Discover Moonstone Island: a charming, retro game full of crafting, exploration, and boundless fun.
In yet another episode of “I found a game on discount on the Nintendo eShop,” my quest for the ultimate cosy game continues—one that blends simplicity, retro vibes, and just enough charm to keep me hooked.
Moonstone Island is a delightful mix of monster taming, deck building, and farming life simulation. You guide a young alchemist-in-training as she explores over a hundred randomly generated floating islands, crafting items, battling monsters, and unearthing treasures along the way.
It’s way more exciting than any life-coaching seminar.
Despite the mix of genres, Moonstone Island pulls everything together seamlessly. After sinking over ten hours into the game, I can confidently say it’s a polished blend that keeps you engaged.
And those floating islands? They’re not just eye candy—you’ll be busy crafting, battling, and digging through mines and dungeons. So, let’s dive into why Moonstone Island isn’t just another monster-taming clone and how it quickly becomes an addictive time sink that has you saying, “Just one more island… okay, maybe one more.”
Who needs a plot, when there is a lot of play?
Developed by Studio Supersoft and published by Raw Fury, Moonstone Island first launched on Steam in September 2023 and recently landed on the Switch.
The plot is straightforward: your parents eagerly send you off to begin your first year as an alchemist. After a quick farming tutorial, you take off on a flying broom, hit some turbulence, and crash-land on Moonstone Island—an island conveniently in need of an alchemist.
Here, you learn to tame spirits (the island’s monsters) and receive your first starter spirit to assist on your journey. While the game’s core format remains consistent, the surrounding islands are randomly generated, ensuring each play-through feels unique.
Moonstone Island offers a vast open world with quests unlocking constantly, covering everything from collecting seasonal plant seeds and selling quirky resources (like sparks from a lightning elemental bee) to crafting concoctions and clearing dungeons.
I find myself rotating through these activities—one day it’s dungeon crawling, the next it’s farming, and maybe some mining in between. The real charm of Moonstone Island is how it constantly encourages you to explore.
What truly hooks me to Moonstone Island, despite its endless possibilities and activities, is its simplicity—both in design and gameplay. From the get-go, you can choose your path: whether you want to focus on decimating dungeons or building a farm full of whimsical spirits, the choice is entirely yours.
Cards, combos and chaos
Moonstone Island offers over a hundred spirits, each with elements like lightning, psychic, and dark, following the classic rock-paper-scissors system of strengths and weaknesses. But battles in this game bring a fresh twist to the monster-taming genre with combat centred around crafting the perfect card deck.
Each 3v3 battle features spirits with armor that softens initial damage. Stronger elements chip away at this armor, and once depleted, the spirit becomes ‘dizzy’—unable to attack, heal, and takes double damage.
Your goal is to build a deck that can dismantle armor and deliver solid blows using attack and skill cards that keep things lively.
Every turn grants you three energy points, with each card costing a different amount. Whether you prefer slow-burn damage with poison or fire spirits or overwhelming your foes with psychic spirits’ skill cards for extra energy, the strategy is yours to decide.
For someone used to traditional JRPGs, the deck-building in Moonstone Island was a bit of a learning curve. As your spirits level up, their decks improve with stronger, more energy-efficient cards. The key is ensuring your team’s cards work well together, whether you opt for a sleek, focused deck or a more extensive, flexible one.
And if you’re feeling daring, you can always throw caution to the wind and embrace a bit of chaos—sometimes, it makes the game all the more interesting!
Dungeons, guardians, and endless discoveries
One of the best things about Moonstone Island is the variety of activities, like those randomly generated islands I mentioned earlier? They have well over a hundred unique environments—like lightning-filled islands that zap you or lava islands where every step could set you ablaze—there’s always something new to discover.
Crafting is central to your adventure. As a budding alchemist, you start with a basic balloon, but as you explore, you’ll find blueprints and resources to craft better gear.
Poisonous Island? Craft an accessory for immunity. Balloon not cutting it? Upgrade to a flying broom or glider.
Each island offers unique spirits, plants, and resources. Some plants boost health, give experience, or replenish stamina, and the most important ones help you tame spirits. You can gather or cultivate these plants, adding a fun layer of strategy.
Planning a dungeon raid or a day of spirit collecting? Get planting! What might seem like a chore is actually part of the game’s charm, driven by the thrill of discovery as you explore each island’s offerings.
The game’s definitely packed with surprises — dungeons, temples, and treasure chests are just begging to be uncovered. Some temples even demand season-specific resources to unlock new areas, while the mines are your go-to spot for all things ore-related.
But the real star of the show? Moonstones.
These gems are the game’s most crucial resource, essential for crafting the best items. And I’ve said earlier on, this game will keep you in a perpetual state of “just one more island” because every discovery feels like a little boost to your in-game life!
Simplicity meets endless possibilities
Nothing is mandatory except your desire to explore. Moonstone Island feels like a sandbox game at heart. As you venture across the islands, you’ll find yourself chopping wood, hammering stones, and building bridges—probably the second most important thing in the game.
Why bridges, you ask? Because, dear reader, you need to get around. Whether it’s crossing rivers or hopping over lakes of lava, bridges are your best friend. And dungeon hopping? Well, that just brings more resources.
Sure, you can buy these resources eventually, but sustainability is key. You’ll learn the value of cultivation, especially as the seasons change, adding layers of charm to your floating farm.
In short, Moonstone Island is a true time sink. With an aesthetic and soundtrack reminiscent of old Nintendo games, it’s a touch of nostalgia wrapped in fresh innovation that I never knew I needed.
Game creator Sandy Spink described the game as “a love letter to the games I grew up on—like Pokemon, Legend of Zelda, and Harvest Moon.
“It’s also influenced by the TV shows and movies I watched, especially Studio Ghibli films. As a kid, I’d rent a Ghibli movie every week, and that creative spirit has stayed with me. More recently, games like Dominion, Magic: The Gathering, and Slay the Spire have also shaped Moonstone Island.”
And those influences? They shine through in every pixel.
In essence, whether you’re drawn to its retro aesthetics or the endless creative possibilities, Moonstone Island is a game that invites you to lose yourself in its whimsical world, promising countless hours of engaging fun.
If you’re on the hunt for a cosy game with a sprinkle of adventure, Moonstone Island might just be your next great find. – WARDI WASIL
