animals if you’re trying to make a good impression.

If all that wasn’t enough, and I’ve got a feeling it might be, Starsand Island also holds some mysterious secrets. There’s an area at the heart of the island that serves as a combat arena, complete with ancient ruins, treasure, and precious minerals. We didn’t get too many details about what to expect here from the gameplay clip, outside of some footage of a slingshot battle against a Crystal Spirit, but the mechanics look pretty similar to a Genshin Impact battle without all of the magic.

The developer promised that there are more “fantastical” creatures to battle against in the misty heart of the island, which, again, reeks of Stardew Valley, with a dash of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s Area Zero thrown in for good measure. Still, I love both those games, so I can see myself foregoing the romance to put my slingshot to the test.

In terms of visuals, I have to say, there seems to be a very clear influence from games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail when it comes to both the character and world design. According to the developer, it’s anime-influenced, but to me, it looks to be more specifically Hoyoverse-influenced. Honestly, I can’t blame the developers for going in this direction, given how popular those examples from our guide to the best gacha games are, but it also seems like another part of Starsand Island that’s slightly lacking in originality. Still, if you’re into those games, you should feel at home on the island from the off.

All in all, Starsand Island looks like it might be a great game for a relatively specific sort of gamer. Honestly, I’m not sure that gamer is me, as I’m not the biggest fan of the overtly cutesy visuals or what appears to be an emphasis on in-game romancing, but I know that those two factors alone are likely to win over a lot of potential players. For me, it all depends on the combat, but it looks pretty promising, so who knows? I might end up surprising myself and becoming an out-and-out islander. If it sounds like the sort of thing that might take over your life, be sure to wishlist Starsand Island on Steam or back the Kickstarter campaign.

There you have it, our Starsand Island preview. If you can’t wait around for something new to play, be sure to check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch games and the best mobile games while you’re here. Or, if you’re looking for a new handheld ready for when Starsand Island launches later this year, see our list of the best handheld consoles.