My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is fixed in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam, which has 1,700 reviews at 91% positive after 1 day in Early Access

Starsand Island, the charming new "carefree" take on Stardew Valley from Chinese developer Seed Sparkle Lab, is finally available to play via Early Access on Steam and Xbox Preview – and unsurprisingly, it's a hit with the cozy community already.

For anyone who hasn't heard of the wholesome new title yet, Starsand Island is a life sim with just about everything we've ever wanted to see in one – including, um, the ability to fly around on a hoverboard?

It's certainly unique with all of its features, and it's already proving to be a genre gem. After releasing into Early Access yesterday, the indie game has managed to rack up a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, with nearly 2,000 reviews.

Starsand Island | Early Access Launch Trailer - YouTube

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"Barely touched the surface of this game," reads one, "but I get so locked in on this game that I feel like never putting it down. Can't wait for it to be released fully."

Others echo similar statements, with one wording my own personal thoughts – Starsand Island fixes an issue I still have with Stardew Valley and other sim genre giants: that you can usually only save if you're going to bed, or the night swaps to the next morning.

"Finally, a farming/life Sim game that lets you save whenever you want instead of locking it behind sleeping for the day," one such review explains. "11/10 – no way I'm uninstalling this masterpiece." Honestly, I can't overstate how much I feel this comment.

Plenty of others praise other features of Starsand Island, too, such as its "cute items" and customization.

It is, however, important to note that there's been a bit of drama surrounding the game. As Seed Sparkle Lab itself acknowledges in an announcement, there have seemingly been a good few "artificial" positive reviews left on Steam from allegedly fake accounts. Although this looks like a genuine possibility, I've sifted through much of the feedback myself and find that most of it comes from real users.

I myself have been dabbling in some Starsand Island shenanigans as well and can confirm it'll be eating up plenty of my hours in the days to come.

Looking for something else to wishlist? Be sure to browse our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond for even more to anticipate.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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