| Sea of Stars | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuring the two protagonists Valere and Zale | |
| Developer(s) | Sabotage Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Sabotage Studio |
| Director(s) | Thierry Boulanger |
| Designer(s) |
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| Programmer(s) | Sylvain Cloutier |
| Artist(s) |
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| Writer(s) | Thierry Boulanger |
| Composer(s) |
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| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Release | August 29, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | |
Sea of Stars is a 2023 role-playing video game developed and published by Sabotage Studio. It is set primarily on a set of islands in a fantasy world, where the player controls two heroes named Valere and Zale, Solstice Warriors who use the power of the sun and moon. They journey throughout the world on a quest to destroy powerful monsters called the Dwellers, and to stop the immortal alchemist who created them. The game is presented in a fixed isometric view using two-dimensional pixel art, similar to Super Nintendo Entertainment System-era RPGs such as Chrono Trigger (1995).
Sabotage Studio began work on the game in 2018 after the release of their first game, The Messenger. Creative director Thierry Boulanger's concept for Sea of Stars was to combine what he saw as the best parts of several older role-playing games, with an emphasis on modernizing and translating the feeling of playing them rather than directly copying them. This included the integration of the game's art and map design via seamless traversal of the terrain, strategic and real-time elements in combat, and a wide variety and depth of art and music. The studio wanted to self-publish, and launched a Kickstarter campaign in March 2020 alongside a reveal to the press to prove the viability of the project to themselves and investors.
Sea of Stars was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in August 2023. It received positive reviews, especially for its aesthetics and design, but received mixed opinions from critics on the story and characterization and on a perceived lack of depth to combat. The game sold over 250,000 copies in its first week, and was played by more than six million people by November 2024. Sea of Stars won Best Indie Game and was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards, won Best Independent Game and was nominated for Best Role Playing Game at The Game Awards 2023, and was an honorable mention for Game of the Year, Best Design, and Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards.