Dante
Editor-in-Chief at BrandAnimeDante is Editor-in-Chief (Lord Hokage), which means he runs editorial and operations at BrandAnime. That means this whole thing was his idea, and he spends...
Last Updated on February 10, 2026 by Dante
Starsand Island is a farming and life sim game that’s set to launch on February 11th, 2025.
If you didn’t know, Starsand Island is a huge Kickstarter success story, raising $311,566 USD from 5,306 backers, with its original goal being $250,000 USD.
How did they do it and amass a global following?
I talked to their development team, Golton Gao (Technical Director), and Richado Wang to learn more about the strategy behind their Kickstarter campaign, the early development process, and some guidance indie devs can learn from this project.
What motivated your team to launch Starsand Island through Kickstarter instead of using another funding model or a publisher?
Golton Gao: We believe great games are born from the interaction between creators and players. Kickstarter offered more than just funding, it allowed us to hear directly from players and understand what matters to them. Their feedback helps shape the game as it develops.
How did you decide on your pledge tiers and rewards during campaign planning? What was the most challenging part of structuring them?
Richado Wang: This was our first crowdfunding campaign. To get it right, we studied how similar games structured their tiers and rewards and drew lessons from their experiences. We then customized the tiers and rewards specifically for Starsand Island. The toughest part was making the rewards feel meaningful while giving players a genuine sense of participation.
What risks did you identify before launching the campaign, and how did you plan to manage those risks for backers?
Golton Gao: As a new team with a completely new IP, we had a limited player base at the start. Our focus was on making the core concept appealing. While growth was slow initially, the number of backers picked up significantly as the campaign progressed.
How did backer feedback influence the campaign or any of the game’s features while the campaign was live?
Richado Wang: Backers shared many ideas, like adding more region-inspired outfits and furniture, more animals for farming, and a wider variety of fish. Our resources were limited, but their enthusiasm encouraged us to commit more to meet these expectations.
What communication strategy did you use to keep backers updated during the campaign and throughout development?
Golton Gao: We maintained close contact with players by posting regular updates and replying to comments throughout the campaign. Afterward, we continued sharing development news on the Kickstarter community page so backers always knew our plans and progress.
Since your team is based in China and your audience is global, how did you build trust and maintain clear communication with backers in different regions?
Richado Wang: Although we’re a Chinese team, we believe that players everywhere share the same love for great games. We also have team members who understand different cultural backgrounds. We collect feedback in real time, respond actively, and update the game based on suggestions. When players see these changes reflected in the game, it builds trust.
After surpassing your funding goal, how did you decide which extra features to add and which ones to postpone?
Golton Gao: Once we exceeded our goal, we decided to add houseboats, additional character skins, and new vehicles.
How do you balance introducing new stretch goals with staying focused on the core gameplay experience that was originally promised?
Richado Wang: We made sure that all additions remained closely tied to the core experience. For example, houseboats are still customizable vehicles that operate within the same resource systems. Players can use resources earned from planting, ranching, mining, crafting, and cooking to decorate and upgrade their houseboats. Furniture and outfits also feed into the main fantasy of living an ideal rural life, keeping the core gameplay intact.
Have any features changed significantly since the Kickstarter campaign ended? What led to those changes?
Golton Gao: During the campaign, players requested more character customization options. We planned accordingly. After testing at Steam Next Fest, it became clear that players wanted even more freedom and a richer range of options. The demand was obvious, so we expanded the system, even though it added significant development workload and complexity. We want the game to match the vision players have in mind.
How did you allocate the Kickstarter funding across areas like art, development, localization, testing, and marketing?
Richado Wang: For us, the game experience itself is the top priority. A strong product is the best marketing. Most of the funds went to art and development in the first phase, allowing us to deliver a complete, polished demo. That demo earned us recognition, and our Steam wishlist has now surpassed 460,000.
Looking ahead to your planned release window of February 1, 2026, what do you see as the biggest challenges that could affect the timeline?
Golton Gao: Starsand Island has many complex systems and a lot of content. Polishing each part takes time. Delivering a fully refined game is our biggest challenge.
How do you manage expectations between Kickstarter backer rewards, early access builds, and the final public launch version of the game?
Richado Wang: Players want a farming game that meets their expectations. We keep them updated on development progress. After Kickstarter, we ran an alpha test and delivered most of the promised content. This met backer expectations and also gave us feedback for the early access version. As early access approaches, players have a clearer idea of the final game. We respond quickly to feedback, implement what we can, and move into the next development phase.
What marketing or community-building did you do before launching the Kickstarter to help ensure such a strong start?
Golton Gao: We didn’t do much community building before the campaign because most of our time was spent on development. Instead, we invited content creators to try the early version, and their coverage helped attract many backers.
Now that the campaign is complete, how are you continuing to use the backer community to build awareness for the game?
Richado Wang: We continued updating the community even after the campaign ended. To our surprise, new players are still discovering the game via Kickstarter. We are grateful for that and aim to continue serving the community, responding to their needs, and answering questions. We want the final game to live up to their expectations.
Golton Gao: We plan pre-orders and DLC inspired by rural lifestyles from different regions around the world.
Looking back at the Kickstarter campaign, what would you do differently if you had to run it again?
Richado Wang: We would prepare more voting options for players; the polls were a bit rushed. Next time, we’d have more categories so more players could participate and enjoy the interaction.
What advice would you give indie studios, especially teams in Asia, who want to launch a global Kickstarter campaign?
Golton Gao: Make the core concept and demo as appealing as possible. That’s the foundation. Then build a strong community and gather people who truly love your idea.
Finally, what should fans and backers be most excited about as Starsand Island moves toward launch, and what part of the campaign are you personally most proud of?
Richado Wang: Starsand Island will offer a warm, relaxing fairytale farming journey. We’re most proud of the passionate community we’ve built. They love farming games as much as we do and have given us many valuable ideas and insights.
Get Starsand Island on February 11th!
Dante is Editor-in-Chief (Lord Hokage), which means he runs editorial and operations at BrandAnime. That means this whole thing was his idea, and he spends his time making stuff work and covering the latest anime and games. When he's not doing 100 things at once, he's usually... watching anime or playing games. His life isn't that interesting, honestly.
- Latest Posts by Dante
-
We’ve Talked to the Oceanhorn 3 Dev Team & Uncovered Some Fascinating Truths About This Beautiful Project and Indie Dev
- -
Minishoot’ Adventures is Out Now on Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Consoles
- -
Denshattack! Reveals June 17 Launch Date and Adds Nintendo Switch 2 to Its Launch Ticket
- All Posts
