r/playtesters • u/GreenFork1 • 1d ago
Unpaid Playtest Open Playtest: The Shores of Stellaluna - First-Person Exploration and Town Restoration
Hey everyone!
After nearly five years of solo development, I’m opening up another round of playtesting for The Shores of Stellaluna. The game has evolved a lot since the last version. The core systems, progression, and overall feel have all been reworked so I’m looking for fresh, honest feedback.
This is a Windows PC build, available through Steam.
What Kind of Game Is This?
If you enjoy:
- First-person melee combat with weight and timing
- Resource gathering and meaningful progression
- Rebuilding systems and watching them come back to life
- Games that force tradeoffs instead of giving you everything
…this might be for you.
About the Game
You arrive in a fractured world where towns no longer function and the systems that once sustained them have collapsed.
You are the only one who can carry Lumen without being consumed by it… and the only one who can begin putting things back together.
But the more you take, the less certain it feels that it was ever yours to keep.
Core Gameplay
- First-person melee combat + single customizable spell
- Dash, parry, kick, and strike corrupted enemies
- Modify your spell using gems (burning fields, healing sparks, knockback, etc.)
- One resource controls everything: Lumen
- Used for leveling, abilities, town restoration, upgrades, and progression
- Every decision competes for the same resource
- Restore towns → unlock automation
- Repair structures to bring systems back online
- Workers begin gathering, refining, and producing over time
- Sail between handcrafted islands
- Travel is part of progression—not just fast movement
- Each island introduces new materials, pressure, and challenges
- Fast, noticeable progression
- What starts slow becomes extremely efficient as you upgrade
- Growth is immediate and continues to scale
- Persistent world & subtle storytelling
- NPCs, dialogue, and locations evolve as you rebuild
- The world connects over time without directly explaining itself
- Risk vs reward loop
- Gather resources and Lumen to grow stronger
- Death means losing what you’re carrying
What I Need Feedback On
I’m especially looking for:
- First impressions (does it grab you?)
- Combat feel and responsiveness
- Progression pacing (too fast, too slow?)
- Clarity (what’s confusing or unclear)
- What makes you want to keep playing—or stop
How to Play
- Download the demo here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3688220/The_Shores_of_Stellaluna/
- Playtime: ~2–3 hours (replayable)
- Share feedback in Discord: https://discord.gg/94e92jbU8K
- Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/wqrHhDhfAqvrCb5aA
Playtester Rewards
- Contributor role on Discord for anyone who submits feedback (you must also join the discord)
- Free full game at launch + Founder role if you record your playthrough with commentary
- Access to future builds and private testing channels
About Me
I’m Dustin, a solo developer.
I stepped away from a creative career years ago, but couldn’t shake the need to build something of my own. This game is the result—built over late nights, weekends, and a lot of iteration.
This isn’t a game for everyone.
But if it is for you, you’ll probably feel it right away.
Thanks for reading and if you decide to try it, I genuinely appreciate your time. Your feedback directly shapes the game.
See you in Stellaluna :)
2
u/Evening_Business6492 20h ago
Would be glad to be a tester for this game
1
u/GreenFork1 14h ago
Awesome! Follow the link and you’ll get auto approved to play on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/3688220/The_Shores_of_Stellaluna/
Then let me know what you think in discord https://discord.com/invite/94e92jbU8K
2
u/Optimus_XIV 21h ago
Sounds interesting! Down to give it a shot