We’re entering into a season of spooky farming sims this summer, with games like Moonlight Peaks joining others such as Grave Seasons and Village in the Shade. This one, however, actually casts players as vampires moving into a town with other supernatural and magically gifted beings. To better understand what sets this apart and what to expect, Siliconera caught up with Little Chicken CEO and Moonlight Peaks Director Yannis Bolman to discuss the upcoming life sim.
How did existing games farming life sims, such as Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley, and Sun Haven shape Moonlight Peaks?
Yannis Bolman: We looked at almost every life-sim on the market, and it’s fair to say the genre comes with specific tropes and elements that players have come to expect. We see those reflected in all the games you mentioned, and we wanted to ensure we hit those marks ourselves.
At the same time, our supernatural angle gave us a natural opportunity to explore how we could put our own spin on those conventions. To make the game stand out among other life-sims, we added a supernatural twist wherever possible.
Which pieces of vampire lore and media did you use as reference and inspiration when creating the game and characters?
Yannis Bolman: I don’t think there was one specific piece of lore that led the design of the world and characters in Moonlight Peaks. Early on, we decided it would be more exciting to create our own take on vampire lore. This gave us the freedom to expand the universe and include a diverse cast of characters and storylines, featuring everything from witches and werewolves to mermaids and seers.
The jumping-off point was the concept of Dracula’s child running away from home to carve out their own path; from there, we essentially built our own world.
That said, our storylines are packed with references and hints to existing lore. We played with familiar names and classic tropes, adding our own twists to them along the way. I think it will be a lot of fun for players who are fans of the supernatural to spot those references as they play.
Your first demo for the game debuted on Steam back in October 2023. How did feedback from it and later trials shape development?
Yannis Bolman: We’ve always been fans of sharing our journey, and it has been wonderful receiving input from players and followers along the way. I would say the feedback from the community as a whole helped shape the game into what it is today; the input we gathered from the demo was a massive part of that process.
What the demo specifically helped with was observing how people play and seeing what they gravitated toward in real-time. We showcased various versions at several trade shows, and watching people interact with the game was both incredibly valuable and enjoyable.
A player’s immediate reaction is one of the best indicators of whether a mechanic actually works. You can design deep systems that look great on paper, but when you see players going nuts over petting their companion, you realize you have to prioritize making ‘petting all creatures’ a universal feature. That is just one of many examples!
Beyond the fun stuff, the demo also helped us fine-tune the control scheme and polish many of the smaller details that make the gameplay feel smooth.
How does romance work in Moonlight Peaks, and can we see our character eventually getting married and building up a family?
Yannis Bolman: If you play your cards right, you can romance and eventually marry the character of your choice. Since you’re a natural charmer, anyone can fall for your advances! Once you’re married, your spouse may even help out with some of the chores around your farm.
As for a family, having children isn’t a feature at the moment; it was something that didn’t quite fit our current scope. However, we never say never. It’s something we could consider for the future if there’s enough demand from our player base!
In the past when talking about the game, you mentioned how different species may behave differently due to their natures like werewolves during full moons. How difficult was it to implement these elements mechanically, and does this mean we’ll see more blood-related activities for all vampires or other undead characters possessing unique traits?
Yannis Bolman: While the different species all have their own unique traits, their behavior is primarily driven by their individual personalities. That said, they do have certain habits that tie into their supernatural nature. Werewolves, for instance, get restless during a full moon, and you might actually catch them running around in wolf form. Vampires prefer sleeping in coffins and can transform into bats, while seers might offer glimpses of what’s to come. We try to be playful with these elements, weaving them into character routines, storylines, and the overall questline.
These traits are never meant to be scary though, you won’t find anyone trying to bite you! Moonlight Peaks is a place where all supernatural beings coexist in peace. While some characters certainly tend to argue, it’s almost always due to their own interpersonal drama rather than their supernatural inclinations.
Can we expect to see any DLC or free updates post-launch?
Yannis Bolman: We have a long list of things we’d still love to add to Moonlight Peaks. If the game’s success warrants it, we would jump at the chance to expand the experience. Right now, we are fully focused on the final stretch of development leading up to release.
Once the game is out the door and we have some breathing room, we’ll take a look at how the game is being received and what our players are most eager to see. Our goal is to give the community what they’re asking for, while mixing in a healthy dose of our own spooky surprises!
Moonlight Peaks will come to the Switch, Switch 2, PC, and Android devices, and the release date is July 7, 2026.