Have you heard of Starsand Island? It's an upcoming cozy life-sim with anime-inspired characters, and it reminds us of all our favorites with vibes from Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley, to games like Genshin Impact and more.
The developer has now revealed that the Starsand Island release date will fall on February 1, 2026, across consoles and PC. Ahead of this, there's a closed alpha test on the way, and a demo during the upcoming Steam Next Fest, likely in October.
The farm game is filled with your classic cozy affairs - clear out an overgrown area, sow some crops, sell your produce, and pick a romance option from the town's populace. The graphics are a little different from the usual bobble-headed characters we see in cozy games, appearing as a mix of Genshin Impact, the latest Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, and more anime games.
We have a Starsand Island preview you can check out for a proper look at what the game has to offer, but rest assured, you can do everything from fishing to furnishing your home to catching bugs with friends in the fields.
On the game's Kickstarter page, the FAQ section lists Nintendo Switch - along with PlayStation 5 and Xbox - as potential console options. We all know that developer kits haven't been easy to get a hold of for the Switch 2, so it may take a while for the game to make its way over.
Similarly, the game is listed as unknown on Steam Deck compatibility for now, but as the demo goes live, we hope this will get an update. I want nothing more than to shrimp up on the sofa while playing this.
This is definitely on our list of new Switch games to keep an eye on, and may yet make its way to the top of our games like Stardew Valley list.