Moonlighter is a game best described as a clever mashup of Zelda and Animal Crossing. During the day, you’ll find yourself taking on the role of a humble shopkeeper, selling wares, trading with vendors, and upgrading your store. During the wee hours of the night, however, you’ll be tasked with exploring randomly generated dungeons around the town, which nets you loot for crafting higher-quality items you can sell during the day.
The game’s dungeon crawling element will feel familiar to anyone who has played any roguelike in the past several years, with top-down combat that looks and feels like early Zelda titles. Every run you make is about delving as deep as you can to get better loot without pushing your luck, as dying causes you to lose most of your goods.
What is really surprising is how well realized the shopkeeping component is, though. While most games simply have you drop off your loot for a modest amount of gold, Moonlighter has you setting prices for individual items, negotiating them with customers, and keeping track of market trends.
Moonlighter: The Complete Edition includes the base game in addition to its expansion, Between Dimensions, and is an excellent value for anyone looking for a unique take on dungeon crawling roguelikes.
