As seen on The Day of the Devs showcase, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is the sequel to the sleeper hit from 11 Bit Studios and Digital Sun of the same name. Moonlighter is an action roguelite store simulator, where a boy named Will of mysterious origin, helps with his family’s shop during the day and at night, moonlights in the nearby dungeons to collect loot to sell in the family shop during the day.

Previously on Moonlighter…

After the events of the first Moonlighter, Will and his family were forced to leave their idyllic island for a new home in Tresna. To eke out a living, they rented from a local entrepreneur to run a local shop where the lion’s share of the earnings would shift to their landlord. To collect loot, Will travels to the nearby dungeons, but has encountered a mysterious entity called The Endless Vault.

Believed to hold treasure beyond their imagination, Will agrees to aid the Endless Vault to learn more about their predicament as well as make a home in this new, strange island.

The obvious change in Moonlighter 2 is the sheer improvement in the visuals. The original title had at least an 8-bit aesthetic that gives the title its unique charm, having that retro look many indie titles boast. Now, it’s more akin to the aesthetic of other roguelite titles in its contemporary namely Tunic and Death’s Door.

Performance in gameplay has definitely improved, too. While Will can execute similar moves as the previous game: attack, roll, dash, and solve puzzles, Moonlighter 2 added a few new mechanics, such as a long-range attack and a backpack attack to dispatch staggered enemies.

The shop mechanic in Moonlighter 2 has improved as well. While the minigame maintains its initial charm, some new mechanics expand earning money, such as using boosts and charms to improve earning potential. You can also earn rewards by completing random chores during service hours. It involves cleaning and petting your store pet.

A Merchant’s Life Isn’t Easy

While we had a good hour for demo time, we were able to explore Moonlighter 2’s many different mechanics. The town of Tresna is divided into many different boroughs where Will can access different services to expand his character and explore the dungeons easily.

By visiting the blacksmith, you can improve your weapon; the potion shop can improve your health and healing items; and while we were not able to find out more about the other stores as they will eventually open as we explore the dungeons further. By collecting specific loot and money, you’ll be able to expand your skills.

The actual roguelite aspects of Moonlighter 2 are actually more fun than initially thought. It’s more of the same as the first title, but as you progress deeper into the dungeons, the choices become more challenging, and the rewards are equally as fantastic.

You can get uncommon or rare loot at the end of each room challenge, which gets significantly more difficult the deeper you traverse into the dungeons. You will be able to encounter mini-bosses and the area boss as you go deeper, and it may possibly hold more expensive treasure to sell at your shop to complete the first challenge set by the Endless Vault, to earn 5,000 gold in one journey.

It’s a lot easier said than done, as if you fall in a dungeon, you either can retry the dungeon or return to town with your loot at half of its value. Furthermore, certain loot has some effects that change the value of the treasure. Some loot increases the value of your junk, other loot burns it to a crisp, while loot of higher rarity can trigger effects when loot is burnt. The possibilities are endless!

As for the final noticeable difference, there are now extended story cut scenes that explore Will and his family’s struggle to make their life at Tresna a new home. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds as we have reached the end of our demo at Summer Game Fest.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is coming this Summer 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.