About Moondale

Moondale is my passion project—a farming RPG centered around the discovery of magic—that I’ve been developing solo for the past two years. About eight months ago, I began moving it from Gamemaker to Godot 4 to leverage my refined programming skills, teaching myself gdscript along the way. Inspirations for Moondale include Stardew Valley, Fantasy Life, and classic Pokémon and Zelda games, which have all influenced the world, mechanics, and sense of adventure I want to capture.

I've focused heavily on gameplay and player feel, designing UI layouts and feedback systems that enhance the experience, such as radial menus for tool selection and inventory management options like stacking, splitting, and moving items. I've also integrated visual feedback that guides players intuitively through the game, minimizing text and seamlessly introducing mechanics. This approach I've learned reduces frustration and confusion, helping players learn naturally while enhancing their immersion in the game’s world.

This journey has also taught me a great deal, from custom shader creation and implementation to JSON save/loading, data organization, and project management. I've also delved into advanced pathfinding techniques like A* and implemented steering behaviours to give each enemy a unique, smooth movement style. Careful consideration has gone into making the game scalable and modular, simplifying development and allowing for future growth.

I've thoroughly enjoyed every part of this project and continue to work on it consistently. My goal is to release a playable demo soon to gather feedback and refine the experience further.