Welcome back, adventurers! If you’re like me and love to squeeze out every bit of strength before taking on a major boss fight—or if you’re just the type who enjoys the classic JRPG joy of level grinding—this quick guide is for you. Now that I’m near the end of Sea of Stars, I’ve identified two incredibly efficient experience (EXP) farming spots that can give your party a serious boost. Let’s break them down and explore how to get the most out of each location.

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Do You Need to Grind in Sea of Stars?

First, the big question—is grinding even necessary? For most players playing on the default difficulty, the answer is no. The game is thoughtfully balanced, offering generous EXP rewards through forced battles and boss encounters. If you’re not using the optional challenge relics that make combat significantly harder, you can probably finish the story without going out of your way to grind.

That said, we all have different experiences with game difficulty, and there’s also a camp of players (myself included) who simply enjoy grinding for the sake of progression, stat boosts, or just chilling with the battle music in the background. And hey—more health and mana never hurt anyone.

If you do want to grind efficiently, these are the spots I recommend.

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Before You Start: Get the EXP Boost Relic

To maximize the efficiency of your grinding sessions, make sure you’ve bought the +20% EXP Gain Relic. It’s available from the Black Market Merchant in the Port Town of Brisk. If you haven’t done that yet, I’ve made a short guide on how to get it. With this relic equipped, you’ll make noticeably faster progress.

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Grind Spot #1 – Oracle of Tides Dungeon (Midgame)

Once you’ve unlocked the ability to travel the world map and you’re progressing through Dakari Village and the Oracle of Tides dungeon, keep an eye out for a resting zone roughly halfway through the area. You’ll know you’re in the right spot when you find a room with both a save point and a rest area.

Here’s what you do:

• Head north out of the rest area.
• You’ll immediately face a group of three enemies: a Shrimp Knight and two Googoons.
• This fight is extremely easy and nets you 2,090 EXP.

To repeat the grind:

• Walk back to the resting room.
• Save your game.
• Quit to the title screen.
• Reload your save.

Voilà—the enemies are back, and both your health and mana are restored. You can loop this for as long as you’d like.

Some people have reported that simply re-entering the area without saving also works to respawn enemies, but in my experience, that wasn’t reliable. Give it a shot, though—it might work for you. Either way, this method is solid and sustainable for a long stretch of the game.

What makes this spot exceptional is the combination of high EXP, low difficulty, proximity to healing, and quick loopability. It held up for me for nearly 20 hours of in-game time until I discovered the next spot.

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Grind Spot #2 – Sacrosanct Spires (Late Game)

No major story spoilers here—I’ll only mention the name of the area. Once you reach the Sacrosanct Spires, you’ll eventually enter a sub-area called the Hunting Fields. This is your late-game grind zone.

Look for a patrolling group of three Bird Men. Defeating them rewards you with 5,700 EXP, nearly three times as much as the previous spot.

To farm this encounter:

• Beat the enemies.
• Climb to the upper level.
• Leave the area.
• Re-enter.

That’s it—no saving, no quitting. They respawn automatically.

Additionally, if you need to rest up, you can always create a camp on the world map nearby. And if you want to make your grind even smoother, equip the Rally Cure Relic to automatically restore your health after every battle.

One helpful tip: focus on defeating the crossbow-wielding Bird Men first. Their special attack has a long animation, which wastes time. Prioritizing them helps keep your grind efficient and smooth.

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Final Thoughts

So, is EXP grinding required to beat Sea of Stars? For most, probably not. But for those who enjoy the comfort of overpowering their enemies or simply want to explore every corner of the game with confidence, these two spots offer top-tier efficiency without unnecessary hassle.

Whether you’re preparing for a boss, experimenting with party builds, or just enjoying the process, grinding can still be a rewarding part of the classic JRPG loop—and Sea of Stars lets you engage in it without making it a chore.

I’ll be covering more post-game content soon, so stay tuned if you want more insights. And if you know of any other good spots to grind, drop them in the comments so others can benefit too.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the journey!