The third week of February on Steam brought a flurry of titles worthy of your attention. We saw the latest project from the developer of The Binding of Isaac, 'Mugenicus', racking up healthy sales and praise. Meanwhile, 'Yakuza Kiwami 3' is finding itself in 'Mixed' territory, while the 'Hellfire Edition' of 'Diablo 2' with its new character class is winning over the crowd. Among these, the one that truly stands out is the life simulation game 'Starsand Island', which kicked off its Early Access journey on the 12th.

Starsand Island is firmly rooted in the life and farming simulation subgenre. Don't go in expecting the density of systems found in 'inZOI' or 'The Sims' series; if you need a point of reference, it leans much closer to the crop-focused loop of 'Stardew Valley'.

You start by choosing between a male or female character. Your gender dictates your initial wardrobe, which is admittedly a bit sparse at first. As you earn currency and tick off quests, you'll unlock a broader range of outfits. After tweaking your hair and eye colour to taste, you are dropped straight into the world of Starsand Island.

Starsand Island is both the name of the game and the island you call home. The place is vast enough that walking everywhere becomes a chore, so you'll eventually rely on transport like scooters or ostriches. You play a returnee who spent childhood here before heading to the city, only to find your childhood friend 'Solara' waiting to guide you through your first few quests.

The game features five distinct professions: Crafter, Farmer, Angler, Rancher, and Explorer. Your ultimate objective is to climb the ranks in each, from a mere apprentice to a seasoned expert. You’ll mostly level these up by completing NPC requests, which in turn grants you the blueprints and skills needed to craft better gear and furniture.

The Explorer role is exactly what it says on the tin: you'll be scouting the island, discovering mines, and gathering raw materials. Take the Moonlit Forest, for example—it's a treasure trove of copper, quartz, wild herbs, and mushrooms. Since these materials are the backbone of all production, the Explorer is arguably the most essential role. You’ll also stumble upon loot crates and the occasional skirmish with bizarre wildlife.

The next pillar is the Crafter. They are the backbone of the economy, manufacturing the tools and workbenches everyone else needs. As you level up, you gain access to superior materials, allowing for advanced furnaces, looms, and armour stations. Space management is key here; since your inventory is limited and you’ll be darting between workbenches, I suggest clustering your stations and storage boxes in one dedicated zone.

Farmers and Ranchers are separate professions, but they share a beautiful synergy. You'll be managing various crops, each with different growth times, though you can use fertilizer to speed things up. You'll need to keep a watchful eye out for weeds and pests that threaten your harvest—if you don't clear them, your yield will suffer.

This is where the Rancher really shines. You can keep rabbits, chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs. In a nice twist, the rabbits eat the weeds and the chickens gobble up the pests, keeping your farm tidy. It’s a cute, low-stress alternative to manual labour, though you’ll still need to source and craft specific feed for each animal, which can be a bit of a grind.

The loop is all about mastering these professions and living a comfortable life. The game’s aesthetic is its strongest suit—charming, pastel-toned, and utterly adorable. There is also a full four-season cycle. While the crops turn brown in autumn and snow blankets the ground in winter, it’s mostly visual flair rather than a gameplay-altering mechanic that forces your crops to wither.

Once you've made enough coin, you can buy extra plots of land to build your dream home. The construction system is surprisingly robust—you lay a grid and use your mouse to snap walls and roofs into place. You can customise everything from the grass surface to ivy-covered roofs and the materials of your walls. It’s highly granular, which means a lot of fiddling, but if you're feeling lazy, there are presets. Just make sure you have all the required materials and furniture stocked up.

As of the 16th, Starsand Island holds a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam (86% positive). Fans are calling it "fun and cuter than expected," praising the character and animal designs, and noting that the housing system has more depth than the casual art style suggests. That said, it is Early Access, so expect the occasional nasty bug and some clunky camera work or character animations.