Gift Guide
Complete gift guide for every NPC in Starsand Island. Covers gift-giving mechanics, affection point values, heart level milestones, universal safe gifts, detailed gift preferences for all 15 romanceable NPCs (with birthdays), all non-romanceable NPCs, and the 4 crossover characters from My Time at Portia and Sandrock.
Overview
Gift-giving is the primary way to build relationships with the residents of Starsand Island. Every NPC has a unique set of preferences: items they love, items they like, and items they dislike or hate. Giving the right gifts consistently is the fastest route to unlocking heart levels, which in turn open up room visits, bulletin board requests, return gifts, and, for romanceable characters, the ability to move in together. This guide covers the mechanics behind gifting, universal safe choices, and detailed preferences for every character in the game.
How Gifting Works
You can give one gift to each NPC per day. Hand them the item directly during a conversation. The affection points you receive depend on the NPC's reaction to the item.
Action | Affection Points |
|---|---|
Daily conversation (no gift) | +5 |
Neutral gift (no strong reaction) | +5 |
Liked gift | +10 |
Loved gift | +15 |
Sugar Painting (portrait gift) | +30 (varies by NPC) |
Easy Bulletin Board request | +15 (approx.) |
Hard Bulletin Board request | +25 to 30 (approx.) |
Side quest or main quest completion | +50 |
Returning a lost item | +20 |
Hated and disliked gifts give 0 affection points but waste the daily gift opportunity. Always check an NPC's preference panel before gifting a new item you are unsure about.
Checking Preferences in Game
Open your Phone and navigate to the Social app. Tap on any NPC's profile, then select the heart symbol labeled Preference to view your discovered gift history. Each item you have previously gifted appears with a reaction icon (heart, smile, or frown). Preferences you have not yet tested remain hidden until you try them.
Heart Level Milestones
As you accumulate affection points, NPCs progress through heart levels. Each level unlocks new interactions.
Hearts | Points Required | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
1 Heart | 90 | Return Gifts: NPC sends items in the mail |
2 Hearts | 220 | Photo Invites: take group photos together |
3 Hearts | 370 | Room Visit: enter their room (may contain a chest) |
4 Hearts | 500 | Bulletin Board Requests |
5 Hearts | Varies | Move-In and Romance (romanceable NPCs only) |
Romanceable NPCs cap at 5 Hearts. Non-romanceable NPCs and the four crossover characters cap at 4 Hearts.
Calendar System
Starsand Island uses a four-season calendar with 28 days per season, totaling 112 days per year. Seasons are: Spring (Month 1), Summer (Month 2), Fall (Month 3), and Winter (Month 4). Birthdays listed in this guide use this format.
Universal Safe Gifts
If you are unsure what to give an NPC, the following items are almost universally well-received. Keep a stock of these for daily gifting rounds.
Item | Notes |
|---|---|
Moonflower | Almost universally loved or liked. One major exception: Loren hates it. |
Pasture Grass | Universally liked by nearly all NPCs. Easy to gather from any meadow. |
Celeste Berry | Universally liked. Foraged from bushes across the island. |
Coconut | Broadly liked by most NPCs. Found on palm trees at the beach. |
Grilled Chicken Wings | Liked by the majority of NPCs. Cooked with chicken meat and cooking oil. |
Plain Noodles | Liked by many NPCs. Simple recipe at any cooking station. |
Warning: Several items are widely hated across the island. Avoid gifting Copper, Red Firefly, and Glazed Cicada unless you know the NPC specifically wants them. Bruce is one of the few characters who actually loves insects.
Romanceable NPCs: Bachelors
There are seven romanceable bachelors in Starsand Island. Each has a birthday and a unique set of loved and liked gifts.
NPC | Birthday | Loved Gifts | Easy Liked Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
Spring 3 | Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Sunveil Shroom, farm crops (Cucumber, Wheat, Garlic, Pumpkin, Potato, Cabbage, Leek), Pasture Grass, Peanuts | Celeste Berry, Grilled Mushrooms, Chilled Twilight Salad | |
Spring 14 | Moonflower, Twilight Succulent, Blue Hydrangea, Light Blue Hydrangea, Purple Moonrise, Yellow Sleep Lily | Celeste Berry, Grilled Mushrooms, Pasture Grass | |
Spring 28 | Fresh Bamboo Shoot, Bamboo, Bamboo Leaf | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Latiao | |
Summer 3 | Blue Hydrangea, Yellow Sleep Lily, Moonflower, Light Blue Hydrangea | Celeste Berry, Grilled Mushrooms, Dragon Fruit | |
Summer 13 | Aurorite Ore | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Mirthshroom, Grilled Chicken Wings | |
Summer 16 | Moonflower, Twilight Succulent, Mirage Sunflower, Spirit Fruit, Midnight Herb, mushrooms (Sunveil, Mirthshroom, Moondew) | Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit, Lamb Skewers | |
Fall 6 | Copper Ingot, Tin Ingot, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Bronze, Magnet, Iron Sheet, Chip, Cappuccino, Iced Americano | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Grilled Chicken Wings, Caco Laco |
Youfang's preferences are uniquely narrow. He is one of the few NPCs who strongly favors bamboo products over flowers or cooked food. Loren is the only romanceable NPC who hates Moonflower; gift him tech items and coffee instead. Aurelis only has one confirmed loved gift (Aurorite Ore), which is rare. Focus on his broad liked list for daily gifting.
Romanceable NPCs: Bachelorettes
There are eight romanceable bachelorettes in Starsand Island.
NPC | Birthday | Loved Gifts | Easy Liked Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
Spring 10 | Animal feeds (Chicken Feed, Rabbit Feed, Duck Feed, Mirth Chicken Feed) | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Baked Potato | |
Spring 17 | Ores and minerals (Stone, Copper Ore, Tin Ore, Quartz, Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Flamecore Ore, Aurorite Ore, Quartzite), Luminfrog Fragment, Piggy Bank, Runebird Fragment | Celeste Berry, Moonflower, Pasture Grass, Pink Hydrangea | |
Summer 11 | Diamond, Velvet, Starflare Core, sachets (Floral, Soothing, Warming) | Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit | |
Summer 13 | Iced Americano, Mocha, Quartz, Copper Ore, Tin Ore, Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Flamecore Ore, Aurorite Ore, Tin | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Coconut, Moonflower | |
Summer 13 | Diamond | Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Celeste Berry, Latiao | |
Fall 16 | Flannel, Linen, Leather, Black Fabric, Green Fabric, River Lotus | Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Celeste Berry, Grilled Fish | |
Fall 26 | Strawberry Mousse, Tiramisu | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Latiao | |
Winter 18 | Black Tea Macaron | Moonflower, Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Fenta |
Pastelle is easiest to gift early in the game since animal feeds are cheap and readily available from her own shop. Zerine loves ores, making her a natural match if you explore the Moonlit Forest regularly. Alex and Serena both love Diamond, but this is a rare resource; stick to their liked lists for daily gifts. Neona and Alex share a birthday on Summer 13, along with Aurelis.
Non-Romanceable NPCs
These residents cannot be romanced but still offer friendship rewards up to 4 Hearts, including return gifts, photos, room visits, and bulletin board requests.
NPC | Role | Loved Gifts | Easy Liked Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
Pastelle's brother | Moonflower, Midnight Herb, insects (Red Firefly, Solarwing Butterfly, Glazed Cicada, Emerald Hornscarab), mushrooms | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Coconut, Frost Fizz | |
Rancher, Pastelle's father | (No confirmed loved gifts) | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Pickled Leek | |
Coffee shop worker | Moonflower, Diamond, Moondew Shroom, Pink Sleep Lily | Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Coconut, Coconut Latte | |
Retired teacher, Zerine's grandmother | Sleep Lily Seeds (all types), Purple Moonrise, Wheat Seeds | Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Milk | |
Coast Guard | Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit, Moonflower, Coconut, Pasture Grass, Mirthshroom, Twilight Succulent, Pumpkin, Yellow Sleep Lily | Grilled Chicken Wings, Scallop, Tiger Puffer | |
Moonflower, Pasture Grass, Moondew Shroom, Leek, Water Spinach | Celeste Berry, Caco Laco, Strawberry Milk | ||
Loren's sister, artist | Blonde Doll, Pink Fox Plushie, jams (Watermelon, Pineapple, Banana), Yo-Yo, Sheep Plushie, Mini 4WD | Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Celeste Berry, French Fries | |
Longtime Resident | Plain Noodles, Mountain & Sea Skewers, Grilled Chicken Wings, Chilled Twilight Salad, Grilled Mushrooms, Lamb Skewers, Baked Potato | Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Moonflower, Latiao | |
Retired seed shop owner, Graminova's father | Cucumber, Peanut, Moonflower, Pasture Grass, Pickled Cabbage, Yellow Sleep Lily, Red Sleep Lily | Celeste Berry, BC Milk, Grilled Chicken Wings, Ripening Fertilizer I |
Bruce is unique among NPCs because he actually loves insects (Red Firefly, Glazed Cicada, Emerald Hornscarab) that most other characters hate. Save your bug catches for him. Regis is one of the easiest non-romanceable NPCs to befriend since he loves many common cooked dishes. Momo prefers toys and dolls, which can be purchased from certain shops or found in treasure chests.
Crossover Characters
Four characters from Pathea Games' My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock appear in Starsand Island as visitors. They arrive after the Train Station is repaired and are capped at 4 Hearts (non-romanceable). Their original voice actors return for these cameos.
NPC | From | Arrives | Loved/Liked Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
My Time at Portia | Summer 23, after Train Station repair | Moonflower, Blue Hydrangea, Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit, Cucumber | |
My Time at Portia | Summer 23, after Train Station repair | Sheep Plushie (loved), Pink Fox Plushie (loved), Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Berry Daifuku | |
My Time at Sandrock | Fall 1, after Train Station repair | Echo Bean, Moonflower, Midnight Herb, Spirit Fruit, Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry | |
My Time at Sandrock | Fall 1, after Train Station repair | Moonflower (loved), Blue Hydrangea (loved), River Lotus (loved), Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry |
Gust and Ginger arrive together on Summer 23. Gust lives across the street from Bloom Atelier in the northeast area, while Ginger stays at Unit 308, south of the town square. She tends to stay indoors during rainy weather. Fang and Nia arrive together on the first day of Fall. Fang lives in a house on the far west side of the island overlooking the sea, while Nia moves in near Serena's home.
Sugar Paintings
Sugar Paintings are a special gift type that provides +30 affection, double the value of a loved gift. To obtain one, you need a photo of the NPC taken at 2 Hearts or higher. Bring the photo to the Tanghua Master (a visiting merchant), who creates a Sugar Painting portrait for 100 coins. You can obtain one Sugar Painting per day. This is the most efficient single-gift affection boost in the game.
Tips and Strategies
Start each day with a gifting round. Talk to every NPC you pass (+5 affection each) and give gifts to your priority characters.
Grow Moonflowers on your farm for a reliable supply of the most universally loved gift in the game.
Keep a stack of Celeste Berries, Pasture Grass, and Coconuts in your inventory as backup gifts for NPCs whose preferences you have not yet discovered.
Once you reach 2 Hearts with a character, take their photo and use Sugar Paintings for the biggest single-gift affection boost (+30 points).
Complete Bulletin Board requests when available. Hard requests give 25 to 30 affection points, which stacks well with daily gifting.
If you want to befriend crossover characters, repair the Train Station as early as possible. Gust and Ginger arrive in Summer, while Fang and Nia arrive in Fall.
Check the Social app on your Phone regularly to track which gift reactions you have discovered for each NPC.
Avoid gifting Copper, Red Firefly, and Glazed Cicada to anyone unless you know they specifically like those items. Bruce is the only character who appreciates insects.