I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Starsand. It was a wonderful and memorable experience.

I see a lot of the critical reviews stating that this is a very niche sort of survival crafting game very few will like, with some saying its best left to those who love the genre and have already played everything else. Well, this is my first game in the genre and its made me realize I enjoy this type of game, though I can still understand the reasoning behind that sort of opinion. And now I worry that perhaps nothing else will give me the same enjoyment I had playing this hidden gem.

Because while Starsand can be tough, is always tense and high stakes... It's not fast paced, nor is is it primarily an action game. In fact the only combat there is, is simply a mechanic to force you to keep moving and reinforce the idea that its dangerous to linger for too long in one spot (until you're in a much better position to hold your ground, at least).

When it all began I was cast into the cruel and unforgiving desert with nothing but the clothes on my back and a small water bottle. But each and every little bit of progress I eked out in the harsh landscape was rewarding — from marking and filling out the map, to gathering supplies and learning how to make the most basic things, to learning more progressively complex crafts, to finding my camel friend, to eventually extending the caravan to 3 camels, to riding a sandboard along the dunes for fun after a long day in the desert, to catching and collecting bugs, to building a sprawling oasis home to call my own and thriving there, to finally triumphing against the odds and learning why I was here in the first place. I enjoyed every moment of it.

The story is compact but brilliant from start to finish and the poignant ending is something that I will remember for a long time. The way it unfolds felt truly magical, and the upgrades you get from a certain point forward opened up the world in a way I never would have expected. Every single piece of the puzzle interlocks in a thoughtful and imaginative way, meshing the gameplay and the story together to make for a truly immersive experience.

The atmosphere is fantastic, as well. The sound design is good, with a minimalist but effective soundtrack. The environment, as sparse as it can be at times, is gorgeous. The dual moons at night and the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking, and while there is an awful lot of sand that's not all there is to see. There are far more sights (and sites) to encounter than one might expect at first.

Perhaps the threat of getting lost in a sea of endless sand, the long treks from place to place, the harsh sun and the constant threat of dying of thirst and excessive heat will deter some but for me that early game struggle was part of the magic. The exploration was a lot of fun and the air of mystery was excellent. But then, when I had explored everything and landmarked it all and always knew where I was there was a special sense of accomplishment in that — something that really made me feel as though I belonged in this hostile wasteland, that it had become my home. And to that end I built a fine one.

That's another thing about Starsand I appreciated. There's no need at all to make yourself a home. You can simply throw a tent down and be done with it. But the ability to make something elaborate and with a personal touch truly added a layer of enjoyment that wouldn't have been there if building had solely been used as a required mechanic for survival.

Starsand definitely is a survival game with crafting and base building but I believe its best described as a mediative game rather than an action one. Because at its heart, Starsand is a lonely, desolate, existential, solitary meditation on the cosmos. And I fell in love with this brutal world and its history, its magic.

That tainted, desiccated desert; it's deadly, but its beautiful. And I love it there.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Starsand. It was a wonderful and memorable experience. I see a lot of the critical reviews stating that this is a very niche sort of survival crafting game very few will like, with some saying its best left to those who love the genre and have already played everything else. Well, this is my first game in the genre and its made me realize I enjoy this type of game, though I can still understand the reasoning behind that sort of opinion. And now I worry that perhaps nothing else will give me the same enjoyment I had playing this hidden gem. Because while Starsand can be tough, is always tense and high stakes... It's not fast paced, nor is is it primarily an action game. In fact the only combat there is, is simply a mechanic to force you to keep moving and reinforce the idea that its dangerous to linger for too long in one spot (until you're in a much better position to hold your ground, at least). When it all began I was cast into the cruel and unforgiving desert with nothing but the clothes on my back and a small water bottle. But each and every little bit of progress I eked out in the harsh landscape was rewarding — from marking and filling out the map, to gathering supplies and learning how to make the most basic things, to learning more progressively complex crafts, to finding my camel friend, to eventually extending the caravan to 3 camels, to riding a sandboard along the dunes for fun after a long day in the desert, to catching and collecting bugs, to building a sprawling oasis home to call my own and thriving there, to finally triumphing against the odds and learning why I was here in the first place. I enjoyed every moment of it. The story is compact but brilliant from start to finish and the poignant ending is something that I will remember for a long time. The way it unfolds felt truly magical, and the upgrades you get from a certain point forward opened up the world in a way I never would have expected. Every single piece of the puzzle interlocks in a thoughtful and imaginative way, meshing the gameplay and the story together to make for a truly immersive experience. The atmosphere is fantastic, as well. The sound design is good, with a minimalist but effective soundtrack. The environment, as sparse as it can be at times, is gorgeous. The dual moons at night and the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking, and while there is an awful lot of sand that's not all there is to see. There are far more sights (and sites) to encounter than one might expect at first. Perhaps the threat of getting lost in a sea of endless sand, the long treks from place to place, the harsh sun and the constant threat of dying of thirst and excessive heat will deter some but for me that early game struggle was part of the magic. The exploration was a lot of fun and the air of mystery was excellent. But then, when I had explored everything and landmarked it all and always knew where I was there was a special sense of accomplishment in that — something that really made me feel as though I belonged in this hostile wasteland, that it had become my home. And to that end I built a fine one. That's another thing about Starsand I appreciated. There's no need at all to make yourself a home. You can simply throw a tent down and be done with it. But the ability to make something elaborate and with a personal touch truly added a layer of enjoyment that wouldn't have been there if building had solely been used as a required mechanic for survival. Starsand definitely is a survival game with crafting and base building but I believe its best described as a mediative game rather than an action one. Because at its heart, Starsand is a lonely, desolate, existential, solitary meditation on the cosmos. And I fell in love with this brutal world and its history, its [i]magic[/i]. That tainted, desiccated desert; it's deadly, but its beautiful. And I love it there.