A Game With Charm and Loot

Oh, just one more run. We’ve all thought it before. What if I just did one more run? I have time, only to find myself playing into the wee hours of the morning. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault hits you where it counts. I can do better on the next run!

Moonlighter the original was a Digital Sun/11-bit Studios, darling hit with its 2D pixel art style filled with charm that caught fans of the rogue-lite genre by surprise. A shopkeeper that sets out into the unknown dungeons searching for loot while fighting off creatures that persistently become more challenging the further you go on your journey, all with one goal in mind: to bring home the bacon. Or in this case, loot to sell in your shop passed down from your family.

New Beginnings

Moonlighter 2: The End Vault, though follows the same formula that made Moonlighter one so incredibly fresh and exciting, looks to bring new twists and turns while taking the game to the next level. Think Assassin’s Creed one, to Assassin’s Creed two! Will, our merchant and moonlighting merchant, has returned to challenge us with a fresh adventure of looting, shopkeeping, crafting and, of course, selling!

We have been forced out of Rynoka, with our home overthrown by Morloch, the Interdimensional Collector, a new antagonist for Moonlighter 2’s story. We are now in the land of Tresna, a larger ragtag interdimensional village of castaways and merchants where we are quickly introduced to Ms Scratch, as she throws us out into an unknown dimension for not paying our shop fees. This kick-to-the-curb approach introduces us to the game’s tutorial and challenges us to find our way back. It's quick, short enough to learn for players new to the series, but doesn't overstay its welcome and quickly gets us back to the main portion of the game.

A New Dimension

Our newfound home of Tresna is filled with life. Though at first glance, a little rough around the edges and in some much-needed repairs. We are greeted by returning NPCs such as Zenon, locals and new faces. This is home. Here is where we live our double-sided life as a merchant once we return from our daring adventures across the endless vault of dungeons for the locals to come and purchase our wares known as relics.

While we’re home, we can visit other shops to help us gear up for a safer journey out on three biomes during my preview time with the game, The Gallery, Aeolia and Kalina. Each biome features its own unique set of relics that change and challenge your looting skills. The Gallery can be a shocking good time or Kalina features items that burn. Finding relics is only the beginning, as placement in your backpack matters. Some relics placed next to another in your backpack may burn the item, having you lose that item altogether, while others could add a shield effect to them, helping protect the inventory item.

Risk or Reward

It ultimately comes down to the risk versus the reward. How far will you push your luck before it's too late? A fine balance of grinding for loot, proceeding to the next dungeon and knowing when to head back to Tresna. Learning each enemy's patterns and abilities to time with your own had me hooked and falling down a rabbit hole full of endless hours of game time. Pushing myself to the max at times, with only a sliver of health left, as I head into a panic of trying to call in the portal that will take me home before my once highly valved loot, becomes worthless, or worse, breaking to the point of non-existent. Dying degrades the value in your stash when heading home, if not destroying them completely, a feature known all too well by fans of the rogue-lite genre.

Searching each dungeon with a quest in hand always brought a sense of purpose and pushed me to risk it all. I know what’s to come in the next area ahead, but will I make it out alive? You are able to plan your route when heading out into your chosen dimension. With the knowledge of my planned path ahead, I head out to grind for the best loot I possibly can with the highest value to sell back at the shop.

Bringing the fight to the dungeons has a variety of weapons to mix up players' play styles. A spear with your trusty broomstick or something faster with dual blades, or a heavy hitter of the long sword. My personal go to. Combat is fun and engrossing as you push for one more battle with its tight mechanics. I always felt in control, and it was my fight to lose or bail out to head back to Tresna. The ability to bail out and call in a portal to head back to Tresna has saved me more times than I can count. Better to have higher valued gear, than broken down half-priced items.

With each new item sold, I look to upgrade my armor, weapons, perks or even my shop to bring in a higher price tag for the relics I was able to escape with. And then, I head right back out and do it all over again. With better gear and perks in hand, I can certainly do better this run, right?

A Clunky Storefront

Our shop, the magic of selling, learning each customer needs and wants to sell high or for just the right price. Selling is rather simple and straightforward; it’s a matter of finding the right price, and it becomes easy. Upgrading your pedestals and store perks all lead to higher sales, but is met with a clunky storefront when adding to the shop floor. Placing a tip jar on the shop floor becomes a blockade. It prevents Will from walking along the shop floor. I wanted to fill my shop floor with all my new-found blueprints that would lead to better sales. But when you can’t walk around to fill your shop, it becomes frustrating.

A Colorful New World

The cover art of the first game is now the art direction of The Endless Vault. A new art direction that immediately catches the eye. It's fresh, colorful with a touch of softness in 3D procedurally generated dungeons that present fresh tasks and challenges at every turn. It’s a rather large change in the art direction that feels the impact of the art style with the mix of gameplay and is one of the game's charms.

Keep Grinding

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Fault is launching on Steam Early Access on November 19th, 2026. My time with the game has been a wondrous grind. It’s a gameplay loop that is captivating, and always had me heading out for just one more run. Upgrading to be the best Moonlighter any dimension has ever seen. Early Access may not be for everyone as there are things still being added to the game. But, if you like a rogue-lite grind that sells for greater gear. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is for you.