Award-Winning Indie Game Announces a Surprise Physical Release

Highlights

  • Award-winning indie game Sea of Stars is getting a physical release in spring 2024.
  • Priced at $44.99, the boxed copy of the game will come with a double-sided poster, sticker sheets, a slipcase, and a retro game manual.
  • Anyone who pre-orders the Sea of Stars physical edition will also receive a promo code for its digital soundtrack, available immediately.


Award-winning indie game Sea of Stars is set to expand its reach with a physical release in spring 2024. The surprise announcement of its boxed edition arrived some five months after Sea of Stars debuted to critical acclaim.

Developed by the Canadian-based Sabotage Studio, Sea of Stars is the company’s second-ever title, following the 2018 action platformer The Messenger. The genre shift from action platforming to turn-based RPGs passed without a hitch, as underlined by the fact that Sea of Stars ended up winning the Best Indie Game title at both The Game Awards 2023 and the latest iteration of the Golden Joystick Awards.

Related

Sea of Stars Gives Update on DLC

5 months since Sea of Stars released, the Sabotage Studio team provides updates regarding its upcoming DLC, Throes of The Watchmaker.

Following up on that success, Sabotage has just announced plans for a boxed version of Sea 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 of Sea of Stars will 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’s website.


Sea of Stars iam8bit Exclusive Edition Contents

Sea of Stars all physical editions and double-sided poster bonus on white background

  • Sea of Stars
  • Collectible poster featuring original art and oversized game map
  • 4 sticker sheets
  • Collectible slipcase
  • Retro game manual
  • Digital OST redemption code (pre-orders only)

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 of Sea of Stars will 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 of the best indie games of 2023 to do so on their platform of choice. Its overall bang-for-buck proposition is also nothing to scoff at, as Sea of Stars boasts a 30-hour campaign and roughly 15 more hours of optional content.

Sea of Stars isn’t the only renowned indie title that’s getting treated to a physical release in the first half of 2024; survival horror game Signalis is also about to hit the store shelves in late February, some 16 months following its critically acclaimed digital debut.

sea of stars game 2023

Sea of Stars

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.

Released
August 29, 2023

Developer(s)
Sabotage

Publisher(s)
Sabotage

ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language

How Long To Beat
28 Hours

Metascore
87

PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium