Moonlighter

Lore & Background

Moonlighter is set in the village of Rynoka, which formed when mysterious doors were discovered leading to unique places filled with artifacts. These places, called Dungeons, attracted two types of explorers: heroes who kill monsters for fame, and merchants who seek artifacts in chests to sell. Heroes are held in greater esteem than merchants. Initially prosperous, Rynoka declined as casualty rates rose and dungeons were closed to protect citizens, leaving only one dungeon open.

The story follows Will, a 17-year-old orphan who explores dungeons near his home to collect artifacts for his family shop, the Moonlighter. He discovers a note from Crazy Pete, a friend of his grandfather, revealing that each of four dungeons holds a guardian with a key needed to open a fifth dungeon. Despite warnings that he is a merchant, not a hero, Will defeats all four guardians, collects the keys, and opens the fifth dungeon. There he finds the base of interdimensional pirates who had been raiding other dimensions. The pirates became trapped after Crazy Pete killed their minion, and only the captain remained. Will defeats the captain, and the Interdimensional Commerce Treaty (ICT) arrives, inviting Rynoka to join the Dimensional Commerce Treaty, making further dungeon use illegal.

Reader's Guide

Moonlighter received mixed reviews on PC platforms and positive reviews on other platforms according to Metacritic. It was nominated for 'Fan Favorite Indie Game' and 'Fan Favorite Role Playing Game' at the Gamers' Choice Awards, and for 'Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game' at the SXSW Gaming Awards. The game's blend of shopkeeping and dungeon crawling, along with its town-upgrade mechanics, contributed to its recognition within the indie game scene. A DLC expansion, Between Dimensions, was released on July 23, 2019. The game was later made available on mobile platforms via Netflix Games in 2022, and a Stadia version was released on July 1, 2021. A sequel, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, entered early access in November 2025.