The gate is your lantern, not a level
Your character level has nothing to do with island progression in Starfall. Access to each new area depends entirely on your equipped lantern.

The official preview video at 0:36 displays the Brass Lantern stat card. The third line on the card states: "Lights the way to Frost Ledge". Two seconds later at 0:38, the lantern merchant WiCK explains how traversal works: "There. Its light reaches the rope up to Frost Ledge now."
If your lantern does not produce enough illumination to reach the climbing rope, the path remains dark and unclickable. Progression requires upgrading your lantern's beam rather than grinding player levels.
Lantern Hill: where every run starts
Lantern Hill is the starting ground for every player in Starfall. The Welcome badge describes this entry point: "You joined Starfall for the first time! Light your lantern and catch your first star." Exactly 212,409 players hold this badge.

Lantern Hill houses two primary service NPCs:
- Orrin the Star Keeper, who buys your stars by weight in exchange for Stardust.
- WiCK the lantern vendor, who sells upgraded lanterns with stronger light beams and higher luck multipliers.
All early star catching, inventory selling, and initial lantern purchases occur on Lantern Hill before you climb higher into the sky.
Frost Ledge: the first lantern gate
Frost Ledge is the frozen island suspended directly above Lantern Hill. The official Frost Ledge badge states: "Open Frost Ledge, the frozen island above Lantern Hill."
The table below outlines official progression data across all confirmed zones as of 15 November 2026. The Welcome badge total of 212,409 players acts as the baseline denominator:
| Location | Official Evidence | Players Awarded | Share of Welcome Badge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lantern Hill | Welcome badge: "Light your lantern and catch your first star." | 212,409 | 100.0% |
| Frost Ledge | Frost Ledge badge: "Open Frost Ledge, the frozen island above Lantern Hill." | 152,417 | 71.8% |
| Aurora Peak | The First Star badge: "...burning above Aurora Peak." | 23,021 | 10.8% |
| Nebula Reef | Nebula Reef badge: "A glowing reef floating in a sea of stars." | 9,444 | 4.4% |
| The Deep Reef | The Star Kraken badge: "The deep reef's Secret..." | 4,796 | 2.3% |
Reaching Frost Ledge requires the Brass Lantern. Once WiCK hands you this lantern, walk to the climbing rope anchored on Lantern Hill. The rope illuminates and allows you to ascend to Frost Ledge, where you can find stars up to Rare quality.
Aurora Peak and the First Star
Aurora Peak appears in the official badge database as a high-altitude catching site. The First Star badge description states: "Catch the First Star. The oldest light in the sky, burning above Aurora Peak."
A total of 23,021 players have earned The First Star badge. Note that this figure reflects players who caught that specific apex star, not the total count of players who unlocked access to Aurora Peak. The game does not publish an independent entry badge or travel badge for Aurora Peak.
The Nebula Reef and the deep reef
Nebula Reef represents the late-game floating frontier. Its official badge text reads: "Reach Nebula Reef. A glowing reef floating in a sea of stars." Only 9,444 players have reached this floating reef, representing 4.4% of the game's total recorded player base.
Below or beyond Nebula Reef lies another landmark known as the deep reef. It appears in the description for The Star Kraken badge: "Catch the Star Kraken. The deep reef's Secret, and it does not let go easily."
Only 4,796 players have caught the Star Kraken. Just as with Aurora Peak, this badge count measures how many players captured this specific Secret star. It does not measure the total player count that visited the deep reef itself.
When the light falls short
If you try to interact with an island climbing rope while holding a starter lantern, nothing happens. The rope stays dark and your character cannot climb upward.
This failure state carries no penalty:
- You do not lose your equipped lantern or any saved Stardust.
- Turn around and catch falling stars across your currently accessible islands.
- Sell your star haul to Orrin the Star Keeper to accumulate Stardust.
- Visit WiCK and purchase the lantern that specifies your target island on its card.
Once your new lantern is equipped, return to the rope. The beam will reveal the ascent path and grant entry to the next zone.