Life Sim Developer Collaborates with Valve to Tackle Fake Reviews on Steam, Denies Involvement in Positive Review Manipulation

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Stardew Valley-inspired life sim Starsand Island has quickly gained popularity on Steam, but its reputation has been muddied by a suspicious number of reviews generated by bots, as a recent investigation reveals. Developer Seed Sparkle Lab has addressed the influx of fake reviews, clarifying that they are not behind this misleading promotion and are actively collaborating with Valve to eliminate the fraudulent feedback.

“We are incredibly thankful to everyone enjoying the simple life in Starsand Island, and we appreciate those who have left authentic reviews on Steam,” Seed Sparkle stated in an email. “We are committed to enhancing the game throughout Early Access to exceed everyone’s expectations upon its full launch later this summer.

“However, we are disheartened by the obviously fake positive reviews, as they create doubt and mistrust. We want to assure everyone that we are working closely with Valve to ensure all fake reviews—both positive and negative—are flagged and removed from Steam as quickly as possible.”

As of now, Starsand Island, just two days into its Early Access phase, boasts 2,151 user reviews with an average of 88% positive feedback. The bot-generated reviews appear to be a minor fraction of this total, but similar fake accounts and sentiments have also infiltrated the game’s social media presence. By all accounts, the game is genuinely enjoyable—just as our own Emma-Jane noted—making this a peculiar issue to face.

On Thursday, Seed Sparkle urged “whoever may be behind this” bot activity to “stop.”

“Please allow us to focus on developing our game in peace. We pose no threat to anyone,” the developers expressed.

Anna writes: My biggest issue with Stardew Valley has been resolved in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam, which has garnered 1,700 reviews with 91% positive feedback just one day into Early Access.