PC Gamer's 'first can't-miss cozy game of 2026' has gone missing on Steam, and some players think Tetris is to blame

Key art for Starsand Island — (Image credit: Seed Sparkle Lab)

PC Gamer's Mollie Taylor had some very nice things to say about the Starsand Island demo she played in December 2025, and fellow cozy-knower Lauren Morton shared even stronger feelings in February, declaring Starsand Island "the first can't-miss cozy game of 2026." Yet if you head over to Steam right now, you will miss it, because it's no longer there.

The reason, developer Seed Sparkle Lab explained on X, is that "certain core visual elements from a classic title were used without proper authorization within our mini-game section," an error the studio attributed to "an oversight during the planning phase."

Important Announcement: Game Content AdjustmentDear Islanders,Due to an oversight during the planning phase, certain core visual elements from a classic title were used without proper authorization within our mini-game section. We sincerely apologize for this mistake. To…April 10, 2026

Which "classic title" isn't specified, but players on the Starsand Island subreddit seem pretty confident that it's Tetris. I don't know if that's actually the cause, but based on the video below, in which the streamer literally says "Is this Tetris?" I'd say it sure could be.

Article continues below

Starblock | Starsand Island Early Access | Ep. 4 - YouTube

Watch On

Whatever the specifics, Seed Sparkle has "temporarily delisted" Starsand Island, and has submitted a new build with the offending content removed. Once that's approved, the game will go back on sale, and all owners will be given the "Shining Star" outfit set as compensation. No progress should be lost: Existing owners will just update their game and carry on as if nothing ever happened.

The studio also said it's "already begun strengthening our internal review and auditing processes to ensure that such an incident never occurs again."

This is the second weird thing to happen to Starsand Island since it debuted in February: The first occurred shortly after it went live, when the game was hit with a flood of fake positive user reviews. Seed Sparkle said it definitely wasn't behind the review-uplifting campaign, and made a point of publicly asking whoever was to please knock it off.

A return date for Starsand Island on Steam hasn't been announced. It remains available for purchase on the Xbox Store.

PRODUCTS

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.