Is it truly free?

[Kuruseida]

where's the catch 🤨

[ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Like most other free games there’s some optional micro transactions and a season pass. You can still play completely for free with no purchases required.

[Melvin The Narcissistic]

It’s free to play but not free to get the items you really want, most wanted cosmetics are locked behind an overpriced pay wall. Or a long grind for candles that you wont be able to grind for since the cape, hair and everything else is so overpriced that it makes you feel forced to use the cash shop to buy more candles before the time limit is up.

[nakama7777]

Yes, most cosmetics are ridiculously expensive, but you don't need them at all, except if they look so cute and you can't resist. The season pass is 10 bucks (or 20 for one for you and 2 gift passes for friends), which is a decent price. After spending 150 hrs on the demo and 75 hrs on the normal version I bough a cape and a bowtie for 18 bucks to support the devs. The game still has many buggs but it alrdy gave me so many awesome and cute memories that I don't mind spending 18€ for 225hrs+ of fun.
Yes, you will have to grind for candels, but, if you don't spend them on stuff that is always available (regular spirit upgrades) you will have enough. Farming wax efficiently takes time and experience however. When I started out I was satisfied with 5 candels a day, now I always get 15 in about 1h or less. There are events where you can just sit around and get free candels. All it takes is some time to figure stuff out.
Once I had to get 60 candels in 3 days which kinda burned me out (20 is the max per day) but this was my fault as I like to spend my candels on stupid stuff most of the time.
Overall, I would say try it out for yourself (if possible play through the entire game; the ending is bonkers). The game is free after all. You only pay with your time.

[Meowish]

Nope the game isn't 100% free. There are pay locked areas but free players can access them if a friend with access lead them there by holding their hands.

There are also special spells and effects that only players who owned some of the real life goods can use, they may (temporary) share it with friends who hold hands with them though.
https://thatskyshop.com/pages/star-gallery

[QUACK]

Originally posted by Meowish:

Nope the game isn't 100% free. There are pay locked areas but free players can access them if a friend with access lead them there by holding their hands.

There are also special spells and effects that only players who owned some of the real life goods can use, they may (temporary) share it with friends who hold hands with them though.
https://thatskyshop.com/pages/star-gallery

I mean the locked areas are only specific to the office and switch exclusive "Mario" map, while the other huge maps are explorable. So there's no big deal, and I'd still consider this as 100% free. They had to pay their employee tho.

[Melvin The Narcissistic]

Originally posted by renown28:

Originally posted by Meowish:

Nope the game isn't 100% free. There are pay locked areas but free players can access them if a friend with access lead them there by holding their hands.

There are also special spells and effects that only players who owned some of the real life goods can use, they may (temporary) share it with friends who hold hands with them though.
https://thatskyshop.com/pages/star-gallery

I mean the locked areas are only specific to the office and switch exclusive "Mario" map, while the other huge maps are explorable. So there's no big deal, and I'd still consider this as 100% free. They had to pay their employee tho.

The “support the devs and have to pay their employees” excuse has run its course. This company has milked their fanbase with overpriced cash shop items and still this game plays as if it’s still in beta. The bugs and lack of content doesn’t justify t the payment. Buy to play is the best model, I rather spend $60 for a complete game with every year a new expansion then this sour milk machine.

[Meowish]

Originally posted by renown28:

I mean the locked areas are only specific to the office and switch exclusive "Mario" map, while the other huge maps are explorable. So there's no big deal, and I'd still consider this as 100% free. They had to pay their employee tho.

Not just the Office and Nintendo Area, there are roughly about 7~8 places like these in game right now, since they added more and more with seasonal update and new areas i kinda lost count...

[1] Each Temple Elder's Areas (the one in the cutscenes) can be accessed by those who own the pins.

[2] The little prince story area (tiny planet area) can only be teleport there by those who own the cape. Those with the pin can teleport there too, and more, they can summon the prince with it.

[3] The Nine Colored Deer chilling area (where the deer will show up from time to time) is also accessible by teleportation from the cape.

[4] The Office and Nintendo areas are gated by capes as you already know.

[5] The concert area is locked behind the cape as well. (Can be accessed by those with the plush too, since it gives you the cape temporary)

[6] Other areas aren't locked but those with the pins can teleport to them directly and some "summons" in the game which require 7~8 players can be done by single player with the pin... So paid players with those stuffs do have advantages over the free players.

[7] Though there's a "free" umbrella in one of the returning spirit, most of the other umbrella that you can get fast are cash shop items that come by in a quicker rotation. (Note, Umbrella is a cheat item that protects you from the rain in the forest)

[8] Various special "call sound" can only be accessed by those who own the specific pins...

[9] Ultimate items will never return and is exclusive only to those who managed to finish the season pass within the time. There will be at least 3 of these each season. Some times they added 1 item that never came back for free player too, but well, it's free for everyone so that's not an "advantage" over the paid player in the end (but it did give you privilege over "future" players that further promote their FOMO tactics)...

[10] Certain paid item props (or summon-able by pins) can help you glitch through walls and doors, which make solo play easier. (Free players can get a spell version of these during their event, but with limited time usage)

[11] The Real Item shop goods holders can gain access to a special "Serendipity matchmaking feature" that helps them make friends with other star holders easier.

[12] There's special musical instrument that is available only to the paid players or temporary to their friends if it's summoned by a star holder of the specific instrument...

[13] Certain pins allows you to do stuffs without unlocking the friendship tree.

[14] Certain special abilities like wide area crab flip shock wave (wider than normal) can be used by users with the specific pin.

The list can go on forever imo, and they will make it longer as they add more of those stuffs to the game... So no, it's not 100% free when there are stuffs free player can't access to, some not even with friends.

[Kuruseida]

too much text . wheres the catch 🙄

[D:\side\]

Paid cosmetics, a few locked areas, persistent use of FOMO with time-limited offers.

Mildly annoying at times, but not a deal-breaker.

[Kuruseida]

aight but wheres the catch¿

[D:\side\]

Right there.

[Paulie]

the catch is the friends you'll make along the way.

[Monkey Punisher]

Originally posted by Melvin The Narcissistic:

Originally posted by renown28:

I mean the locked areas are only specific to the office and switch exclusive "Mario" map, while the other huge maps are explorable. So there's no big deal, and I'd still consider this as 100% free. They had to pay their employee tho.

The “support the devs and have to pay their employees” excuse has run its course. This company has milked their fanbase with overpriced cash shop items and still this game plays as if it’s still in beta. The bugs and lack of content doesn’t justify t the payment. Buy to play is the best model, I rather spend $60 for a complete game with every year a new expansion then this sour milk machine.

I've been playing since Switch and only bought 1 cosmetic for 10 bucks... Idk man, if you dont find enought content maybe is not a good game for you, but I like it for being a chill game

[Melvin The Narcissistic]

Originally posted by KIRIKU:

Originally posted by Melvin The Narcissistic:

The “support the devs and have to pay their employees” excuse has run its course. This company has milked their fanbase with overpriced cash shop items and still this game plays as if it’s still in beta. The bugs and lack of content doesn’t justify t the payment. Buy to play is the best model, I rather spend $60 for a complete game with every year a new expansion then this sour milk machine.

I've been playing since Switch and only bought 1 cosmetic for 10 bucks... Idk man, if you dont find enought content maybe is not a good game for you, but I like it for being a chill game

The “ this game might not be for you” line…sigh..

I been playing for a few years and there is limited content and time gated content to drag it out as well filler content. It’s advertising as a “chilled” game, but it’s not. It’s made to hook players to keep grinding till they give into the cash shop. But if you’re having fun then that’s all that matters.