Moonlight Peaks Screenshot
Image: XSEEDS Games/Marvelous Europe

Cozy games are all the rage. Arts, crafts, housekeeping, growing plants, keeping pets, being an immortal, undead creature of the night - all relaxing things to do on a sleepy evening after work. Today, Moonlight Peaks made its commercial debut, from indie studio Little Chicken and published by XSeed Games & Marvelous Europe. A Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon-inspired farming sandbox adventure (plus maybe a little Animal Crossing) set in a haunted valley. Also, you're a vampire, so I guess that makes you a master of the dark arts and crafts.

With a well-liked demo and positive user reviews already rolling in, Moonlight Peaks seems to be fairly well received considering its launch in the last days of the Summer Sale. As a vampire, you've got to be back in your coffin by dawn, but you're free to enjoy yourself all night long, hanging out (and potentially romancing) the locals, growing crops, brewing potions and picking up some vampiric magic. There are some shapeshifting powers that'll let you access new areas and travel faster, but don't expect to be nibbling on the locals.

Despite its dark(ish) supernatural theming, there are no dungeons or combat in Moonlight Peaks, making it less violent than even Stardew Valley. There does seem to be a good range of distractions to fill the void left by slapping slimes around in a dark cavern. Outside of farming, there are mini-games for flower arranging, cross-stitch, and a Hearthstone-adjacent collectible card game as a stand-in for martial conflict. While not my personal cup of tea (I prefer my farming with a side of adventure, like Harvestella or Rune Factory), this one does look charming, with a mostly-lively, diverse cast of weirdos to share your town with.

Moonlight Peaks is out now on Steam for £30/$35, minus a 15% launch discount running until July 13th. There's also a demo available, if you want a casual sip of claret before you really sink your teeth in.