Starsand Island
Starsand Island
Game
Game2022
Starsand
Developer Tunnel Vision Studio
Starsand is a mystic survival game set among the dunes of an arcane desert. An open-world full of danger, vast environments and mysterious happenings await you! Explore, hunt, craft, build – and SURVIVE. From the Steam store page
251 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
45
Mixed
81 positive · 100 negative
95% range 38–52%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 81 | 100 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 14 | 10 | 32 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
387 of 645 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
45% recommend · 81 yes, 100 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 181 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (834 of 1,271 positive).
Players say Starsand has a great concept but feels abandoned by developers. [1][2][3] Many reviewers enjoy the survival mechanics and atmosphere early on. [4][5][6] Some players criticize the game for being unfinished and lacking updates. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
Okay, so this game is a really weird anomaly. This is one of those few examples where the low popularity is almost 100% on the devs. this game had the foundation to be an amazing survival game, that said the devs pretty much released the game and abandoned it. What they left behind is a skeleton for what could have been a 9/10 or 10/10 survival game but because they stopped updating its insanely barebones. The only …
- [12]
I absolutely loved Starsand until 75% of the way through when it became a platformer. It never occurred to me that "you can die falling into the abyss" would mean "you will spend the last 25% of the game platforming." I was nowhere near my base at this point. Crafting had stopped. The rolling expanse of open desert had been replaced with an endless slog through a blocky, claustrophobic ravine. As I leapt around in a …
- [2]
Meh. Feels unfinished, and everyone in the discussions is saying they abandoned it, but only told their Discord members. Don't waste your money, you'll get next to nothing in return.
- [17]
I would rather watch sand flow through an hour glass than to play this game. It is incredibly slow and boring. The pacing is awful and I really wanted to like this game, but I just cannot recommend this game in good conscience. Perhaps one of the worst survival crafting experiences I have ever tried.
- [3]
Shame it was abandoned. could have been great.
Summarised from 34 of the 253 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Starsand sits at 45% positive across 181 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 251 · most liked firstStarsand by Tunnelvision relies on the Unity-Engine and thus players get the full broadside of the integrated Unity-Analytics. What does this product do? The first click on the Exe file activates the Crashlytics of the Unity-Engine. Then on the way to the Main-Menu, the main tracker of the Unity-Engine is activated. The service remains in the background during the entire gamingsession and performs its service as a session, - and event tracker. Since the user is still in or on the way to the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some Japanese devs played Stardew Valley and loved it, but wanted something more "carefree" – now their anime life sim RPG, [Starsand Island], is tearing up Steam Next Fest, and it's hard to put down.
neutral · AI labelView post →Starsand Island is HERE! I'm so excited!! This is probably the cutest game EVER. 💕 twitch.tv/smashley
positive · AI labelView post →going live to play a really cute farming / building / life sim called Starsand Island! :) store.steampowered.com/app/2966320/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Okay, so this game is a really weird anomaly. This is one of those few examples where the low popularity is almost 100% on the devs. this game had the foundation to be an amazing survival game, that said the devs pretty much released the game and abandoned it. What they left behind is a skeleton for what could have been a 9/10 or 10/10 survival game but because they stopped updating its insanely barebones. The only way i can describe it is Subnautica but in a desert setting with a little bit of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It took some time, but we were finally able to play a game on the ROG Xbox Ally X thanks to Starsand Island at TGS! We didn’t have a chance to try it out outside of the game, but we do have some thoughts on how the handheld feels to hold and use. Article coming soon!
neutral · AI labelView post →7/7/2025: Super sad, its not worth the money. Granted I got it with the summer sale, but its so very basic. The graphics are sub par, and even if you change motion blur, you still get it. As the last update was in 2023, I think the devs are either working on a huge 2 year update, or the game is abandoned. Sorry, but I am returning this, until I see improvements.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Meh. Feels unfinished, and everyone in the discussions is saying they abandoned it, but only told their Discord members. Don't waste your money, you'll get next to nothing in return.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely loved Starsand until 75% of the way through when it became a platformer. It never occurred to me that "you can die falling into the abyss" would mean "you will spend the last 25% of the game platforming." I was nowhere near my base at this point. Crafting had stopped. The rolling expanse of open desert had been replaced with an endless slog through a blocky, claustrophobic ravine. As I leapt around in a motion blur fog, I had little idea what would prove to be a real ledge and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Please let us focus on making our game in peace" - The studio behind the recently released Starsand Island has taken the unusual step of calling out what it believes is a 'praise-bombing' attack on its game. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/please-...
neutral · AI labelView post →- Age: 35 - Gender: woman - Sexuality: bisexual - Height: 5”3 - Eyes: brown - Fav food: pasta - Fav drink: brown sugar boba tea - Fav game: Starsand Island (for now) - Fav film: K-pop Demon Hunters - Fav show: The Big Bang Theory - Fav animal: cats
neutral · AI labelView post →Starsand Island comes out on the Nintendo Switch 2 tomorrow I'm so excited!! Been waiting for this game for at least a year to come to the switch
positive · AI labelView post →Dude. Starsand Island?!! 😱 How did I not know about this open world anime life sim? Started the free Steam demo there's SO much to do! Like The Sims meets Stardew. Yes the scooter (+ other modes of transport) is functional! 🛵 This is the other new cozy game I'm making a video on. VERY EXCITED! 😁
positive · AI labelView post →Some Japanese devs played Stardew Valley and loved it, but wanted something more "carefree" – now their anime life sim RPG is tearing up Steam Next Fest, and it's hard to put down. Starsand Island is exactly what it sounds like, and very good so far
positive · AI labelView post →It's not fully baked. I've had issues with parts of the world not loading. There's no autosave, and apparently not every time you actually save does it ACTUALLY save. I just experienced this losing 3-4 hours of gameplay. Very limited in what you can do, limited progression, not much to the story. You do get a weed powered rifle though! I regret my purchase.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playing Starsand Island now! This game is so beautiful and cute! 🥰
positive · AI labelView post →another cash grab by the developers don't buy, no updates since june 2023.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anime-style life sim Starsand Island is leaving Early Access this month, with PS5 and Switch 2 versions joining the existing Xbox and PC ones. The game, which was inspired by the Chinese countryside, will get online multiplayer support and new content. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/life-si...
neutral · AI labelView post →A fun janky survival game, that is set in desert with some creative survival mechanics and a story that had the potential of being so great, which may have been a banger but bit rushed and unpolished at the end. Still it's worth a shot for die-hard survival gamers out there
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Does not save game until you craft the necessary resources to craft a shelter. And has only ONE save slot. No, thank you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →showed promise, but is a dead unfinished game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A solid half of an survival game, you face all the dangers of the desert, heat, cold, thirst and getting lost, while exploring ancient ruins and trying to find a way home. All the usual survival mechanics are there, if a bit basic and janky at times. I really enjoyed the first part of the game, but the end game really dropped the ball and ruined the experience, would be better, if it had been cut out all together. Buy at discount, and you get to experience more unique survival setting that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game Pass Wave 2 August 2026. 8.19: - Vapor World: Over the Mind 8.25: - Blood Dungeon 8.27: - Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy 9.1: - Shelldiver Premium: - BlazBlue Entropy Effect X - Starsand Island - Relooted - Aerial_Knight’s DropShot - Young Suns news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/0...
neutral · AI labelView post →We can have pets in Starsand Island and they’re so CUTE asdfhsbsssb I need this game. Just 4 days until early access 😍
positive · AI labelView post →**************************************** * MARKED AS COMPLETED BUT VISUALS SHOW * * MUCH MORE WAS GOING TO BE ADDED. * * DEVELOPER GOT BORED AND MOVED ON * **************************************** Last Update: 28TH June 2023 LAST POST: 24th April 2023 Developers claim this is a completed product. However it is not, there's a lot more that could have been added and areas on the map that look like they would lead to other locations. Unpolished, incomplete, unoptimized and a cash…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The tutorial and the game itself are very basic. If you diverge from it and you do it in a different way, it is not updated, so you fcked. It could be the desert version of The Long Dark, but it failed in every way
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Abandonware. Not worth it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Craft a pickaxe and use it on a deposit" I walked and walked and walked and never found a deposit. I found sand dunes, then died of thirst. Where, I dunno, the map doesn't show your current location. The end. Refund.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sigh, more abandonware crap...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is another yes and no vote for me. The game is beautiful, and I've played it a fair amount. But you have the option to play it with bugs attacking you all the time or without them. Playing without them is kind of dull. Playing with them is nearly impossible, since the damned things multiply constantly. Okay, I hear you don't ever end up with more than five at a time, but once you get there, there will ALWAYS be five at a time. They're huge, heavily armored, and it takes several spears to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm so tired of every larger style cozy game I show interest in being tainted by AI. Starsand Island, Petit Island, etc. Anytime I show interest in a big cozy game that isn't Animal Crossing, the technopoison keeps showing up and it's so disheartening.
negative · AI labelView post →This could have been such an amazing game but it feels like the creators started with this amazing idea and then got bored 30% into the creation and then just crammed getting anything else done would not recommend
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have never had more people backseat game me recently than with Starsand Island. It's in the rules of my chat to please not do that, we have a codeword I use to ask for help. From now on, my mods are going to pin a message to not do this when I play the game. My patience isn't infinite, holy crap.
neutral · AI labelView post →If you’re a fan of Stardew/Animal Crossing, Starsand Island is a pretty cute and relaxing game on game pass right now
positive · AI labelView post →Student project? Sure Game that costs actual money? Hell no. 1/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would rather watch sand flow through an hour glass than to play this game. It is incredibly slow and boring. The pacing is awful and I really wanted to like this game, but I just cannot recommend this game in good conscience. Perhaps one of the worst survival crafting experiences I have ever tried.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shame it was abandoned. could have been great.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good concept, rough execution.. The idea behind Starsand is actually cool, desert survival with a mysterious story, alien vibes, ruins to explore. And I did have fun with it for a while, no lie. But some mechanics just feel off. Hard to explain, they're just... weird. Like the devs had a vision but didn't fully finish connecting the dots. And then the final boss. Buggy. Almost every time. After going through the whole game, that's just disappointing. At €16.79 I can't recommend it. There's a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is SUCH a delight, oh my god!! WHAT A WILD RIDE, thank you for joining me!! the Ruffians are now hanging out with @kittymcpancakes.bsky.social, who's playing Starsand Island~!
positive · AI labelView post →very nice game, fun to play , but wish it had co-op to play with friends
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anime-inspired life sim Starsand Island enters Early Access on Steam and Xbox next week. www.videogameschronicle.com/news/anime-i...
neutral · AI labelView post →In the beginning the game felt really enjoyable. Vast desert with limited resources forcing you to carefully explore, food/water/thermal management, schematics discoveries, occasional animal/alien attacks, enjoyable story... really first half of the game was cool, hard to stop playing. But then the second half is pure pain and hell. You will spend hours navigating cliffs dying for little to no reasons, fall to death many many many times and spend so much time loading and replaying parts of the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Starsand is a great survival game with an amazing atmosphere. The gameplay is simple but super immersive—you’ve gotta try it to get it. There’s tons of loot, crafting, pyramids to explore, and even oases that feel so cozy in the middle of the desert. You can climb trees, pick fruit, and deal with different animals, some dangerous, some not. Sandstorms and traps in pyramids keep things interesting, and the game runs really smoothly with no issues. If you’re into survival games, this one’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You wander around aimlessly through vast stretches of desert and then die of heat stroke. Yeah, I know that's what actually being lost in the desert would be like, but I don't actually want to go die in a desert I want to have fun playing a video game and this was just frustrating and annoying.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, this game is a walking simulator. About 90% of the times spent will be travelling between locations, and there aren't many of them. The game trully is realistic and you trully feel the hardship of the desert. But everything else is lackluster. The whole map is bland and empty - OK, it's a desert. There are two actual enemy types, Five or six animals (small critters included), and very few meaningful locations. Building is an afterthought and you unlock many of the buildings rather late.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Six hours in and it seems like a great game but lack of an autosave, limited save points, and multiple crashes that cause me to lose progress and force a reboot of my pc suck all the fun out of it. No excuse for this thing to be almost a year old and still have such critical bugs. Controller UI is clunky, M+K UI is fine.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nope, can't save anytime I want. I am not going to be told how long I am going to play a game by a game. Don't waste your money. If I wanted 'realism', I would be outside, not playing a game. So you can't save in real life. I get it. But games are also meant to be fun. Playing longer than I want too, or can, is NOT fun. Publishers, duh.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Relaxing crafting/exploration. Really easy even on hard. The map is not random, so once you know where things are its a cake walk, but initially it was a little disorienting, regardless, there are oasis everywhere around the starting area +Love the exploration aspect +the crafting is sequential and intuitive +Really liked the mystery and puzzles +The threat of attack keeps the game interesting + the lore is good but wish it expanded more ~never really felt in danger unless I did something…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →NOT RECOMMENDED - it makes the basic survival mechanics a way exhaustive and time-consuming to be fun, even on the easiest difficulty settings. It seems "barebones" is what usually comes to mind when you are playing the survival crafting part of the early game. It could have been streamlined so that you did not have to deal with shared limited resources and the limited inventory space. The food mechanic seems to be extremely resource and crafting intensive to maintain and the heat one takes…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nearly every month has at least 1 game I’m interested in… Feb- Starsand Island Mar- Pokopia, Thomas & Friends April- Tomodachi Life May- Paralives, Yoshi, Outbound, Forza Horizon 6 June- Star Fox July- Splatoon Raiders, Denshattack Aug- Witch’s Bakery Sep- Fire Emblem Oct- Galactic Racer Nov- GTA 6
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is awesome. The concept is awesome. The weather system is particularly good. The sound and the music really made a huge impact on the experience. I really appreciate that you made it so you can play on non-scary mode and non-survival mode so you don't have to worry about getting to water as frequently. Thank you for making this game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Janky and unpolished. The interface is clunky, several weapons and tools are missing sound effects, and progression is extremely shallow. Overall, feels unfinished.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am so so disappointed in Starsand Island after all the claims of not using genAI and now pushing their 1.0 release this month when the game is still a buggy disaster??
negative · AI labelView post →Boring, basic, barebones game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A day after launch, Starsand Island's devs address those user agreement, modding, and fake review concerns. Damage control on day one is never fun.
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy Farm'n Friday! Details on the Nature Sprite benefits in Story of Season: Grand Bazaar, a new trailer for tropical farming game Starsand Island, and a few indie farm'n game updates - fogu.com/hm/
neutral · AI labelView post →bland survival game. Just a unity cash grab with a long tutorial. if you dont like to grind for the needed components by breaking things down to the base value the game isnt for you. Its a grind not needed. Game hasent been updated either
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I recently saw a video from Miss Bubbles on YouTube about Starsand Island and absolutely fell in love with the game. Sooo, yeah pledged on Kickstarter. I am sharing it here in hope more people will check out the game. #games #indiegames #indiegame www.kickstarter.com/projects/sta...
positive · AI labelView post →ABANDONED GAME! I think there is still so much that needs to be refined. The game is in a playable state but should not have left alpha so soon. The survival elements are way too harsh for the gameplay to be this clunky and tedious. And it should not have the green tick "Verified" on the Steam Deck. I love this idea of desert survival so I will keep playing, maybe it will grow on me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really liked this game alot! It is a good single solo game kind of a mixture of Subnatica and The Forest. The reason I cannot recommend it is the end of the game, at certain point at the end of the game it is like the developers decided to change the game into a jumping game and drop the parts that made it a fun and interesting game. I might waste a few hours just trying to find places I can jump to and not slip to my death just so I can claim I finished it but after dealing with this…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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