The Nintendo Switch library is getting a bit cozier with the announcement of Moonstone Island — a blend of Harvest Moon and Pokémon. Plus, there’s romance so it checks all the important boxes.
From developer Studio Supersoft and publisher Raw Fury, the game release trailer was featured during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase. It is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch in the spring of 2024, which puts the console release just over a year from when it launched on Steam in September of this year.
The game sees you set out on a quest to become an expert alchemist. Along the way you’ll develop skills related to farming, capturing and raising creatures, fighting monsters, and building relationships with other townsfolk. While you may be used to systems featured in games like Stardew Valley, Moonstone Island takes those familiar ideas and tweaks them. Instead of fighting with a melee weapon, you’ll battle enemies with creatures you’ve captured in card-based encounters. It takes what works best from RPGs, farm sims, and card-based battlers and combines them to create a unique and stunning game set in a colorful world.
One other feature that stands out in Moonstone Island is its world. The game is set in the sky and you’ll explore more than 100 sky islands searching for creatures and leveling up your character. The art style evokes Studio Ghibli films such as Kiki’s Delivery Service and Castle in the Sky. To get around each island, you’ll use a broom, balloon, or glider to visit the world’s people, places, and creatures. You’ll build and customize your own home, develop friendships with NPCs, go on some dates, and delve into dungeons all in the hopes of becoming the greatest alchemist.
Moonstone Island has received “Very Positive” reviews on Steam with players saying it definitely fills that cozy vibe. It’s sure to be a game that feels right at home on the Switch.
