Sea of Stars Hits New Player Record

Sea of Stars has proven to be one of the most surprising success stories of 2023, and the game continues to reach new audiences. According to developer Sabotage Studio, the game has now surpassed 4 million players across all platforms and subscription catalogs. It’s an impressive achievement for an indie game, and it’s even more impressive considering the game has only been available since August. In a press release, Sea of Stars co-director Thierry Boulanger thanked fans for playing, while also mentioning the game’s upcoming DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker. 

“Sea of Stars is the game of my dreams, and seeing its quest resonate so strongly with players and critics means the world to everyone at Sabotage,” said Boulanger. “The team behind this game is the most talented and dedicated group I could have ever hoped to create Sea of Stars with, and I’m again reminded of their brilliance as we progress with creating Sea of Stars‘ upcoming DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker. For fans to have recognized our adventure in such an incredibly prosperous year for RPGs alongside new arrivals from the genre’s biggest franchises … we simply just cannot thank you enough for supporting us, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next for Sea of Stars.”

Sea of Stars Platforms

Unfortunately, Sabotage Studio did not offer specific information about which platforms were the most successful for Sea of Stars, or what impact subscription catalogs had on the game’s sales. Sea of Stars launched on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and was a day one release on both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus. It would be interesting to see what impact that might have had on those platforms, and what the actual sales ended up being on each system. Whatever the case might be, Sabotage Studio is clearly happy with how many people have experienced the game! 

Sea of Stars did not receive a physical release in 2023, but that will change next year. In 2024, iam8bit will offer physical versions of the game on Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. As of this writing, a release date and price point for the physical edition has not been revealed. 

Sea of Stars Awards

While Sea of Stars has clearly proven to be a commercial hit, the game has also been a critical one. At The Game Awards 2023, Sea of Stars was nominated for Best Role Playing Game and Best Independent Game, winning the latter category. At the Golden Joystick Awards, Sea of Stars also won Indie Game of the Year. The added spotlight from these awards could help the game gain even more interest. With so many people playing Sea of Stars this year, it’s clear that there’s still a lot of interest in turn-based RPGs! 

Have you played Sea of Stars yet? Are you surprised the game has attracted so many players? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!