Revision - romance guide - Starsand Island Wiki

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.

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.

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

The exact threshold for 5 Hearts has not been officially confirmed and sources report slightly different values. Reaching 4 Hearts at 770 points is well documented; 5 Hearts appears to require a similar or slightly lower cumulative total in the current Early Access build, suggesting a possible rebalance by the developers.

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.

Method	Points	Notes
Daily chat	+5	Talk to the character once per day. Adds up significantly over time.
Gift (loved)	+15	Give a gift the character loves. Maximum daily gift bonus.
Gift (liked)	+10	Give a gift the character likes.
Gift (neutral)	+5	Give a gift the character has no strong opinion about.
Gift (disliked/hated)	0	No affection gained, but also no affection lost.
Bulletin Board requests	+15 to +25	Varies by difficulty. Accept quests from characters you want to build affection with.
Finding lost items	+20	Return lost items you find on the island to their owner.
Completing quests	+50	Main story or profession quests. The largest single-action affection boost.

Shared Outings

At 3 Hearts, you unlock shared outings with that character. These are social activities you can invite them to participate in.

Activity	Details
Hot Springs Visit	Visit the Hot Springs together. A relaxing social event.
Bike Ride	Ride around the island together on a vehicle.
Backyard Swing	Sit on the swing in your farm's backyard together.
Drinks	Share a drink together at a social spot.

All Romanceable Characters

There are 15 romanceable characters: 7 bachelors and 8 bachelorettes. Five of them double as profession mentors. For full character bios and backstories, 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	Light Blue Hydrangea, Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower	Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Caco Laco, Celeste Berry
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

Pastelle romance dialogue scene with fireworks in the background

Bachelorettes

Character	Role / Location	Loved Gifts	Liked Gifts
Alex	Woodworker, Lex Woodworks	Diamond	Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Moondew Shroom, Wheat, Softwood
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

Move-In System

Once you reach 5 Hearts with a character, you can ask them to move in with you. This is the current equivalent of marriage in the Early Access build. You may reach 5 Hearts with multiple characters before deciding, but you can only have one partner living with you at a time.

When a character moves in, they will:

Behavior	Details
Come home daily	They return to your house after finishing their regular daily activities around town.
Help on the farm	They clear debris, tend animals, and water plants around Hopeland.
Follow you	You can ask them to follow you around the map.

Crossover Characters

Gust and Ginger (from My Time at Portia) and Fang and Nia (from My Time at Sandrock) arrive as special 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.

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. Target the characters you care about first.
Loved > Liked	+15 vs +10 per day adds up fast. Finding each character's loved gift saves weeks of progress compared to giving liked items.
Grow Moonflowers	Farm them in the Moonlit Forest and give one to every NPC daily as a safe fallback. Almost everyone loves or likes them except Loren.
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.
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.
Bulletin Board requests	Worth 15 to 25 points each. Accept quests from characters you want to build affection with for the biggest return.

Revision 24