Moonlighter is an action role-playing video game created by a Spanish independent game company called Digital Sun. It was first released on May 29, 2018, for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on November 5, 2018. The game was later made available for iOS and Android devices in November 2020 and September 2021, but these versions were later removed from the app stores. A new mobile version was released again for iOS and Android on May 24, 2022, through Netflix Games. A version for Google Stadia, developed by 11-bit studios with help from Crunching Koalas, was released on July 1, 2021. An expansion pack titled Between Dimensions was released on July 23, 2019. A sequel called Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault was made available for early access in November 2025.
Plot
Moonlighter is set in the village of Rynoka, which was created when several mysterious doors were discovered to lead to unique places filled with artifacts. The people began calling these places "Dungeon" and started exploring them to gather resources to sell. There are two types of people who explore these dungeons: heroes, who explore the dungeons and kill monsters for fame and glory, and merchants, who explore the dungeons to find artifacts in chests to sell. Heroes are respected more than merchants because merchants are seen as people who only care about money.
Each dungeon contains a mini boss on every floor and a dungeon guardian at the final level. When the dungeons were first discovered, Rynoka was filled with travelers and warriors who explored these places, and the town was very prosperous at first. However, as the number of people who died in the dungeons increased, the town began closing the dungeons to protect its citizens. This caused Rynoka to decline because the town relied on the artifacts collected from the dungeons. Today, only one dungeon remains open for exploration.
Will, a 17-year-old orphan, began exploring the dungeons near his home to collect artifacts to sell at his family’s shop, the Moonlighter. While exploring the first dungeon, he found a body with a note from Crazy Pete, a friend of his grandfather who once studied the dungeons. The note explained that each of the four dungeons contains a guardian who holds a key. These keys are needed to open the fifth dungeon, which has remained closed since the dungeons were discovered.
Will was warned not to search for the keys because he is a merchant, not a hero. Despite the warnings, Will defeated the guardians of the four dungeons and collected their keys. He became known as the "hero-merchant," and more travelers began visiting Rynoka again. After collecting all four keys, the door to the fifth dungeon finally opened.
As Will explored the fifth dungeon, he found it filled with the bodies of an alien species and discovered notes left behind. The fifth dungeon was actually the base of a group of interdimensional pirates. These pirates were the first to achieve interdimensional travel and began raiding other dimensions for resources. The other dungeons were doorways to other dimensions the pirates created to make it easier to steal resources. When a group called the ICT discovered the pirates, the pirates hid in their base to avoid detection and gave a key to a minion to open the base in one month. The minion was found and killed by Crazy Pete, trapping the pirates. The pirates then fought over limited resources and crashed their base into a random dimension, causing the dungeons to appear. Only one pirate remained, the captain.
When Will met the pirate captain, the captain thanked him for freeing him and offered him the chance to leave. However, Will refused and fought the captain, eventually defeating him. Outside the dungeon, soldiers from the ICT arrived and closed the dungeon. Opening the fifth dungeon reactivated the base signal, allowing the ICT to locate the pirates. After leaving the dungeon, Will explained what happened to the ICT captain. The ICT captain told Will that everyone on the planet would be arrested for using the doors to raid other dimensions. However, because Will stopped the pirates and helped them connect with other dimensions, the ICT decided to invite the planet to join the Dimensional Commerce Treaty, which allows legal trade with other dimensions. The ICT will shut down the dungeons, and using them will become illegal. Will returned to Rynoka to share the news with the town.
Gameplay
In the game Moonlighter, players run a shop during the day and explore dangerous areas at night. During the day, players manage inventory, collect money, and use the money to improve their town. Town improvements allow players to create weapons, armor, and health potions. They can also hire a helper to sell items during the day and upgrade their equipment. At night, players enter dungeons to fight groups of enemies. When enemies are defeated, they leave behind items called loot. Loot can also be found in chests after clearing a room. The game includes four different dungeons: Golem, Forest, Desert, and Tech.
Reception
On Metacritic, the game Moonlighter received mixed reviews on PC platforms and positive reviews on other platforms. 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.