If you are looking for a game that has elements of Stardew Valley and Pokemon, Moonstone Island should be on your wishlist.
Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life sim set in an open world full of floating islands. Moonstone Island follows a young alchemist who must carry on their village’s traditions and travel to a new town to complete their alchemist training. You are not alone and begin the journey with one of three spirits to help you on your journey. These spirits can be used to battle other spirits and bosses around the various islands.
Managing Time in the Moonstone Island Demo
I spent two hours on the demo, and there was a lot to do. Once you complete the tutorial and move to a new island, your work begins. Between farming, getting to know the island residents, exploring dungeons, and battling spirits it is exceptionally easy to lose track of time.
Like many games in the life-sim genre, you will need to go to bed or risk falling unconscious at 2:00 AM. From my experience with the demo, time does move relatively quickly. It’s very easy to lose track of time, especially when in the dungeons.
To get the most out of the demo I did end up neglecting my farming tasks, however, it was well worth it to really experience the demo. I highly recommend downloading the demo and playing it the way you enjoy playing life-sims to see if the clock impacts your gameplay.
Creature Collecting & Combat
The creature collecting and combat system is fun and easy to grasp. Combat uses a deckbuilding system, where each level up on a spirit lets you pick a new card to add to your existing deck.
You have three action points that can be used to attack, charge special abilities, heal, or attempt to tame targets. While three actions may not seem like enough to some, some cards do not expend these points and can be used strategically.
At one point in the game while exploring a dungeon I came across a level six boss while my spirit was a level three. Using healing items and strategically wearing down the boss’ guard led to a surprise victory. It was also very rewarding to see my spirit level up significantly after the battle.
Moonstone Island’s Overall Vibe
The art style in the Moonstone Island demo is cute and cozy. The NPC portraits convey each NPCs personality and look great. The spirits have the right balance of cuteness and practicality with their designs. Whether you want to build a team full of cuddly creatures or your focus is on combat power you have plenty of options.
The soundtrack was relaxing and transitioning between exploration and combat was not jarring. If you enjoy cozy life-sims and creature-collecting games, you will probably enjoy Moonstone Island and should add it to your wishlist on Steam.
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