Golf an InterpretMe interpreter
Python 3, 35 bytes
i=1
while i:i+=input().count('*')-1
sets i to one, adds the amount of '*' -1 to i
I think I can reduce this with I couldn't~
trickery
Python 3, 39 38 bytes
def f():[f()for c in input()if c=="*"]
Saved 1 byte thanks to @atlasologist
Ruby, 29 bytes
i=1
i+=gets.count ?*while$.<i
Ruby's magical variable $.
keeps track of the number of lines read from stdin. Keep reading input while this number is lower than the count of asterisks (plus the initial 1).