If you confronted the barely restrained cynicism in my mind and challenged it to vat-grow a Steam Next Fest hit, an anime life sim RPG would probably be near the top of the list of candidates. It's a cozy, popular, and relatively forgiving genre, so in a sense it's no surprise that – wait for it – anime life sim RPG Starsand Island is proving very popular in the latest Steam demo blowout. That being said, it's also quite fun to play and has some of the best art I've seen in the genre, making it a clear standout in a saturated space.
Starsand Island had a massive Kickstarter earlier this year, with Japanese developer Seed Lab earning over $300,000 all told, and now its Steam Next Fest demo is rolling in over 600 user reviews tallying 87% positive. I've given it a go myself, and even as someone who's generally neutral on life sim games, I have to admit it is very charming and quick to get its hooks in you.
