Moonlighter

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 188 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 103 out of 188
  2. Mixed: 64 out of 188
  3. Negative: 21 out of 188

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  1. Paul_barley
    May 30, 2018
    10
    just awesome ! amazing game , innovative mixture of genres, and great fun to play !
  2. 2019RoyBatty
    May 30, 2018
    10
    Funny and cute game. Done well in details. Works unusually smoothly. Nice FX. Good job devs !
  3. Chris_martinez
    May 31, 2018
    10
    its fantastic, fun, and awesome game ! just luv it, highly recommend to play, spent all night in it
  4. brently
    Jan 4, 2019
    10
    Moonlighter is a really fun dungeon crawl with a store element to it. It's a lot more engaging than looting and selling everything to a merchant at a fixed price.

    They also keep updating which is awesome.
  5. jpeezy789
    Dec 29, 2019
    10
    I absolutely love this game! I am a fan of Grindy games. This game does it for me. The combat loop, random drops based on certain enemies/dungeons, equipment upgrade system are all superb imo. I would say it is similar to WARFRAME. There are secrets to discover in the dungeons and the story is drip fed to the player at a slow pace, enough to make it exciting to learn something new. I alsoI absolutely love this game! I am a fan of Grindy games. This game does it for me. The combat loop, random drops based on certain enemies/dungeons, equipment upgrade system are all superb imo. I would say it is similar to WARFRAME. There are secrets to discover in the dungeons and the story is drip fed to the player at a slow pace, enough to make it exciting to learn something new. I also love the music! It is terrific. I believe there is some DLC that has been put out and I am considering purchasing it to continue the laid back and addicting gameplay.… Expand
  6. tdrn
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    Beautiful indie title, had fun until the very end. Worth every cent! There aren´t many new mechanics introduced throughout the game but since its not that many hours I don´t mind.
  7. nyeeeeeees
    May 24, 2020
    10
    Un juego maravilloso, la banda sonora es perfecta, una jugabilidad impecable, con ganas de ampliar todo y seguir por las mazmorras, un juego que si te gustan las mazmorras, poder esquivar etc es perfecto
  8. Cyti
    Jun 7, 2018
    9
    Excellent game, great for people who don't have a lot of time on their hands. Nice and simple with retro pixel graphics but has a colorful and vibrant atmosphere. I see a lot of people disliking this game because there is no "end goal" but in my opinion not every game needs one. Very nostalgic and peaceful, reminds me of Stardew Valley combined with Pokemon.
  9. TheGameIsALie
    Dec 2, 2018
    9
    Moonlighter transforma uma atividade monótona em um gameplay inovador. Seu conceito é único, e trata de superação em seus mais variados sentidos. Seus erros, como a falta de equilíbrio em chefões, são muito pequenos e quase passam despercebidos. É uma aventura carismática que você tem que experimentar.
  10. cookies_10101
    Jun 5, 2019
    9
    An overall very fun game with interesting elements such as risk and reward and knowing when to stop yourself. As you journey through the continuous dungeons searching for items to sell in your shop you begin to feel restless because you want to explore the entire dungeon. This continuous exploration is made even more interesting by the unique game play element of random dungeons. EveryAn overall very fun game with interesting elements such as risk and reward and knowing when to stop yourself. As you journey through the continuous dungeons searching for items to sell in your shop you begin to feel restless because you want to explore the entire dungeon. This continuous exploration is made even more interesting by the unique game play element of random dungeons. Every time you re-spawn you dungeon has the same enemies and theme but in a different layout with different rooms. It makes the game play even more interesting. The shop keeping element to the game is solid with dynamic pricing. You can also upgrade you shop to make it larger and add unique elements to help sell your items. Overall my only complaint for this game on PC, is the necessity for a controller for comfortable game play.… Expand
  11. YigidOx2
    Feb 15, 2021
    9
    In a formerly busy town, Will has a family store. But in Will's soul is heroism, not merchantness. Here you manage Will, trying to solve the mysteries in the Dungeons, trying to sell the things you loot from creatures or chests at a reasonable price. The game doesn't tell you the price of something. You make a guess by looking at the book, if you increase or decrease it according toIn a formerly busy town, Will has a family store. But in Will's soul is heroism, not merchantness. Here you manage Will, trying to solve the mysteries in the Dungeons, trying to sell the things you loot from creatures or chests at a reasonable price. The game doesn't tell you the price of something. You make a guess by looking at the book, if you increase or decrease it according to whether the customers like it or not. The game graphics are not bad and the animations are EXCELLENT. His Combat and Dungeons are like the Binding of Isaac games. Just more advanced. So it is a very good game considering its size and price. It just doesn't have much continuity. It can repeat after 10 hours or so. Maybe.… Expand
  12. Is_907
    Aug 20, 2020
    9
    Does what it says on the tin- fun roguelike with adventure and shop management. Lightweight, easy to learn.
    Graphics and characterizations are fun and captivating. And the soundtrack is very fitting!

    Many reviews here knock on the repetitive and looping nature of the game... that's literally what it's supposed to be: procedural generation of dungeons. That's what roguelikes are.
  13. Hanymoon
    Oct 11, 2020
    9
    I Really enjoy about playing this game, the sounds the graphic. Excellent!
    No pressure to enter the dungeon, happy to see when it's morning.
  14. DangerVl
    Jun 6, 2021
    9
    This is a very high quality and unique game. By combining a roguelike and a sales simulator, we got a great flow. The game will not tire you for long hours and will make you descend into the dungeon again and again. Let's spice it all up with great music and a nice picture and you will get a wonderful indie game.
  15. SuperkenGaming
    May 29, 2018
    8
    Moonlighter
    A Zelda Shoppe Keep
    Moonlighter is a Zelda dungeon crawler meets store management game where you play as Will, You’re a shopkeeper by day, dungeon crawler by night. At first I thought this game was ridiculously unfair and needlessly difficult… you go into these dungeons your attack these monsters that drop items, and your goal is to make it back to your shop with as much    Moonlighter
    A Zelda Shoppe Keep
    Moonlighter is a Zelda dungeon crawler meets store management game where you play as Will,
    You’re a shopkeeper by day, dungeon crawler by night.
    At first I thought this game was ridiculously unfair and needlessly difficult…
    you go into these dungeons your attack these monsters that drop items, and your goal is to make it back to your shop with as much as you can…
    but enemies were going crazy damage, dying would start me back to the beginning of the dungeon and I would drop everything I had…
    worse every time the dungeon was now different, its random every time..
    I was ready to tear this game apart…
    and then I got it.
    I understood the game and that’s when it got its hooks in me.
    The overall objective of the game is to clear its 4 dungeons and unlock the 5th and final gate…
    make it through 4 doors and then take town its boss for a key, doing so would will unlock the next dungeon.
    but you’re not going to do it on pure skill alone. you need better weapons. you need better gear…
    and you need to save the materials and money for this gear
    this is where the hood of the game comes into play.
    you aren’t going to just go in and clear a dungeon…
    There is a hood of explore the dungeon. get as many materials as you can without pushing it… or risk losing it all. once you’re satisfied with the gear you’ve collected you then use your pendant to teleport back which does cost cash.
    to earn this money you sell the items in your shop.
    which is another almost as addictive aspect of this game.
    you aren’t going up to a merchant and selling what you don’t need..
    you are the merchant..
    you put your items on display and town people will come in to look at what you have..
    they will react to your prices and you adjust the prices up and down accordingly…
    and then there’s an added layer of strategy of what to do with this newly acquired cash..
    dump it into your shop so you earn more for the items sold.. bring in new moonlighters so you can purchase weapons potions and items…
    invest in your bed so you can enter a dungeon with an extra layer of protection.
    all of this so you’ll be able to go deeper into a dungeon each time.
    gathering the materials needed to craft one of several weapons types as you’re able to carry tow at a time. I personally chose to go with a two-handed sword and an elemental bow.
    but before I put my effort into the weapons I put my effort into crafting the best armor I could with the materials found in my current dungeon…
    there’s also strategy in how you arrange the items in your bags, as some items found in chests that are unlocked after clearing a room can be cursed positively or negatively
    breaking other items when you return to town, or needing to be placed in a certain position in your bag…
    this keeps the dungeon crawling and item management addictive..
    it stops the game from feeling like a stale resource gathering game…
    you’ll also be able to summon a portal for an insane amount of cash that will take you back to town and let you teleport back into the same dungeon and room you left off in. as no matter how deep you get. if you die or leave and don’t use this portal, you start at the beginning of a random portal…
    getting to the 4th room is no easy feat, though there are rejuvenating pools to give you some health to help you along your way.
    I would save these portals for the room right before the boss, go back to town buy some potions go in once I have all of the beast armor and weapons possible at that point and clean house…
    its did start to feel a bit repetitive to me in the 4th dungeons but ultimately I’m surprised how addictive this game ended up being, taking me around 15 hours to clear…
    and I was hooked the entire time..
    I hated moonlighter at the beginning, but I slowly fell in love.
    I give Moonlighter
    an 8/10    … Expand
  16. llvllr30
    Jun 5, 2018
    8
    Just game very fun at the beginning but when u closely reach to the end you just feel empty, dont have much thing to do
  17. SilverOrlov
    Apr 23, 2023
    8
    Objectively - 7. Subjectively - 8.
    This is a cute pixel art "rough-like" game about going to the dungeons, searching for various artifacts and other garbage in order to sell it all in your shop to the villagers. When I first tried this game, it was very enticing with this idea of ​​combining a trading simulator with travels and battles in dungeons. It was a breath of fresh air in my    Objectively - 7. Subjectively - 8.
    This is a cute pixel art "rough-like" game about going to the dungeons, searching for various artifacts and other garbage in order to sell it all in your shop to the villagers. When I first tried this game, it was very enticing with this idea of ​​combining a trading simulator with travels and battles in dungeons. It was a breath of fresh air in my gaming experience. And there is also very pleasant and suitable music in each location.
    What a pity that in all elements of this game, the creators did not reach a higher quality. The game starts to get boring after a couple of dungeons. It's interesting, the combats and enemies are interesting, but if you have to keep gamers coming back to the same action/play-through, the game has to give some MORE variety, otherwise it will tire even a big fan of this game like me. However, it's not expensive, so it would be very unfair not to say that it is simply a "must buy" to try it yourself.
    DLC: In itself, it is good and interesting. Plus, it adds some new features to the shop and crafting.
    Everything would be great, except for one thing: to-o-o-o lo-o-o-o-o-ng needed to find crafting materials in order to normally go to the end and beat the last boss. No, you can, of course, "end the Dark Souls on bananas", but in most cases and for ordinary players, you need to return, look for and collect the necessary loot many-many times. It is overstretched. 7 out of 10.    … Expand
  18. OverClusterARG
    Jul 2, 2019
    8
    Moonlighter se destaca por su capacidad de exploración y la propuesta de estar del otro lado del mostrador en un videojuego. Parece un juego corto, pero tiene muchas capas de dificultad y exploración que lo hacen durar una buena cantidad de horas, así como tener mucha rejugabilidad.

    Falla tal vez en el combate, al ser muy básico muchas veces Will da golpes al aire (mientras le sacan    Moonlighter se destaca por su capacidad de exploración y la propuesta de estar del otro lado del mostrador en un videojuego. Parece un juego corto, pero tiene muchas capas de dificultad y exploración que lo hacen durar una buena cantidad de horas, así como tener mucha rejugabilidad.

    Falla tal vez en el combate, al ser muy básico muchas veces Will da golpes al aire (mientras le sacan vida). También sucede que el campo de acción se vuelve algo chico e incómodo al momento de la pelea. Esto se nota al querer saltar o esquivar.    … Expand
  19. PeakZach
    Apr 9, 2020
    8
    The gaming mechanics, crisp sounds, and excellent premise could not be better. The story is lacking partially and the grind is a definite aspect of this game, but worth it most of the time.
  20. karahangke267
    Apr 2, 2023
    8
    I liked the looping gameplay. Owning and managing a store was an amazing experience. Dungeon and combat system was easy to grasp. Definetly recommend.
  21. BeatHour
    Dec 29, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's not very fun, but it's playable from beginning to end. Collecting items feels satisfying, but money isn't super important in this game. It seems like the whole game follows this formula; nothing is very important to actually playing it, somehow, but some elements of the gameplay feel good.

    Both the shop and dungeon features feel tacked on and not fully complete or meaningful to progression. For example, you need the shop to sell things, but it's kind of a glorified item dump, as the mechanics in getting people to buy things don't go deeper than setting your sell price within a certain range. As for dungeons, they're just a little long (about 20-30 minutes to complete) with most enemies not being hard to deal with, and most of the bosses being easy. They're just kind of there, but it feels like something is missing: probably complexity.

    My favorite thing was the secret challenge rooms you can find by falling into pits, and time warp sections of the dungeons. You can use it to get advanced loot, but that just basically nets you more money. It seems very unlikely that you could get items ahead of time from this, which would give this section some purpose. But still, it's satisfying to my brain to upgrade the junk I've got lined up to sell.

    The inventory organization puzzle that's in the game is cute, but it stops short of being important or complex. There's like 5 types of pickups that can be problematic or beneficial in your inventory, so you need to take about 5 seconds after a rare drop to organize your inventory. You can spend some time doing this, so I guess it is a rather strong feature...

    But the combat isn't very strong. It's just attack and dodge fair. I didn't really see a need or have the desire to experiment much with the weapon types. The shield was fine and gives your the additional defensive ability to block, which can get you through areas which your other defensive gear isn't really ready for. As for the rest of the combat, it's buggy (you might have to restart a boss battle because it's either not triggering stage changes, or you get stuck in the floor somehow) and sometimes too weighty. It kind of reminds me of the SNES Zelda taken a bit too far in that a hit can send you ping-ponging around the room. Still, like Dark Souls (although it's not a very hard game if you have the right gear), it's satisfying when you overcome a dungeon with a sliver of health. That said, you can get so overpowered very easily, and by the end of the game I was just thundering through, smacking everything to death before it had a chance to attack.

    And, finally, the story is ridiculously bad. For 90% of the game it's just an old man telling you not to advance in the game, saying the same thing over and over again. You find books in the dungeon that just ramble on about "why are there bosses here? why are there monsters?" Even 20 hours into the game, these books are still asking questions about things like "why are there doors that connect the rooms?" The conclusion is that alien pirates teleported dangerous relic rooms into your world. That's it. Time police come by the time you've already dealt with the pirates, say some little spiel about how they'll give your people licenses to loot the relics... And then it just ends. I would have been more satisfied if it just ended with a "fin" screen after the final (forgettable) boss.    … Expand
  22. BioTofu
    Jan 14, 2019
    7
    The game needs to at least double the number of weapons and armors available and I was not enticed to keep continue playing after 3hrs. The crafting, combat, and shop management were too bland... the control was not smooth, i even preferred the very basic combat and inventory management in stardew valley over this... i think its the control that frustrated me the most as it also impactedThe game needs to at least double the number of weapons and armors available and I was not enticed to keep continue playing after 3hrs. The crafting, combat, and shop management were too bland... the control was not smooth, i even preferred the very basic combat and inventory management in stardew valley over this... i think its the control that frustrated me the most as it also impacted the combat.… Expand
  23. kelvinsanchez15
    May 27, 2019
    7
    Tiene puntos buenos como tiene malos, la música es de 10, el pixel art es muy agradable a la vista, en su contraparte siento que el gameplay no se siente fluido y en partes esta desequilibrado. La mecánica de la tienda pasa de ser una novedad a convertirse en algo tedioso/repetitivo. Aparte de todo eso es un buen juego que merece atención, espero lo sigan mejorando de ser posible.
  24. Csefff
    Aug 30, 2018
    7
    Fun dungeon grind with limited scope but great arcade combat.

    + Quick learning curve and satisfyingly balance for most gamers. + Fun core gameplay and mini-games - has a solid loop between combat and shopkeeping (just one more turn...). + Combat is derived from micro-puzzles that are satisfying to solve. - Marketing represented slightly as a 'stardew-like' game, but more like    Fun dungeon grind with limited scope but great arcade combat.

    + Quick learning curve and satisfyingly balance for most gamers.
    + Fun core gameplay and mini-games - has a solid loop between combat and shopkeeping (just one more turn...).
    + Combat is derived from micro-puzzles that are satisfying to solve.

    - Marketing represented slightly as a 'stardew-like' game, but more like 'rogue legacy / enter the gungeon'. In 20 hours, the most methodical gamer would have completed all the content.
    - Lots of optimal pathways in inventory mini-game and item purchases/upgrades.
    - Not a lot of diversity - once you've completed the first dungeon, the rest are different shades of the same colour.    … Expand
  25. Holfgard
    Jan 15, 2019
    7
    Very good looking appearence, so cute and great pixel art. The rogue lite component is interesting but it must be polished. The problem is the economy, you can break it like in the middle of the game and you don't feel the necessity to keep going to the end. That takes you out of the adventure and the story they want to tell you. They tried to fix it with an update but it's not enough.Very good looking appearence, so cute and great pixel art. The rogue lite component is interesting but it must be polished. The problem is the economy, you can break it like in the middle of the game and you don't feel the necessity to keep going to the end. That takes you out of the adventure and the story they want to tell you. They tried to fix it with an update but it's not enough. It's very recommendable but you must have in mind the problems.… Expand
  26. guiegui
    Jan 2, 2021
    7
    A game with a very interesting proposal, really innovative in the sense that you have your own store. However, the story is more of a background than something really important. After the third dungeon, all you wanna do is finish the game as quickly as possible, at least for me, from that point on, selling items in the store had become very boring and repetitive.
    It took me 11h30m to    A game with a very interesting proposal, really innovative in the sense that you have your own store. However, the story is more of a background than something really important. After the third dungeon, all you wanna do is finish the game as quickly as possible, at least for me, from that point on, selling items in the store had become very boring and repetitive.
    It took me 11h30m to finish the game, and although I really like grind games in this style, I already think that's too much for a game like this, and the only reason I gave 7 for this game was due to the great experience I had in the first 7 hours of gameplay.

    Um jogo com uma proposta bastante interessante, realmente inovador no sentido de você ter sua própria loja. Porém a história é mais um background do que algo realmente importante. Depois da terceira dungeon, tudo o que você quer fazer é zerar o jogo o mais rápido possível, pois, pelo menos para mim, a partir desse ponto, vender itens na loja tinha se tornado algo muito chato e repetitivo.
    Demorei 11h30m para zerar o jogo, e, apesar de eu realmente gostar de grind games nesse estilo, eu ja acho demais para um jogo assim, e o unico motivo de eu ter dado 7 para esse jogo foi pela ótima experiência que tive nas primeiras 7 horas de gameplay.    … Expand
  27. freenik
    Jul 20, 2021
    7
    Fun, cute, casual.
    A major minus is that it lacks a real story line, and all is a little bit too repetitive. If we think of it as a casual game that you play without any burden and moderate effort, then the world in it is a bit too small and there isn't really much to explore and interact with.
  28. pawnperspective
    Aug 13, 2020
    7
    Moonlighter is a little bit Action RPG, a little bit Rogue-like, and a small bit Shop/Town Management in a combination that works delightfully, yet sometimes frustratingly, well. The game centers around Will, a young shopkeeper fascinated by the Dungeon and its Gates. Each of the Dungeon’s four Gates brings an adventurer into a randomized labyrinth filled with all sorts of valuable itemsMoonlighter is a little bit Action RPG, a little bit Rogue-like, and a small bit Shop/Town Management in a combination that works delightfully, yet sometimes frustratingly, well. The game centers around Will, a young shopkeeper fascinated by the Dungeon and its Gates. Each of the Dungeon’s four Gates brings an adventurer into a randomized labyrinth filled with all sorts of valuable items and deadly enemies. The mysterious 5th Gate has yet to be unlocked.

    Moonlighter takes place during day and night cycles. During the day, Will sells the goods he finds in the Dungeon at night. Certain items will be in more demand than others, and prices in which customers are willing to pay for those items always fluctuates. As Will’s profits grow, so can his shop and the surrounding town. A blacksmith, alchemist, and other shops can be purchased to supply Will’s daring expeditions into the Dungeon come dark.

    At night Will takes to the mysterious Dungeon trying to find items to sell, as well as materials to craft and enchant his equipment. Each time he enters the Dungeon, it’s different, and each of the four Gates will eventually yield keys to open the 5th Gate, which Will’s father died trying to research. These dungeon stages are severe, and Will will die many, many times while working his way up the power/skill ladder. Sometimes it can be a bit frustrating when you first start, but after a bit of a grind, things fall into place and become a bit smoother.

    Moonlighter’s fast action gameplay combined with its sim-style day cycles, amazingly detailed pixel art, and excellent soundtrack make it a game that’s not to miss. There’s a little something for everyone here, though the difficulty curve is a bit sharp to begin. It’s available on Steam, Humble Bundle, GOG, the XBox One, PS4, and Switch, so if you’ve got a modern way to game, you can get the game.    … Expand
  29. lastfox
    May 13, 2020
    6
    A nice little rogue game, that I would describe as a mix of Spelunky, Rogue Legacy and Zelda.

    A scavenger at night and a merchant by day, the game is not an an RPG, but more of an action adventure with combined with a mini shop game. You kind of scavenge certain dungeons (within a limited time frame) to get parts = money and in effect upgrade either your armour, weapons, magic or your    A nice little rogue game, that I would describe as a mix of Spelunky, Rogue Legacy and Zelda.

    A scavenger at night and a merchant by day, the game is not an an RPG, but more of an action adventure with combined with a mini shop game.
    You kind of scavenge certain dungeons (within a limited time frame) to get parts = money and in effect upgrade either your armour, weapons, magic or your own shop.
    The combat seems a bit difficult at first but it's very fair. Every time you enter a dungeon it's maze-like architecture is randomly generated. But there are still rules, which you can uncover by taking hints of other scavengers who didn't make it. There's a ticking clock element in form of a dungeon guardian who is starting to pursue you after you spent too much time in the dungeon. It gives the scavenging a sense of urgency. Honorable mention: nice pixel art and some neat animations. The music is nice too.

    Unfortunately it's a bit short, the village is way too small and therefore the game lacks a bit of scope. The shop system adds some additional hours, but overall it's a pretty short affair.
    I would recommend it if it's on sale.    … Expand
  30. megabear
    May 29, 2018
    6
    Would have been a good game if there was an end goal other than participating in looping gameplay. Because there is no proper end goal, there is no motivation and because there is no motivation there is no fun.
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Awards & Rankings

60
#60 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018
46
#46 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    40
    On a paper sympathetic, but tedious in practice. The game is an unamusing attempt to recreate Recettear. The functional foundation would need a more exciting environment and more entertaining action. [Issue#287]
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 27, 2018
    75
    The ending turned out to be a huge disappointment but I will not let the last fifteen minutes or so overshadow my generally good impression. Over 20 hours that led to it were engaging, the pixel art is cute and the music is even better. [08/2018, p.70]
  3. PLAY! Zine
    Jul 18, 2018
    90
    Day is your lady, night is your mistress, young shopkeeper. For what you seek in the depths of randomly generated dungeons will reward you dearly, if you decide to keep the lights of the family business on. Who knows, maybe someday you may even enter the mythical fifth door of the dungeon creepiest of them all. Hah, who am I kidding, you can never do that... If you don't buy the game, so buy it.
    Read full review
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