Starsand Island Developers Deny Accusations of Forging Steam Reviews for Hit Anime Life Sim

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“Initially, we were thrilled that our work was being recognized. However, we quickly spotted a suspicious pattern on Steam: several reviews were being posted with negligible playtime and near-identical timestamps, often featuring language that appears to be AI-generated.”

“This realization was deeply concerning for us.”

While Seed Sparkle Lab admits they lack “concrete evidence” of a coordinated smear or sabotage effort, they noted the activity feels suspiciously deliberate. Manipulation of this sort isn’t cheap, as Steam requires a game purchase to leave a review, though the developer noted that “many of these accounts requested refunds immediately after posting their feedback.”

Claiming both innocence and bewilderment, the studio expressed a desire to “focus solely on crafting a quality experience.” They directly addressed the unknown parties, stating: “Whoever is behind this, we ask that you stop. We aren’t a threat to anyone—please let us develop our game in peace.”

Industry observer and farming sim enthusiast Josh was among the first to flag the anomaly, highlighting dozens of Steam accounts with strikingly similar play histories that were all promoting the game simultaneously.

After examining numerous positive English-language reviews, a clear pattern emerged. In a short period, I identified 15 suspect accounts that appeared to be part of this automated surge.

While many of the profiles Josh mentioned are set to private, those with public histories share undeniable traits. Among them are accounts that own exactly 14 games and have only written a single review—all of which were for Starsand Island. The reviews themselves are written with a stiff, unnatural tone reminiscent of ChatGPT-generated feature lists.

“Rainy days are a blessing since I don’t have to water crops, giving me time to scavenge. I’ve really mastered this adulting thing,” claims one user, Jornina.

“As someone tight on cash, this game is a godsend. It doesn’t nag me for microtransactions every time I want to pet an animal or redecorate,” notes Samma.

“What appears to be a simple farming sim actually boasts significant depth, with building and fishing systems that feel incredibly polished,” adds another reviewer, Inga.

All of these suspect reviews were published after only three to five hours of playtime. Furthermore, many of these accounts showed recent activity in the same obscure titles, such as *Romance of the Three Kingdoms Maker*—a 2015 game with no official English translation—as well as *The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit* and *Project Zomboid*.

Almost all of these profiles were active on February 12, following years of silence since 2021. The evidence strongly suggests a coordinated botting campaign. We have contacted Seed Sparkle, which operates out of China, for more details.

In contrast to the questionable reviews, Emma-Jane writes: “I’ve spent 25 genuine hours in Starsand Island, and it’s the most captivated I’ve been by a cozy game in years.”