Summary
Award-winning indie gameSea of Starsis set to expand its reach with a physical release in spring 2024. The surprise announcement of its boxed edition arrived some five months afterSea of Starsdebuted to critical acclaim.
Developed by the Canadian-based Sabotage Studio,Sea of Starsis the company’s second-ever title, following the 2018 action platformerThe Messenger. The genre shift from action platforming to turn-based RPGs passed without a hitch, as underlined by the fact thatSea of Starsended upwinning the Best Indie Game title at both The Game Awards 2023and the latest iteration of the Golden Joystick Awards.
Following up on that success, Sabotage has just announced plans for a boxed version ofSea of Stars. The game’s physical release will be managed by iam8bit, a California-based company with a long track record of indie publishing. The retail edition ofSea of Starswill be available for the Nintendo Switch, as well as the latest two generations of Sony and Microsoft consoles. Fans can expect to see it hit the store shelves starting May 10. Meanwhile, an iam8bit Exclusive Edition of the game that’s coming in Q2 2024 is currently available for pre-orders on the publisher’swebsite.
Sea of Stars iam8bit Exclusive Edition Contents
The special edition of the game is priced at $44.99, a $10 premium compared to the digital version of the award-winning indie RPG. In order to make that price difference more palatable, iam8bit is bundling the game with several goodies, including a poster featuring the game’s map and some additional artwork. Four sticker sheets are also part of the package, as is a collectible slipcase paired with a retro-style game manual. Anyone who pre-orders the retail version ofSea of Starswill be treated to a downloadable code for the game’s soundtrack, available for immediate redemption. That’s not an insignificant bonus, as the RPG’s OST currently retails at $9.99 on Steam.
Aside from being a treat for collectors, this upcoming physical release will present another opportunity for anyone who hasn’t yet played one ofthe best indie games of 2023to do so on their platform of choice. Its overall bang-for-buck proposition is also nothing to scoff at, asSea of Starsboasts a 30-hour campaign and roughly 15 more hours of optional content.
Sea of Starsisn’t the only renowned indie title that’s getting treated to a physical release in the first half of 2024; survival horror gameSignalisis also about to hit the store shelvesin late February, some 16 months following its critically acclaimed digital debut.
Sea of Stars
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in the same world as 2018’s The Messenger, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars is an RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese classics like Chrono Trigger. Featuring a dynamic turn-based combat system and platforming-based exploration, Sea of Stars is an ambitious and gorgeous addition to the role-playing genre.
