Starshifter

About

"Starshifter is a shapeshifting adventure where you play as Coyote, a Guardian tasked with returning stars to the sky after a meteor shower leaves animals powerless. Explore four biomes and interact with various animals, helping them on their own quests while collecting stars. As Coyote, utilize your new shapeshifting ability to protect the land from Darkness and restore balance."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding1 negative mentions

Incredibly cute game with charming characters and beautiful art style.
Fun and relaxing exploration with a solid collectathon concept.
Great atmosphere and music, making it enjoyable to play despite its rough edges.

Controls are frustrating and inconsistent, making gameplay difficult and unpolished.
The game suffers from bugs and clipping issues that hinder the experience.
Lacks a proper tutorial, leaving players confused about mechanics and progression.

gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
33%
22%
The gameplay is described as extremely cute and enjoyable, featuring simple mechanics like collecting stars that make it fun and relaxing. While the core gameplay is engaging, some users note that it is still a work in progress, with issues such as a lack of swimming mechanics and the need for improved sound effects. Overall, it offers a charming experience, but potential players should be aware of its early access status.
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “Mechanically it's easy to grasp, just collecting stars and enjoying myself.”
- “It's simple, cute, and fun, with some very interesting mechanics.”
- “There's no swimming mechanics; I jumped into the river and could not swim upwards to get out of it. I had to close the game because the coyote would just slowly swim on the bottom of the river.”
- “That's my main issue for now; here are some nitpicks that are not as important gameplay-wise, but I thought would be worth mentioning.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and timeless art style, featuring cute character designs and a comic book shading that adds significant character. However, some users noted that the graphics can be a bit clippy, suggesting that while the aesthetic is appealing, there are areas that require improvement. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
- “Great art style.”
- “Character designs are cute and the cell-shaded style makes its art style timeless.”
- “Incredibly pretty art style and fun concept!”
- “The graphics are a bit... clippy.”
- “The models are cute and I do quite like the art style; it's unfortunately everything else that needs some work for now.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its orchestral quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many finding it relaxing and fitting for the gameplay. While some users suggest improvements in sound effects, the overall sentiment is that the cheerful and immersive soundtrack effectively complements the North American landscapes and the game's narrative.
- “I love the North American landscapes and the orchestral background music.”
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “The music is cheerful and fun, and sets the tone for each area you're in.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The story is described as simple yet enjoyable, with an interesting and unique narrative that engages players and encourages exploration. While the quests can be challenging, the overall gameplay and accompanying music enhance the experience.
- “The story is simple but fun.”
- “I like the gameplay and the story, and the music is lovely and relaxing.”
- “The story is interesting and unique; it made me excited to look for more animals to see what they have to say.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charming and cute atmosphere, enhanced by fun concepts and impressive artwork. Players find the overall ambiance delightful and engaging.
- “The game has a very nice atmosphere and the concept is pretty fun.”
- “Charming atmosphere.”
- “Haha, cute game with a cute atmosphere and amazing art!”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, users report significant optimization issues with the game, noting that it requires better performance tuning. While it runs at a decent frame rate on some systems, it still demands considerable resources, leading to loud fan noise, and performance on the Steam Deck is particularly poor, averaging only 10-20 fps.
- “The game runs at a decent frame rate, but my computer was definitely working hard to keep up, with the fans getting quite loud, which is unusual for higher-tier games.”
- “While the game is enjoyable, there are noticeable optimization issues that could be improved for a smoother experience.”
- “My only complaint is that the game could benefit from better optimization.”
- “My only complaint is that the game needs to be optimized better.”
- “There also seems to be some heavy optimization issues currently, as even though this game is extremely rough and simple and it did run at a decent frame rate, my computer was definitely putting in some work to run this game with the fans ending up very loud - which they don't do for much higher tier games like Red Dead Redemption 2.”
- “Poor performance on Steam Deck (10-20 fps avg) but maybe that could change as the game matures.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is highlighted by charming and memorable designs, enhanced by a timeless cell-shaded art style that showcases a variety of unique animal characters, contributing to an enjoyable visual experience.
- “The character designs are lovely and memorable; they certainly have a unique look to them, and seeing all the different animals was a joy.”
- “Character designs are cute, and the cell-shaded style makes its art style timeless.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and challenging, particularly in relation to climbing, jumping, and platforming mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “The climbing, jumping, and platforming overall I find to be too tedious and tricky to do at times.”