Overview
The StarNote system is the primary experience and leveling mechanic in Starsand Island. It is a phone app accessible from the in-game phone menu (press Tab) that tracks all of the activities you perform and rewards you with experience points (XP) for completing themed objectives. As you accumulate enough XP, you level up and receive Starsand Points, the currency used to unlock profession skills and other upgrades.
The StarNote system touches nearly every aspect of gameplay. Whether you are farming, fishing, crafting, exploring, cooking, socializing, or ranching, there are StarNote tasks tracking your progress. It is designed to reward players for engaging with all of the island's activities rather than focusing on just one.
For a complete list of individual StarNote achievements and tasks, see the StarNote Achievements article.
How it Works
The core loop of the StarNote system is simple. You complete in-game activities, those activities contribute XP toward StarNote tasks, and when you accumulate enough XP, you level up.
Open the StarNote app on your in-game phone.
Browse available tasks organized by category.
Complete tasks during normal gameplay. Many tasks are retroactive, meaning if you already performed the action before the task appeared, it still counts.
When enough XP accumulates, return to the StarNote app to manually claim your level-up and rewards.
Every 100 XP advances your character by one level. Each level-up automatically grants Starsand Points, which are the key progression currency in the game. The system goes up to Level 45 in the current Early Access version.
XP Sources
Almost everything you do in Starsand Island contributes XP to the StarNote system. The following breaks down the major XP sources organized by activity type.
Activity | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Planting, watering, harvesting, tilling | One of the most consistent XP sources due to daily farm chores | |
Catching fish, discovering new species, deep-sea fishing | Rare and legendary fish give bonus XP | |
Building items, processing materials, using crafting stations | Higher-tier recipes tend to give more XP per craft | |
Preparing recipes, discovering new dishes | First-time recipe completions give a significant XP bonus | |
Discovering locations, finding treasure chests, mining ores | Exploration-based tasks often give large one-time XP payouts | |
Feeding animals, collecting products, breeding | Daily animal care provides steady XP income | |
Socializing | Talking to NPCs, giving gifts, reaching affection milestones | Affection milestones with characters give significant XP |
Selling Items | Selling at your shop, shipping via the Merchant Ship | Selling tasks track total gold earned from sales |
Bug Catching | Catching bugs with the Bug Net across the island | Certain rare bugs contribute to specific StarNote tasks |
Quests | Completing main quests, side quests, and NPC requests | Story quests give some of the largest single XP awards |
Task Categories
StarNote tasks are organized into five themed categories. Each category groups related objectives together.
Category | Focus |
|---|---|
Homestead/Construction | Building, repairing, and home improvement objectives. Includes placing furniture, upgrading your house, and constructing island infrastructure. |
Profession-Based | Tasks tied to the five professions: Crafting, Farming, Fishing, Ranching, and Exploration. The largest category by number of tasks. |
NPC Relationships/Social | Befriending characters, reaching Affection milestones, attending social events, and giving gifts. |
Miscellaneous/Daily Life | Varied tasks like opening Gachapons, taking photos, sleeping, checking mail, and other casual activities. |
Discovering new areas, finding Treasure Chests, reaching remote locations, and other discovery-based objectives. |
Starsand Points and the Workpedia
The primary reward from leveling up in the StarNote system is Starsand Points. These points are the currency used to unlock profession skills in the Workpedia app on your phone.
The Workpedia contains skill trees for each of the five professions.
Profession | Skill Tree Focus |
|---|---|
Unlocks crafting station blueprints, faster processing, and advanced recipes. Universally useful for all playstyles. | |
Reduces stamina costs for farm tools, increases crop yields, and unlocks advanced farming techniques. | |
Improves catch rates, unlocks deep-sea fishing, and grants access to better fishing rods. | |
Unlocks animal care equipment, improves animal happiness bonuses, and enables breeding features. | |
Increases stamina, improves combat abilities, and unlocks access to new areas and resources. |
Each profession has multiple tiers (Apprentice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert). Skills within each tier cost varying amounts of Starsand Points. You do not have to focus on a single profession; points can be spread across multiple trees based on your playstyle.
Key Early Skills to Prioritize
In the early game, Starsand Points are limited. Here are some of the most impactful skills to consider unlocking first.
Skill | Profession Tier | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Recuperate | Apprentice Crafter | Increases stamina recovery when sitting on chairs and benches. Useful for all activities. |
Effortless Tilling | Apprentice Farmer | Reduces stamina cost when using the Hoe. Saves significant stamina during large planting sessions. |
Precision Casting | Apprentice Fisher | Improves fishing accuracy, making it easier to catch fish on each attempt. |
Green Thumb | Beginner Farmer | Increases crop quality, leading to higher sell prices and better cooking ingredients. |
Crafting skills are generally the most universally useful, as every player needs to craft regardless of their focus. Farming skills pay off quickly if you maintain a large farm. Choose based on how you spend most of your in-game time.
Relationship to Stamina
Many of the most popular early skills reduce stamina costs or increase stamina recovery. Stamina management is one of the biggest challenges in early Starsand Island, as your stamina pool starts small and nearly every action drains it. Investing Starsand Points into stamina-related skills effectively extends your productive day.
Skills like Recuperate (faster stamina recovery while sitting), Effortless Tilling (reduced hoe cost), and similar profession skills all help you accomplish more before needing to rest. Pairing these skills with stamina-restoring food from cooking recipes creates an efficient daily routine.
Retroactive Task Completion
One of the most player-friendly aspects of the StarNote system is that many tasks are retroactive. This means if you have already performed an action before the corresponding task becomes visible (for example, if you opened Gachapons before the Gacha task appeared), the game still counts your previous completions toward the task.
Not all tasks are retroactive, but many of the counting-based tasks (craft X items, catch Y fish, sell Z gold worth of goods) track cumulative lifetime stats. This prevents situations where you feel punished for progressing before a task appeared.
Tips and Strategies
Claim level-ups manually. The StarNote app does not auto-claim rewards. Check it regularly, especially after productive days, to collect your Starsand Points.
Diversify your activities. Since tasks span all five professions and multiple categories, doing a variety of activities levels you faster than focusing on just one thing.
Focus Starsand Points on your main profession. While diversifying activities earns XP faster, spend your points on the profession you use most to maximize efficiency.
Crafting skills are universally useful. Every player crafts. Investing in the Crafting tree early benefits all playstyles.
Check for retroactive completions. When new tasks appear, some may already be partially or fully complete from your previous actions. Free XP is always welcome.
Stamina skills pay off immediately. Reducing tool stamina costs or improving recovery means more actions per day, which in turn means faster XP gain. It is a compounding benefit.
Do not hoard Starsand Points. Skills provide immediate, lasting benefits. There is no advantage to saving points for later; spend them as you earn them.
Related Articles
StarNote Achievements - Complete list of individual tasks and objectives
Starsand Points - The premium progression currency
Workpedia - Phone app for profession skill upgrades
Professions - Overview of all five profession skill trees
Stamina - How stamina works and how to manage it