🔴 LATEST UPDATE (Feb 14): We have received a response from the game’s representatives. [Read the Status Update on our Official Inquiry here].
Editor’s Note: This is Part 3 of our investigation. If you missed the start, check out [Part 1] and [Part 2].
The cozy gaming world was supposed to be a sanctuary, but Starsand Island is currently at the center of a digital storm. The game recently celebrated a massive 600,000 wishlist milestone on Steam, a figure that rivals major AAA titles. However, behind this success lies a complex mix of botting scandals and a money trail leading to some of the industry’s largest tech conglomerates.
The “Overpraise” Mystery
Since its February 11 launch, independent analysts and players have flagged unusual review patterns. Community reports indicate that dozens of positive reviews appeared simultaneously, with many seeming to be AI-generated and referencing multiplayer features that are not yet fully implemented in the early access build.
Seed Lab has denied involvement. In a formal Steam announcement, they described the activity as a potential overpraise attack. They suggested the surge may be an intentional attempt by a third party to get the game flagged for manipulation, though they admitted they currently lack concrete evidence of the perpetrator’s intent.
The Money Trail: Big Tech Backing vs. Creative Freedom
Seed Lab has consistently marketed itself as a small student-led team, a narrative that helped them raise $311,566 from 5,306 Kickstarter backers.
However, a September 2025 interview confirmed the studio was founded with investment from Kingsoft and Seasun Games (the giants behind Mecha BREAK). Seed Lab has addressed this head-on, with a representative (Mia_Seed Lab) stating on Discord:
“Investment does not equal control over our creative direction… we are an independent studio and not a subsidiary of any conglomerate. The decisions regarding gameplay and monetization remain 100% ours.”
Timeline Analysis: A Case of “Perceived Transparency Gaps”?
The core of the controversy lies in the timing of these financial disclosures in public, which some fan forums have identified as a transparency gap:
- April 2025: Seed Lab appeals to the public on Kickstarter, claiming their current budget only covers the core project.
- May 2025: The studio accepts over $311,000 in grassroots funding for stretch goals.
- September 2025: The Director admits the studio was founded with investment from tech giants.
This sequence has led many to question why a studio with massive institutional backing would seek hundreds of thousands of dollars from fans. Analysts suggest this is often done to minimize corporate risk while using the indie label to gain better visibility in Steam’s algorithms.
Technical Red Flags
Community skepticism has been further fueled by reported technical discoveries. Players on Steam and Reddit claim to have uncovered Seasun metadata within the game’s internal files, noting that the game client attempts to contact domains registered to Kingsoft. While these technical links have not been independently verified by The Phrasemaker, they have significantly damaged the scrappy indie narrative.
The Current Verdict
UPDATE (Feb 13): The development team has since issued an official second statement regarding the review controversy, claiming they are “disheartened” by the fake reviews and are working with Valve to remove them. However, the studio has yet to specifically address the technical Seasun/Kingsoft metadata links uncovered in this report. [Read the full official second statement here].
Whether the suspicious reviews were malicious outside attacks or part of a coordinated marketing strategy remains unproven. What is clear, however, is that the trust between the indie developer and the community is currently thinner than a grain of star-sand.
UPDATE (Feb 14): Our formal inquiry has been submitted. [Follow the Status Update here] for the latest on the PR response.