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There is no shortage of cosy games on the PS5. You could probably exclusively play that genre, and still find enough content to keep you occupied until the end of the generation.
But in a crowded market, I do think the Ghibli-inspired Starsand Island stands out. It’s launching on 18th August.
This anime life sim has all the elements you’d expect from the genre: fishing, gardening, furnishing, and so on – but it’s got a more “grown-up” aesthetic to it, inspired by slice-of-life mangas and the like.
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While it’s been available in Early Access on other platforms since February, the full release will feature tons more character interactions, including minigames like kite flying, picnics, and arcade games.
You can even join your friends online if you want to, with support for up to four players.
And it sounds like the dev is beginning to explore the concept of seasonal updates, as there’ll be a pumpkin carnival coming this autumn, with exclusive decorations and rewards. This kind of seasonal support always makes sense for life sim games like this.
I really love the aesthetic of this game, and the variety of activities available at launch seems good.
I should also stress that a physical version will also be launching on 12th November, so if you’d rather wait for that to add it to your collection, pre-orders are available now.
There’s quite a few of these types of games I want to check out, but I think I’m definitely going to give this a go once I get a chance.