In Moonlighter, one becomes a busybody who runs a shop by day and a brave wanderer who ventures into the dungeons at night. Will you still have the time and energy to spruce up your shop in-between?
The Shopkeeper
Moonlighter lets you play as Will, a white-haired merchant who lives in the quiet town of Rynoka. Will dreamed of becoming a hero since he was a little boy. By a twist of fate, his parents passed away and he had to fulfill their capitalist dreams instead. Fortunately, Will is young, vigorous, and has all the time in the world. So he goes off every night to kill monsters and hoard their loot which he later sells in his tiny, down-to-earth shop. Will plans on making his shop bigger and better, and you’re here to find out how.
The first step is to walk up to the plaza that’s smack-dab in the center of the town. You will see a bulletin board that shows all the upgrades for your shop that you can rightfully invest in.
As a fledgling merchant, it will only show you a limited number of shop upgrades. Refurbishing your shop can, of course, cost you a lot of money.
Living your life as an adventurer and surviving in the dungeon will not only reward you with vendible wares, you can also obtain parts that are needed for crafting, upgrading, and enchanting your equipment to help you progress further in the randomly generated dungeons.
Fulfilling your role as a trusted merchant will also double or even triple the amount of gold you procure. In this game, you are obliged to play both parts of Will.
Shop Upgrades
The most inexpensive upgrade you could afford in the beginning is the Cheap Sale Box that is worth 2,000 gold. Placing items inside the box will automatically give them a 75% discount.
The next item you can purchase is an Iron Cash Register which has an appealing design that will urge customers to give you a 10% tip upon paying.
Your chest can be upgraded to a Small Chest. It will give you extra space for all your goods and merchandise.
Probably the best one to purchase first is the Comfy Bed. Sleeping in this bed will give you 50 extra health in a separate bar the next morning. If you have a knack for adventuring, purchasing this will be an advantageous investment.
If you have saved up at least 8,000 gold after a couple of hours of grinding, you can now afford to expand your shop for the first time.
Shop Expansion
Upgrading your store to Level 1 will give you more space, more tables, an additional chest, and one decoration slot. The more you upgrade your shop, the more enthralling features you can unlock. You can expand your shop up to four times.
Later in the game, you can add more decorations to your shop. Decorations are like modifiers that can help you get on the good side of your customers and inevitably boost the sales of your business. Some of these decorations will increase the maximum number of customers in your shop, or minimize the probability of thieves — like the Carnivorous Mutae Miniature.
You can focus more on other things in Moonlighter, such as improving your equipment or uncovering all the secrets in the beast–infested dungeons. But going home to a huge shop filled with embellishments, tables full of wares, and a cozy atmosphere will mostly make you feel satisfied at the end of the day.
