Moonlighter

Moonlighter is a merchant simulator game, where you're also the hero.
I liked the gameplay loop between dungeons and selling things in the store.
Cute graphics, great soundtrack, nice combat, satisfying game loop
just use controller

I say it's a good game hurt by repetition. The base idea is there, but it is a little too grindy without offering enough variety to make it worth it. I think the game does reward skill, which is a plus. But it feels like a 5-6 hour game padded out to 14 hours. It's a hesitant recommendation, mainly because I think it's definitely worth it on sale

Moonlighter is a game that cleverly intertwines two seemingly contrasting genres—roguelike dungeon crawling and shopkeeping simulation—into a cohesive and deeply satisfying loop. Set in the quaint town of Rynoka, you play as Will, a young merchant with dreams of becoming a hero. By day, you manage your shop, set prices, and interact with townsfolk. By night, you delve into mysterious, procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters, traps, and treasures. This duality of gameplay creates a rhythm that feels both relaxing and rewarding, with each loop of the day-night cycle feeding into the other in a meaningful way.
The shopkeeping side of the game is surprisingly engaging. Rather than acting as a passive break between action segments, running the store becomes a strategic mini-game of its own. You control everything from pricing and product placement to managing supply and demand. Customers react dynamically to the prices you set—too high, and they walk out; too low, and you’re leaving money on the table. As the game progresses, you can upgrade your shop, hire assistants, protect your goods from thieves, and even customize your storefront. These elements combine to make shopkeeping more than just a narrative device—it’s an essential pillar of progression that requires attention and planning.
The dungeon crawling is where Moonlighter taps into its roguelike roots. Each dungeon is randomly generated, offering new layouts and enemy patterns with every run. Combat is fast, fluid, and simple to learn, but mastering enemy patterns and managing stamina and positioning is crucial, especially in later dungeons where the difficulty ramps up. There’s a wide variety of weapons to choose from—greatswords, spears, bows, and more—all of which can be upgraded through crafting. Loot is abundant, but inventory space is limited, forcing players to make careful decisions about what to take, what to leave, and when to return to the surface. This constant risk-versus-reward tension makes every run into the dungeon feel purposeful.
What sets Moonlighter apart from other roguelikes is how it ties its progression systems into both sides of the game. The items you gather in dungeons aren’t just for selling; many are required for crafting and upgrading your weapons and armor. This creates a satisfying loop: explore dungeons to gather loot, sell that loot to fund better gear, then return stronger to delve deeper. The economy of the game becomes your lifeline, and every gold coin you earn has real weight. The game encourages long-term thinking—are you better off selling a rare item now or holding onto it to craft a new weapon later? These choices make you feel invested in both your shop and your dungeon expeditions.
Visually, Moonlighter is a standout. The pixel art is meticulously detailed, with vibrant color palettes and smooth animations that give both the town and the dungeons a strong sense of character. The town feels alive, especially as you help it grow by inviting new vendors and upgrading facilities. Dungeons are beautifully distinct, with each one themed around different elements and filled with unique enemy designs. The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, switching between calm, melodic tunes in town and more tense, driving music during dungeon runs. The art and audio work hand in hand to immerse players in this charming, slightly melancholic world.
There are a few drawbacks worth noting. While the core gameplay loop is highly addictive, it can eventually become repetitive, particularly if you focus too much on grinding without actively progressing through the dungeons. The inventory management system, though intentionally restrictive, can become tedious after prolonged play sessions. Some of the later dungeons introduce enemies that feel less balanced, and a few boss fights can be more frustrating than fun. Additionally, while there is some narrative framing, the story is relatively thin, relying more on atmosphere and world-building than deep character arcs or dialogue.
Still, these minor issues don’t detract from the overall experience. Moonlighter succeeds because it understands its strengths and builds on them with care. It doesn’t just offer two gameplay styles—it integrates them in a way that enhances both. Each system feeds into the other, creating a loop that keeps players engaged for hours on end. Whether you’re perfecting your shop’s pricing strategy or carefully plotting your next dungeon dive, there’s always a new goal to work toward, a new item to discover, or a new upgrade to craft.
In the end, Moonlighter is more than just a mashup of genres—it’s a thoughtfully designed game that respects the player’s time and rewards investment. Its blend of action, strategy, and management offers a refreshing twist on familiar mechanics, wrapped in a beautifully presented world. For players who enjoy games with progression, meaningful systems, and a bit of heart, Moonlighter delivers a memorable and gratifying experience that stands out in the indie action-RPG space.
Rating: 8/10

Moonlighter is a Spanish Indie game.
Respect to the studio, Moonlighter can now join fellow games from Spain like "Blasphemous" and "GRIS".
The pixel art is beautiful and the music is great.
The story is nice and surprisingly non-fantasy, very nice.
Crawl through dungeon rooms like "Binding of Isaac" and dodge easy mechanics.
Difference is that you move and attack slower but that is intended, I believe. In order to sell that you are no hero or warrior but a wannabe merchant MOONLIGHTING as a fantasy adventurer.
Enemies are damage sponges and upgrading your gear is vital, but is very costly so you grind loot and sell it in an economics mini-game.
The game is tedious but if you have patience and tolerance, won't be an issue.
Once the Bank is figured out, you can make millions easily, but the cooldown gets in the way.
Can be circumvented if you sleep through days. This has no repercussions anyway.
The Mimic companion is the BEST, you get a free safe chest following you around in dungeons for that extra loot space. (Get him early on!)
The DLC adds a new dungeon but is also as tedious as the main game. I see how that is not for everyone.
Overall, a decent little indie game that I played with controller while doing something else like work or watching movies.
Not my favorite, but a good time.

7/10
The first 10–12 hours are genuinely fun, especially when figuring out pricing, upgrading your shop, and tackling dungeon. But once i got past the third dungeon, the grind set in hard. Progress became more about farming gold than skill, and the gameplay loop kinda started to feel stale. But that said, the game was pretty engaging ( a bit boring yes but engaging enough for me to 100% it)
Pros:
Addictive early-game loop
Gorgeous pixel art and relaxing soundtrack (honestly the soundtrack is really nice)
Fun mix of shop sim and action RPG
Plenty of gear to collect and have fun with ( i like games where i can collect items hehe)
Cons:
Gets very grindy
Combat was quite clunky.. so were the keyboard binds (they annoyed me a bit ngl :( )
Micromanaging inventory/shop gets tedious
Story is paper-thin
Wanderer DLC is literally just an extra dungeon lol
There’s still a lot of charm here tho <3 Since the devs of the game are actually active ones, here are a few suggestions from my side
Please reduce late game grind... Like maybe there can be a dispatch system or something similar.
An auto-sorting inventory? maybe just an option to enable/ disable it?
Co-op mode... i'd love one in this game
Just wandering around gets a bit boring.. maybe some flash events that appear randomly?
Adding a bit of lore/ plot? maybe few extra npcs which tell random bits abt the story?

At the time of writing this, there are approx 32% of people who played this game who have gotten the achievement just for beating the 2nd boss. Which makes me sad! This game is awesome! The art style is charming and the songs are catchy! I absolutely recommend this game and plan on playing it all the way through! Great job, game devs!

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☑ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Game Size }---
☑ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data
---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☑ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☑ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☑ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10