Moonstone Island

Moonstone Island is an addicting blend of various genres that still maintains its own identity. The monster-collecting, card-battling life sim brings aesthetics and inspirations from beloved games while still offering fresh gameplay. There's a vast world to explore that's different with every game file. It’s a gorgeous title that shows off crisp pixel graphics for a wholesome experience. There are...

In Moonstone Island, there's a ridiculous amount of activities to keep yourself occupied as you progress through your days of Alchemist training, bringing together everything you could ever want in a cozy life-sim title. Gorgeous pixel graphics, a soothing, relaxing soundtrack, Quests, monster catching, turn-based battles, deck building, exploration, farming, Dungeon diving, foraging, crafting and...

Moonstone Island's fun card battling system relies too heavily on the elements, but that can't dampen our enthusiasm for fun Spirits, Exploration, and a beautiful world.

While the story of Moonstone Island has you spending one in-game year on the isles – 112 in-game days – there’s a very good chance you’ll want to spend much, much longer enjoying everything the game has to throw at you. If you’re used to being guided through adventures, you might find the freedom here a little overwhelming to begin with. But once you start exploring the vast world, collecting all ...

Moonstone Island is an awesome slice-of-life creature collecting game that needs a lower framerate cap to run stable on the Steam Deck.

Sadly, I experienced quite a few softlock bugs during combat, meaning I lost progress several times. The only holographic spirit I ever found was lost due to a softlock. That said, I don’t have a tonne of criticisms of the game. I wish there was more to the romances, but that’s just because I like the characters and want more.

Despite Moonstone Island having 100 islands to explore, dates to go on with romanceable NPCs, thousands of craftable decorating items, and rewarding quests and goals to complete, the game only covers the one year that the little Alchemist is away from home. Moonstone Island ends on the last day of that year, although players can continue to play their game in sandbox mode after that. This can be f...

As precious as Moonstone Island is, it won’t be for everyone. But if you like Stardew Valley and want something a little more adventurous or challenging, I say give Moonstone Island a try. It’s well worth its price of admission, and it’s a game I can see myself coming back to when I feel that cozy itch.

Moonstone Island refreshes my love for games like Stardew Valley and Pokémon, but still exerts its own unique identity. But sometimes with an amalgamation of genres, the details can get a little blurry, and there are certain aspects that sour the experience. Overall though, this was, and continues to be, a very adorable and compelling game.

Moonstone Island offers a more thrilling experience than a cozy one. Taming cute Spirits and partaking in combat is far more exciting and rewarding than staying put and building a farm or talking to NPCs. If only its life-sim aspects were as fulfilling as the game's other elements, Moonstone Island would have been a much more consistent experience throughout.

Moonstone Island's world is a feast for the eyes, offering stunning pixelated visuals reminiscent of the world of Studio Ghibli. It does an amazing job fusing together Stardew Valley aspects with the likes of Pokémon and its new-age retro style compliments the game well. With the art and gameplay comes the unique and strategic deck-building battle system that is arguably the most distinguishing fa...

Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life-sim set in an open world with 100 islands to explore. Make friends, brew potions, collect Spirits, and test your strength in card-based encounters to complete your Alchemy training! PC version reviewed.