Moonlight Peaks is an upcoming life sim with a twist—players will take control of a vampire, make potions, learn spell casting, and harvest cursed crops to survive. Players will not only have a diverse cast of characters to meet and potentially fall in eternal love with, but Little Chicken’s newest indie game also allows players to customize their character and express themselves however they like.
Game ZXC spoke with game director Yannis Bolman and art director Mia Boas about the diverse cast of characters dwelling in Moonlight Peaks, as well as how their character creator allows for better player representation.
Moonlight Peak's Cast and Character Creator Will Welcome a Diverse Group of Players
In a market saturated with cozy life sims, Moonlight Peaks stands out from the rest as an interesting new take on the classic genre. While many of the expected mechanics are present, Little Chicken adds some clever features into the mix, making playing as a vampire engaging and oftentimes surprising. Tasks like potion brewing, learning to cast spells, and even the ability to transform into a bat help the player reach new heights and explore the expansive map from a whole new perspective. A varying set of in-game features are not the only diverse aspect of gameplay. The devs at Little Chicken have also made sure to offer players a diverse cast of characters to fall in love with free of restriction, and a robust character creator makes sure players of Moonlight Peaks can find themselves in their character no matter how they identify.
Diversity is a big topic of conversation in gaming, especially as the industry moves forward players continue to look for themselves in gaming and oftentimes wind up disappointed. That's not going to happen in Moonlight Peaks, with Boas stating,
“We want to provide options for everyone, no matter their cultural background, gender identity, or personal preference.”
Moonlight Peaks’ is essential in helping players represent themselves or whoever they want to be in-game. Boas tells Game ZXC that the final game will have a variety of features in the character creator players can design including facial designs, hairstyles, hair colors, eye colors, and skin tones thus allowing players to craft whatever identity they wish to portray in the game. Another notable quality of the character model in-game is that they are gender-neutral so as not to force an identity on players, but again to allow those playing to express themselves however they feel fit.
Beyond one’s own character, Little Chicken’s commitment to diversity continues in the various characters players will encounter living out their new lives in the town of Moonlight Peaks. Boas shares the total number of romanceable characters in the farming sim is 15, a number the team makes a point to say will hopefully expand over time. Each person—or creature—the player encounters will have their own personality and contribute to the depth of Moonlight Peaks’ narrative in a variety of different ways. According to Bolman, depending on the creature type, they may even behave differently depending on environmental circumstances, their idea of vampires, or even their relationship with the player's family, including the infamous Count Dracula.
“Our goal is to include a diverse range of character types to ensure there’s someone for everyone, and each character will have their own unique personality traits.“
Bolman points out that players can expect werewolves to “act more zany during a full moon,” meanwhile other character types, such as vampires, may be more cunning and mermaids more mysterious. Befriending these characters comes with a variety of benefits, too. Getting close to another creature will allow the player access to things like special item blueprints or materials needed to craft unique items.
All of these testaments to diversity are highly important, especially now when players have a more heightened awareness and desire for representation than ever. Games should be inclusive and should create a space where all people feel represented. Whether it’s being able to create an avatar that looks however one wants or offering characters that one can romance without restriction, these small features that Moonlight Peaks get right make a big difference, and they are instrumental in making all players feel welcome regardless of their background or how they present themselves.
Moonlight Peaks is available to wishlist on Steam.