Romance Guide

Overview

All 15 characters on Starsand Island can be romanced regardless of your character's gender. The romance system uses a 5-heart affection meter that you build through daily conversations, gift-giving, completing quests, and fulfilling Bulletin Board requests. NPCs observe who you spend time with, what you gift and to whom, and how you treat others; they will bring it up in conversation.

You can track your affection level with any NPC by opening the Social app on your in-game phone. Each character's profile shows your current heart level and a "Bond" indicator beneath their portrait. The Social tab also shows each NPC's current location via the Map's Residents icon, so you can find anyone quickly without memorizing their daily schedules.

Early Access Note

The full dating system is not yet implemented in the current Early Access build. You can raise affection and unlock all five heart levels, but expanded dating content (dates, deeper romantic events, marriage, and children) is scheduled for future updates. Everything below about heart levels, gifts, and shared outings works now; additional romantic mechanics will be added later.

Two characters sitting under a tree at sunset on Starsand Island

Heart Levels

Each romanceable NPC has five heart levels. Reaching a new heart requires accumulating a specific number of total affection points. The values below are cumulative totals, meaning each level includes all the points you earned for previous levels.

Level	Cumulative Points	Points for This Level	What Unlocks
1 Heart	90	90	Characters start gifting you items during daily interactions. Basic dialogue options expand and new conversation topics appear.
2 Hearts	220	130	You can invite the NPC to take a group photo together. This is a dedicated interaction separate from the normal camera mode.
3 Hearts	370	150	You can enter the NPC's bedroom. Each bedroom contains a treasure chest with exclusive decor and character-themed items inside. Shared outings also unlock at this level: Hot Springs visits, bike rides, backyard swings, and drinks.
4 Hearts	770	400	The NPC posts requests on the Bulletin Board specifically for you. Completing these gives character-specific items as rewards.
5 Hearts	~1,520	~750	You can ask them to move in with you. They come home when done with daily activities and help around your farm. They will also follow you around the map if you ask.

The jump from 3 Hearts to 4 Hearts is significant, requiring roughly 400 additional points. The final push from 4 Hearts to 5 Hearts is even larger at approximately 750 points. Players should plan their daily interactions carefully during these later stages, as progress can feel slow if you rely on gifts alone. Combining daily chats, loved gifts, Bulletin Board requests, and profession quests is the most efficient approach.

Note: The exact threshold for 5 Hearts has not been officially confirmed by the developers and player-reported values vary slightly. The values in this table are based on community testing and may be adjusted in future patches.

Earning Affection

There are several ways to gain affection points with characters. You can only give one gift per day per NPC, but you can gift different NPCs on the same day. Affection from non-gift sources (chatting, quests, lost items) stacks on top of the daily gift, so you can earn well over 15 points per character per day if you plan ahead.

Method	Points	Notes
Daily chat	+5	Talk to the character once per day. Free affection that requires no items. Chatting with all 15 romanceable NPCs daily yields 75 free points across the cast.
Gift (loved)	+15	Give a gift the character loves. The maximum daily gift bonus. Check the Gift Guide for each NPC's favorites.
Gift (liked)	+10	Give a gift the character likes. Solid when you do not have access to their loved items.
Gift (neutral)	+5	Give a gift the character has no strong opinion about. Same as daily chat, so only use as a last resort.
Gift (disliked/hated)	0	No affection gained, but also no affection lost. The game does not penalize you for bad gifts, though NPCs will express displeasure in dialogue.
Bulletin Board (easy)	+15	Simple fetch or delivery requests posted on the Bulletin Board. Quick to complete and a reliable affection source.
Bulletin Board (difficult)	+25 to +30	Harder requests that require rarer materials or more steps. Worth the extra effort for the higher affection payout.
Returning lost items	+20	Return lost items you find on the island to their owner. These appear randomly in the overworld. Always pick them up and deliver them promptly.
Completing quests	+50	Main story or profession quests. The largest single-action affection boost available. Profession quests for mentors count double as progression and affection building.

Daily Affection Cap

There is no hard daily cap on total affection earned. However, you can only give one gift per NPC per day, and the daily chat bonus applies once. In a perfect day where you give a loved gift (+15), chat (+5), complete a profession quest (+50), and turn in a Bulletin Board request (+25), you could earn up to 95 points with a single NPC. Realistically, most days you will earn between 20 and 30 points per focused NPC.

All Romanceable Characters

There are 15 romanceable characters: 7 bachelors and 8 bachelorettes. Five of them double as profession mentors, which makes them easier to romance because you naturally earn affection through profession quests. For full character bios, backstories, and daily schedules, see the Characters article.

Bachelors

Character	Role / Location	Loved Gifts	Liked Gifts
Aurelis	Chef, Aureleaf Kitchen	Aurorite Ore	Coconut, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom, Blue Hydrangea, Celeste Berry
Delphin	Angler Mentor, AquaBlue Outpost	Red Tulip, Moonflower, Twilight Succulent, Blue Hydrangea, Yellow Sleep Lily	Light Blue Hydrangea, Purple Hydrangea, Dragon Fruit, Grilled Mushrooms, Peanut
Graminova	Farmer Mentor, Happiness Seed Shop	Cucumber, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom	Wheat, Garlic, Pumpkin, Water Spinach, Cabbage, Wheat Seeds
Loren	Arcade Owner, Chrono Arcade	Copper Ingot, Tin Ingot, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, Cappuccino, Iced Americano	Star Ramen, Grilled Fish, Chilled Twilight Salad, Crispy Mushrooms
Sylvain	Music Shop Owner, Silvan Notes	Blue Hydrangea, Light Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower	Moondew Shroom, Water Spinach, Chilled Twilight Salad
Youfang	Fortune Teller, Barston Heights	Bamboo Leaf, Bamboo	Blue Hydrangea, Celeste Berry, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom, Dragon Fruit
Zephyria	Explorer Mentor, Exploration Club	Moondew Shroom, Mirthshroom, Moonflower	Celeste Berry, Glazed Cicada, Pink Hydrangea, Luminfrog Fragment

Bachelorettes

Character	Role / Location	Loved Gifts	Liked Gifts
Alex	Woodworker, Lex Woodworks	Diamond	Crispy Noodles, Latiao, Softwood, Grilled Chicken Wings, Twilight Succulent, Red Tulip, Berry Daifuku, Hot Dry Noodles, Coconut, Hardwood
Lunelle	Fashion Designer, Ethereal Styles	Flannel, Linen	Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Chilled Twilight Salad
Neona	Mechanic, G-Power Bike	Iced Americano, Mocha, Quartz, Copper Ore, Tin Ore, Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Flamecore Ore, Aurorite Ore	Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom, Grilled Chicken Wings
Pastelle	Rancher Mentor, Green Pasture Ranch	Rabbit Feed	Mirthshroom, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom, Twilight Succulent
Serena	Stylist, Bloom Atelier	Velvet, Diamond, Starflare Core	Potato, Blue Hydrangea, Light Blue Hydrangea
Solara	Community Assistant, Community Center	Strawberry Mousse	Dragon Fruit, Twilight Succulent, Wishful Heart Cookies, Jelly
Stella	Pet Shop Owner, Woof & Wow Pets	Black Tea Macaron	Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Fries, Pasture Grass
Zerine	Crafter Mentor, General Store	Stone, Quartz, Gold Ore, Quartzite, Luminfrog Fragment, Piggy Bank, Runebird Fragment	Blue Hydrangea, Grilled Chicken Wings, Pasture Grass

Gift tip: Moonflower is loved or liked by almost every romanceable NPC on the island. Growing Moonflowers in the Moonlit Forest and keeping a stack on hand makes an excellent fallback gift for any character. The only notable exception is Loren, who prefers metal ingots and coffee drinks over flowers.

Profession Mentors and Romance

Five of the 15 romanceable NPCs also serve as profession mentors. Romancing a mentor is significantly easier than romancing a non-mentor NPC because profession quests award +50 affection each, and you naturally complete these quests as part of normal profession progression. This means you can earn large affection boosts without going out of your way.

Mentor	Profession	Why Easier to Romance
Graminova	Farming	Farming quests are completed naturally as you grow crops. His loved gifts (Cucumber, Moonflower) are easy to farm yourself.
Delphin	Fishing	Fishing profession quests overlap with daily fishing trips. His loved gifts include flowers that are easy to forage.
Pastelle	Ranching	Ranching quests involve animals you are already caring for. Rabbit Feed is craftable once you have rabbits.
Zerine	Crafting	Crafting quests are completed while building furniture and tools. Her loved gifts (Stone, Quartz, Gold Ore) are common gathering materials.
Zephyria	Exploration	Exploration quests reward affection while you discover new areas. His loved gifts (Moondew Shroom, Mirthshroom) are foraged during expeditions.

If you are looking to romance a non-mentor NPC, expect slower progression since you will not have the +50 quest bonuses as a regular source of affection. In that case, prioritize daily loved gifts, daily chats, and Bulletin Board requests to compensate.

Shared Outings

At 3 Hearts, you unlock shared outings with that character. These are social activities you can invite NPCs to participate in. Shared outings are a way to spend time together outside of normal gift-giving and chatting. To initiate a shared outing, talk to the NPC and select the outing option from the conversation menu.

Activity	Details
Hot Springs Visit	Visit the Hot Springs together in the Maple Reed area near Waverin's home. A relaxing social event that doubles as stamina recovery.
Bike Ride	Ride around the island together on a bike. Both characters share the ride and you can explore while spending time together.
Backyard Swing	Sit on the swing in your farm's backyard together. A casual interaction that can be done any time the NPC is visiting.
Drinks	Share a drink together at a social spot. A simple interaction available at multiple locations around the island.
TV Watching	Watch TV together at your house or the NPC's home. Available once you have a TV set up through the building system.
Sleepover	Spend the night at each other's homes. One of the more intimate shared outings available before the move-in stage.

Shared outings are not required to progress through heart levels, but they add flavor to the relationship and provide additional dialogue scenes. The game's relationship system is designed around dynamic interactions where NPCs react to your choices and remember what activities you have done together.

NPC Bedrooms and Chests

Reaching 3 Hearts with an NPC unlocks access to their private bedroom. Each bedroom contains treasure chests with exclusive rewards. These chests are one of the best reasons to invest in raising affection with multiple characters, even if you only plan to romance one.

Chest Types

Each NPC bedroom contains two types of chests. The first is a single-use treasure chest (regular wooden appearance) containing exclusive home decor items and blueprints related to that character's specialty. The second is a weekly chest (blue and grey appearance) that refreshes every week with collectible items. Both chests disappear after you open them, but the weekly chest reappears with new contents at the start of each week.

Character-Themed Rewards

The treasure chest contents are themed around each NPC's profession and personality:

NPC	Chest Theme
Aurelis	Recipe blueprints and cooking-related decor
Delphin	Rare fish bait, lures, and fishing-related items
Zerine	Tech blueprints and tool upgrades
Graminova	Seeds, crop-related items, and farming decor
Solara	Friendship trinkets and community-related items

Visit NPC bedrooms as soon as you reach 3 Hearts to collect the one-time treasure chest, then return weekly for the refreshing chest. Pairing bedroom visits with daily gifting runs is an efficient way to stay on top of both.

Move-In System

Once you reach 5 Hearts with a character, you can ask them to move in with you at Hopeland. This is the current equivalent of marriage in the Early Access build. Nobody will show up at your door with a suitcase automatically; you must actively choose the "Move In" option through conversation. You may reach 5 Hearts with multiple characters before deciding, but you can only have one partner living with you at a time.

Partner Behaviors

When a character moves in, they integrate into your daily farm life:

Behavior	Details
Come home daily	Your partner returns to your house after finishing their regular daily activities around town. They maintain their own schedule but always come home in the evening.
Help on the farm	They clear debris, tend animals, and water plants around Hopeland. This frees up your time for exploration, quests, or other tasks.
Follow you	You can ask them to follow you around the map. They will walk with you as a companion during exploration.
Unique dialogue	Cohabitation unlocks new conversation topics and reactions specific to living together.

Youfang Cohabitation Note

Youfang is unique among the 15 romanceable characters. While you can raise his affection to 5 Hearts and he has a romantic 5-heart cutscene (he visits your house the morning after reaching 5 Hearts and says some romantic dialogue), the "Move In" option does not appear for him. Some players believe this is a bug, while others think it is intentional due to his background as a Taoist monk with a master who he mentions throughout his dialogue. As of the current Early Access build, there is no official developer statement confirming whether this is a bug or a deliberate design choice.

Non-Romanceable NPCs

In addition to the 15 romanceable characters, Starsand Island has 13 non-romanceable NPCs. These characters can receive daily gifts and chat interactions to build friendship, but their affection caps at a lower level and they cannot be asked to move in. You can still give them daily gifts, complete their Bulletin Board requests, and experience friendship events.

NPC	Notes
Bruce	Island resident with his own daily schedule and gift preferences.
Charlene	Island resident.
Garrick	Island resident.
Hattie	Island resident.
Marston	Island resident located near the beach.
Matilda	Island resident.
Momo	Island resident.
Regis	One of the easiest non-romanceable NPCs to befriend since he loves many common cooked dishes.
Sagewood	Island resident.

Crossover Characters

Gust and Ginger (from My Time at Portia) and Fang and Nia (from My Time at Sandrock) arrive as special crossover neighbors. They are not romanceable; their friendship caps at 4 hearts. They each have their own dedicated storylines and friendship events. You can still give them daily gifts and chat to build friendship.

Character	Origin	Arrival
Gust	My Time at Portia	Summer 23 of Year 1, after repairing the Starsand Station train line
Ginger	My Time at Portia	Arrives with Gust on Summer 23
Fang	My Time at Sandrock	First day of Autumn, after the train station is repaired
Nia	My Time at Sandrock	Arrives with Fang on Autumn 1

Strategy Tips

Tip	Details
Focus on 2 to 3 NPCs	Since gifts are limited to once per day per character, spreading across all 15 slows progress significantly. Pick your top 2 or 3 targets and commit to daily loved gifts for them first.
Loved > Liked	+15 vs +10 per day adds up fast. Over 30 days, that is 150 extra points from loved gifts alone. Finding each character's loved gift saves weeks of progress compared to giving liked items.
Grow Moonflowers	Farm Moonflowers in the Moonlit Forest and give one to every NPC daily as a safe fallback. Almost everyone loves or likes them except Loren, who prefers metal ingots and coffee.
Check the Social app	Your phone tracks discovered preferences, so you do not need to memorize everything. It also shows each NPC's current location via the Map's Residents icon.
Prioritize quests	Quests give +50 affection, the largest single boost. Profession quests for mentors (Zerine, Graminova, Delphin, Pastelle, Zephyria) double as progression and affection building.
Match gifts to profession	Farming items for Graminova, crafting materials for Zerine, ores for Neona, metals and coffee for Loren, ocean items for Delphin. Matching gifts to a character's interests makes loved items easier to remember.
Talk to everyone daily	+5 per chat costs nothing. If you talk to all 15 romanceable NPCs daily, that is 75 free affection points across the cast every day. Even when focusing on specific characters, the daily chat is always worth doing.
Bulletin Board requests	Worth 15 to 30 points each. Accept quests from characters you want to build affection with for the biggest return. Check the Bulletin Board at the start of every day.
Pick up lost items	Lost items appear randomly in the overworld. They award +20 affection when returned, which is more than a liked gift. Always pick them up and deliver them when you find them.
Romance a mentor first	If you are unsure who to romance, consider a profession mentor. The +50 quest bonuses make reaching 5 Hearts significantly faster than with a non-mentor NPC.
Time your approach to 4+ Hearts	The jump from 3 to 4 Hearts requires roughly 400 points, and 4 to 5 Hearts requires approximately 750 points. Plan for a long grind during these stages by stacking all available affection sources daily.

How Long Does It Take to Reach 5 Hearts?

The total path from 0 to 5 Hearts requires approximately 1,520 cumulative affection points. Here is a rough estimate based on different play styles:

Play Style	Daily Points (approx.)	Days to 5 Hearts
Chat only	+5/day	~304 days
Chat + liked gift	+15/day	~101 days
Chat + loved gift	+20/day	~76 days
Chat + loved gift + weekly Bulletin Board	+23/day average	~66 days
Full optimization (mentor NPC)	+30 to +40/day average	~38 to 50 days

These estimates assume consistent daily interaction. Missing days extends the timeline. Profession mentor NPCs can be romanced significantly faster because profession quests (+50 each) provide large affection boosts that are not available with non-mentor characters.

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