As an avid fan of the best farming games, I'm always looking out for cozy life sims that let me carve out an idyllic existence. Naturally that means I'm desperate to play Fields of Mistria (thanks in no small part to our Features Editor's adoration for it), the anime-inspired game like Stardew Valley which left Early Access in August with the addition of marriage and kids – social sim elements that speak to my romance-loving heart. But as a console player who doesn't own a Steam Deck, a port is my only hope… The wait for that, though, is anyone's guess, with the team looking at a release on other platforms "at a future time".
Fortunately, another big farming-RPG-life-sim-hybrid has just launched on PS5 and Switch 2 after leaving its own Early Access period: Starsand Island. Not unlike Fields of Mistria, I've had Seed Sparkle Lab's cozy adventure on my radar since it was announced last year, and now that it's gotten a host of updates and its wider console launch, I've thrown myself into the pastoral world and its many cute critters. I may only be around five hours in after getting an early code from the publisher, but I'm already surprised by how much there is to do and work towards.
