A Gory Sitcom in the Countryside

"Press F to pay respects" is out, and now it’s "Press A to run away." This is the very first decision I make in Moonlight Peaks, a vampire-themed farm sim where the wholesome tropes are left at the door. You play as the estranged child of Dracula, ditching his castle and his draconian rules to find space for yourself at the family cottage in the countryside.

When you arrive in Moonlight Peaks, the family property is, unsurprisingly, overrun with weeds and boulders. You must clear them out to start farming blood grapes and "cruelcumbers." But the real drama begins the moment you step outside.

Your initial interactions are a parade of dysfunction: a hungover vampire patriarch passed out in front of your house, a werewolf mayor and his brother arguing over a broken bench, and a self-obsessed warlock hitting on you through relentless interruptions. All of this happens in the first five minutes.

Real Housewives of the Supernatural

The next five hours introduce you to an old feud between supernatural families, a doomed dinner party, and a rogue love demon. Moonlight Peaks features a soft, chibi-fied art style, but this place is seriously toxic—and I say that with affection.

Farm sims are often relentlessly wholesome, so a sloppy bunch of grumpy paranormals is a refreshing vibe shift. The tone is a sitcom-ified Real Housewives experience where feuding factions cannot get through a conversation without an explosive argument.

Aside from the family of seers and Luna the farming witch, most townsfolk are standoffish and spikey from the start. The game leans heavily into vampire family head Orlock as a comedic relief alcoholic. While this feels a bit dated in 2026, the rest of the cast is endearingly flawed. As the plucky outsider, your role is to rehabilitate the town by tempering those tempers.

Cozy Gameplay with a Dark Twist

Your nights in Moonlight Peaks mirror the familiar loop of recent farm sims, just with a nocturnal twist:

  • Wake up at 6 pm and use limited energy to water plants and chop trees.
  • Walk into town to chat with locals or buy supplies.
  • Pick a favorite supernatural cutie, like the werewolf lady Saga, to obsessively gift produce to in a bid for marriage.
  • Decorate your property and build a fleet of crafting stations.
  • Turn raw materials into products to solve neighbor problems before passing out at 6 am.

The game is executed competently, bringing several unique flourishes. There is a small spellcasting minigame for watering plants and other energy-saving unlockable spells. Early on, you can unlock a shapeshifting ability to cross town faster and explore hidden areas. Later activities include a cute flower arranging session, needlepoint, potion brewing, and a card game.

Is It Worth the Hype?

There are no combat mechanics in the mines area, so cozy game purists are safe. However, the game highly recommends playing with a gamepad for the best experience, though keyboard and mouse are supported.

My only complaint after six hours (20 days of in-game time) is that the tightly quest-controlled progression moves too slowly in the first few weeks. I often found myself heading to bed early because I had run out of energy for chores, only to be blocked from unlocking new activities by a main quest step days away. I would have preferred to unlock things like bug catching and spellcasting sooner to stay busy.

Whether Moonlight Peaks is for you depends on your taste in art style and tone. The visual style is distinct, and the chaotic, argumentative town dynamic offers a unique twist on the genre.

Moonlight Peaks launches in full on July 7. Until then, a public demo is available, allowing you to try planting and potion-making on a partly-furnished farm in the summer season, though it lacks the full character creator and story.