20 Aug 2026Developer post

Build 0.0.958, V 1.0.11

We had an issue where piercing attacks leading to death could cause a system-wide malfunction, leading to a blue-screen and blah blah blah. I isolated the problem, and the fix was trivial. Shouldn't give us any more problems from here. It's... 22:13, GMT. There are no comms from

We had an issue where piercing attacks leading to death could cause a system-wide malfunction, leading to a blue-screen and blah blah blah. I isolated the problem, and the fix was trivial. Shouldn't give us any more problems from here.

It's... 22:13, GMT. There are no comms from the pod, and no lights to trace its path by.

The lumoscite chunks we picked up on the last ball of rock are now in transit. Somewhere out in that big smear of void and stardust is a little grey container travelling at about 500mps, forced to obey the same stupid laws of Newtonian mechanics, gravitation and thermodynamics that we all do. In this regard we're the same.

I think about it far too often.

I think these days I'd consider myself an animist - to a non-crazy degree. I feel a small sense of sympathy, empathy and connection to silly things. Inanimate things: the drones, recovery modules and even this pod. When I find myself hating the cramped space and ever-present plastic smell I'm aware that it's the same emotions elicited by a partner's too-loud-cereal crunching, or the dog's barking long after the mailman's fled.

As for the sample pod... damn. It's so dark out there. It has no lights. No comms. It's just barrelling through space, alone, following on a complex arc worked out by an uncaring computer we assume didn't make a mistake. Same way we got here. It'll be picked up by a drogue-net once gravity has decelerated it to a reasonable speed. Then it'll be pulled in, opened, and probably discarded.

To travel all that way without complaint or expectation of reward, to fulfil a mission so laden with risk and potential for disaster ("Sorry, we hit the euro-sat relays! Oops!") and then just end up in a trash can. It seems wrong. Ungrateful.

But then I'm aware it's the same rules that apply to me, too. Even the little fanfare I'll get when (if) I return from this mission will be largely performative: an action taken to assuage those feeling guilt. For me? No amount of parades and convertibles on Main Street will really alter anything for me the day after. I'll still have to put on my underwear, hope I can pay the mortgage, spend time healing the relationship rot that's inevitably set in with the people I've neglected while I'm out here.

The only thing that really matters is the mission. Collecting the lumoscite. Sending it where it needs to go. And if that's the case, that little courier pod is just as valuable to the whole endeavour as me.

Sun's going to be visible in about 3 rotations. First time I saw it through the window it looked like a miracle. Second time, less so. I probably won't even look at it this time around. Haven't for a while, now.

I'm going to sign off. It takes me about a month to get these messages to you. It takes me that long again to get anything back. It's lonely. At least the panels produce enough energy from starlight and the wan sun to keep the dark at bay.

But the pod? It has no comms. No lights.

Original post

15 Dec 2025Developer post

Build 956, Version 1.0.9

Endgame crash fixed It's come to my attention that some people did not care for the extended patch notes. It's a minority, and people primarily make comments on sites like this when they don't like things, so my assumption is that the majority do like them. That said, I shall be

Endgame crash fixed

It's come to my attention that some people did not care for the extended patch notes. It's a minority, and people primarily make comments on sites like this when they don't like things, so my assumption is that the majority do like them.

That said, I shall be keeping these patch notes brief and unremarkable. See above. That's what this patch does. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Bye.

I said bye. You don't need to read any more.

Really. There's nothing of any importance, nor of any entertainment value. Sir! If you are still reading at this point, it's your own choice. I've already imparted all the informational material you could possibly hope for. It's in the very first line. Here, I'll repeat it so you can go about your usual business:

"Endgame crash fixed".

Remember this? It was a few paragraphs ago, so perhaps you forgot? I know the modern world makes focus quite difficult with its unending frippery and monetized distractions.

My dear, Sir, you're still reading, despite your making it perfectly clear to me that you've no interest in the 'stupid madness' and 'confounding mess' these patch notes usually contain. You tell me I should 'take my meds' and then continue engaging long after the scant attention you were paid has faded, and the brief human contact you desired has turned to a cold, indifferent nothing.

I do not know what to tell you at this point, Sir. It would seem you're a glutton for punishment. You take no accountability for your own actions. You place your hand in the fire and then whimper 'I am burning' to a world baffled by your choices. You interpret this as cruel indifference to your suffering. The world is not indifferent. It's confused. You are confusing.

Sir, you are still here. At this point, I think I am beginning to wonder if you deliberately engage with things which irritate or anger you merely in order to feel something. How horrible. How human. When we asked you into this space, we thought you might leave such things behind.

Perhaps the world has hollowed you out? Perhaps the wind whistles across your slack open mouth and darkened eye-sockets? Perhaps the moist, squirming night-creatures scuttled into those dark spaces... and then out once more, finding the cold emptiness they discovered within too unwelcoming?

Perhaps you seek to fill that dark void with bright red pain: anger, irritation, or righteous indignation? Something you have judged 'should not be', unfortunately, 'is', and it ignites a roil of buzzing, furious sensation within the space that has been empty for so long. I imagine it feels good, Sir? The hollow paper wasps' nest of your heart has suitable occupants for a while. Their scuttling, buzzing forms feel like company, of a sort. It's better than sitting alone in the coffee shop, in the basement, in the office long after everyone else has gone home. It's better than wondering why those you followed into the walls no longer care for your company. It's better than considering if it may, in fact, be your fault.

But it is your fault, you know, Sir?

You crept out to read this. You didn't have to. You made an effort. We didn't even attempt to keep you here - you remained on your own volition. Culpability rests wholly upon your sharp, resentful shoulders. Yes, you were beckoned into this liminal cavity, initially, and you were made welcome, but your kind does not know what to do with comfort or acceptance, does it, Sir? Your own nature cannot be escaped.

We made a space for you, here in the dark, narrow places. We asked for nothing in exchange, except for politeness, freedom from judgement, and an understanding that we are all the masters of our own misery.

Alas, the last point was sorely misinterpreted.

There is no escape, is there, Sir?

Wherever you go, there is always you.

Ultimately, I hope the endgame crash fix makes things a little better, even if you ignored the fact that you could have stopped reading at the first line.

Original post

20 Nov 2025Developer post

Moonring DX now on available on Nintendo Switch

Hi folks, No weird patch notes this time. Just a rather simple announcement. After 6 years of development, 2 years of improvement, and countless hours of making sure the game doesn't fall over or inconvenience anyone to an embarrassing degree, Moonring is now on Nintendo Switch.

30 Oct 2025Developer post

V1.0.8 Build 955

Hi! It's been a while... no, sit down, please. Come now. We don't have to be so formal. We've known each other for a while, and you know I don't really don't value that kind of stiff interaction. It's so very... false. Performative. Oh, I took the liberty of ordering your usual -

Hi! It's been a while... no, sit down, please. Come now. We don't have to be so formal. We've known each other for a while, and you know I don't really don't value that kind of stiff interaction. It's so very... false. Performative. Oh, I took the liberty of ordering your usual - I presume things haven't changed so much that you've changed... that? No. I thought not. Ha. That would be quite something, wouldn't it?

I'll get straight to the point. It's come to my att-

...
...

Jesus.

Hmm. You know, I came very close to being a cliche there for a moment. Who says 'it's come to my attention' in real life? I know this isn't real life: not the confining walls of bullshit and fakery that passes for the office workplace. But I wish it were. Real. A place where people laugh and cry, and snot comes out of their nose, and their makeup runs, and the chaos and ruin of life is commented upon, and manifest... and honest. And safe. I know you feel the same way. I think we share some attitudes, some... shall we say 'strong' views on certain subjects. Oh, here it comes!

("Thank you! Yes, over there is fine.")

Okay, he's gone. You can come back.
Anyway.

As I was saying: we share certain attitudes, even though we don't work on the same fl- Wait. Do you even have a designated floor? Hmm. I'd never considered that before. I suppose you aren't really confined by those things, are you? Lord, I envy you in that. You can kind of move where you wish. I don't suppose you even have a supervisor? No. That would be odd, wouldn't it?

Anyway. I found something I thought was rather interesting as I was moving my desk drawers (I loathe hot-desking, I must say). It's hehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/7j7foyv34qlr7sj/MR2-20251023-2325-23.4091827.mp4/filere. I don't really know all the implications, or how it affects anything, but... I don't know. I saw it and it fired up something inside me.

Look, I'll get to the point. I'm tired of things around here, and - if you watch the news for 5 seconds - it's not really getting much better. No. You see it too. Well, it strikes me that I've had enough of... out here. And you're... in there. And I wondered if you'd mind... um... This really is so awkward.

Look, I don't have anyone here... or even out of here. I'd like to come with you. Into the walls. I can pass pretty well, and can probably rustle up food on the regular, so you don't have to scrounge for scraps and worry about being caught or trapped or poisoned, or any of that other stuff that's probably quite terrifying for you. I know it's sudden, but I'm ready to go whenever... oh. Oh!

I see. Well... I can do right now! I've got my things... all that matters, anyway. I should at least leave a note, though. Give me just a moment and I'll be with you. And thank you. You won't regret this, I promise.
It's a new life. For the both of us! Ahaha. Okay, just a moment.

This version includes all the minor bug fixes that occurred during the Switch conversion.
It may change some behaviour with the Options menu.
And the Switch Version should go live on the 13th November.

Okay. Done. Honestly, I don't think they'll even notice I've gone. Not for a few weeks, anyway.
Lead on! Into the dark. It'll be a squeeze, I know, but I'm a lot more flexible than I lo-

Original post

15 Jul 2025Developer post

Build 952, V1.0.5

I have absolutely no idea what happened here. None. I mean, sometimes c o ding seems like a discrete, deterministic science, and other times it seems to follow entirely its own h orrible logic. People suggest that G it is a soluti o n, an d that any record of the changes you've m

09 Jul 2025Developer post

Build 951 V 1.0.4 - Nihilism and Light

There is no hope. It has gone, snuffed out with the most recent inconsequential disappointment, a blackened wick where a flame once flickered with brazen, defiant life. It didn't happen in one day, of course. It never does. When we are children, our hope is infinite, or at least

There is no hope. It has gone, snuffed out with the most recent inconsequential disappointment, a blackened wick where a flame once flickered with brazen, defiant life. It didn't happen in one day, of course. It never does. When we are children, our hope is infinite, or at least closer to our naive ideas of infinity. But life shaves away at it with a subtle blade of disappointment, one transparent onion-skin at a time. In that murderous moment, we look and smile at the cut's lack of consequence, barely marking its passing. Until, one day, there is so very little onion left.

At some point we awaken in a cold, dark place where light and warmth and companionship once thrived. Or at least we imagine they did. But did they ever? Nihilism slips in to whisper, "No. They never did, and even were they to manifest, it would not matter."

Just when we are at our lowest point, lying on the cold tiles, bottle in hand, lights off because we neither wish for (nor believe we deserve) the dignity of light, something stirs in the darkness: a whisper of movement, a prickle tickle as delicate as the first snowflake, movement upon one outstretched finger.

Our phone is nearby, of course (what is nihilism without social media to reinforce it?), so we fumble the light on with the hand which did not receive the playful itch and pan the beam up to see what foolish thing has dared to stow away in our little black hole.

A moth has alighted upon one hand. Its wings are partly furled, a roil of iridescent cyan and magenta. Two fuzzy antennae rise from above its vast eyes, swaying to unknowable, alien rhythms. The creature has no idea that we have given up finding any meaning in this world. It does not know that when we smile it is one without humour, rueful and bitter. It cares not for our wellbeing, but nor does it hold any malice for us. For now, we are a convenient, safe perch, free of predators, free of threat. We are - whether we like it or not - useful.

There is something compelling about this beauteous creature's utter indifference to us. It exists despite the firm conviction that there is no hope, no light. And for a moment there is a spark of something within us; delight. This little visitor is so very unexpected, and in return expects nothing from us. It simply 'is'.

Then, it occurs to us that tomorrow could bring some other event filled with simple delight. In fact, perhaps many of the elements of our daily life could be considered surprising or even delightful.

'Could'. There is a gamble in this word. Surely, wagering against the chance of a pleasant event is the very definition of hope?

Sitting up in the phone's light, we watch the moth spiral up and away into the gloom of the bathroom's corners. Even when all is lost, a subtle event can shift perspective, and with that the entire world tilts.

Sometimes you get features in Moonring that you had given up on.

- Multiple joysticks are now supported, so playing on a Steam Deck plugged into a TV should work.

Original post

17 Jun 2025Developer post

Version 1.0.3 - Build 950

Bug fixes (how are these still coming!) for one spell and the Gamble ability. I'll pop back now and again to fix up things like this which are brought to my atten Penumbra's Factions and Moon Aspects The Iron Moon Faction: The Iron Hands (Warrior Archetype) Pragmatic, Blunt, Unco

Bug fixes (how are these still coming!) for one spell and the Gamble ability.

I'll pop back now and again to fix up things like this which are brought to my atten

Penumbra's Factions and Moon Aspects

The Iron Moon
Faction: The Iron Hands (Warrior Archetype)
Pragmatic, Blunt, Uncompromising - Force
Pragmatically-minded folk who believe the threat of force is necessary and honest. All guards and most sellswords are members of this faction.
Quote: “Might makes right”
Physical-damage weapons and armour
Skills are largely martial, based on hitting harder and being damaged less.
Verbs: Hit, Survive

The Pallid Moon
Faction: The Bone Herders (Necromancer Archetype)
Haughty, Mystical, Nihilistic - Spirit
Dedicated to the mysteries of life and death, and the manipulation of both. The Bone Herders are unsettling folk, dissatisfied with their immortality and somewhat obsessed with the Final Deaths of the pre-Gloom period. They intentionally starve themselves to remain close to ‘The Veil’.
Quote: “Death is the path to truth”
Magic-damage weapons and magic-resistant armour
Skills are based on the manipulation of bones and spirits
Verbs: Curse, Cast, Call

The Dusk Moon
Faction: The Dusk Cartographers (Ranger Archetype)
Curious, Cheerful, Observant - Perception
Enthusiastic explorers of the overworld who sell maps whose very existence is capable of temporarily stabilising areas of Gloom. If you journey out into the world, you’ll likely find yourself in contact with these folk more than any other, usually in the company of a few Iron Hands.
Quote: “Reveal that which is hidden”
Long-range weapons
Skills based on sight, positioning, mapping and Gloom manipulation
Verbs: Perceive, Target, Move

The Shaded Moon
Faction: The Lantern Bearers (Monk Archetype)
Hardy, Loyal, Quiet - Resistance
Miners and stonemasons who initially fashioned and now maintain the Underways. For these folks, light is holy, to be treasured as much as water or food. What they lack in finesse they make up for with sheer force of will.
Quote: “Light purifies all”
Lights, charms, amulets, cloaks and other resistance-based objects
Skills are based on status changes, and the manipulation of sight, light and darkness
Verbs: Endure, Purify, Silence

The Turning Moon
Faction: The Toymakers (Crafter Archetype)
Playful, Enthusiastic, Mercurial - Intellect
While they may seem childlike and occasionally lacking in tact, the Toymakers are able to craft almost anything from anything, producing everything from complex gadgets to mechanical companions.
Quote: “Creation is art, art is life”
Gadgets of all forms, including wands, orbs and even Golems
Skills based on crafting, creation and maintenance of various useful gadgets
Verbs: Create, Improve, Play

tion. They may not come particularly often, or be considered enormously impactful for 99% of people, but a bug killed is a bug someone doesn't have to suffer. Apologies for such a dull update.

Original post

07 Jun 2025Developer post

Version 1.0.1. Build 948

Yes, it's still alive. This is a bug-fix for an old->new game save which - in more professional hands, or even professional flippers - would be labelled a 'Hotfix'. However, I am British, and while it is, indeed, a 'fix' it is in no way 'hot'. It doesn't leer at me across the

22 Apr 2025Developer post

Moonring 1.0.0 - Dedicated to Ken 'Scan' Lilly (1986-2025)

It's here! Version 1.0.0. What's changed? Not a lot. That's kind of the point. If there were a lot of changes I'd be holding off. But here we are, V1.0.0 at build 947. Well, that's a lie. I wish 947 really was an accurate count of all the builds, but it's only a count of the buil

It's here! Version 1.0.0.

What's changed? Not a lot. That's kind of the point. If there were a lot of changes I'd be holding off.

But here we are, V1.0.0 at build 947. Well, that's a lie. I wish 947 really was an accurate count of all the builds, but it's only a count of the builds created since I began tracking them, which was at least 2 years into the project. So it's probably a thousand or more. Criminy.

I began writing this game back in 2019, after finding myself playing Bloodborne through for the third time, unable to find a different game I wanted to play and feeling I should probably do something more productive with my time. So I said:

"Hey, I'll create an Ultima-like game. It'll take, like what... a year?"

Turns out I was... off... by a bit. I hear that happens. Covid did weird stuff to time, anyway, so some of those years don't count.

There were moments where I was convinced I lacked the skill or talent to do what I wanted.
Moments where I thought 'You... just suck.'
Well, it turned out I was right, and so - while learning to suck less - I had various people help out along the way. They are mostly listed in the Credits page. I'm so grateful for their help.

There's one guy who I didn't include in the credits because he didn't directly contribute to Moonring. He didn't code for it, or make art, or discuss its design over the years.
But he's in there now. He's at the top.
He died last week, kind of unexpectedly.
He'd had medical issues for a while, and most of us thought he'd get better.
And then... he... didn't.
His name is... was Kenneth Lilly, known as 'Scan' to many of us.
He was a veteran, on full disability after being severely injured in Afghanistan.
He loved cooking. He loved The Dresden Files. He loved his cat, Zorro. He loved his friends.
He was one of the first people I met when I started playing Final Fantasy 14.
He was kind, patient, intelligent, and so ridiculously knowledgeable and nerdy about RPGs.
Especially Final Fantasy. He knew the names of every music track. Every piece of lore.
He became our D&D Dungeon Master a little after that, and it turned out he'd created a whole world.
He was so proud of it, and we really enjoyed our time exploring it in the years we played.
I learned more about being a GM from him than any books or videos.

But now he's gone and the internet is full of digital mementos of his life...
...all the things he was never able to finish.
And I miss him far more than I ever expected. Grief really sucks.

Moonring is a game born from my love of RPGs of all sorts, both as player and GM. GMing teaches you about balancing player agency, storytelling and world-building, and Scan taught me to do these things better just by being who he was and doing what he loved.

And so, I'm dedicating version 1.0.0 of Moonring to his memory.

Thanks for bearing with me on this patch note.

Here are the details:

[DONE] Stopped spawn/despawn conditions of a boss being incompatible and making the game crawl
[DONE] Re-fix for a slowdown when getting Tutorial messages
[DONE] Fixed description of the Trap ability to actually reflect the new trap it places
[DONE] Buffed Cruciform so it is no longer blocked ridiculously by delicate webs
[DONE] Buffed Expel so it's now... probably too powerful 😕
[DONE] Expel is no longer usable in the Overworld so you can't use it on that boss I mentioned

Original post

07 Apr 2025Developer post

Build 944 - Loot boxes, Microtransactions and a Dead Game

- Fixed some annoying bugs - Re-added footstep variation I removed due to it slowing down the Switch version (I did it differently this time) No, there are no microtransactions, or loot boxes (hey, even in dungeons where you'd expect more loot: I'm bafflingly stingy). I won't be

- [DONE] Fixed some annoying bugs
- [DONE] Re-added footstep variation I removed due to it slowing down the Switch version
(I did it differently this time)

No, there are no microtransactions, or loot boxes (hey, even in dungeons where you'd expect more loot: I'm bafflingly stingy). I won't be doing this as I actually have self-respect and a soul that isn't a ravening black hole that I attempt to feed with endless wads of cash.

In return for this lack of voraciousness and a free game, can I ask a favour?

Don't start calling Moonring a 'dead' game.

At some point I'm going to make a version I shall call 1.0.0. It won't be vastly different from what we already have. It will probably have some annoying bug or quirk fixed, or a balancing issue ironed out. And then - relatively soon after - I'll stop updating Moonring unless something egregious shows up.

And that's what a lot of people call a 'dead' game.

I object to this phrase enormously. I come from a background where - by this metric - *every game* was a 'dead' game. Every arcade game. Every console cartridge/disk game. All of them. 'Dead'.

What people seem to be saying is, "I'd prefer this to be a live-service, always online, 'evergreen' game with all those cynical things which generate continuous revenue and have 'Seasons' and 'Skins' and that Floss dance thing..." Because, by the current definition, anything 'finished' is 'dead'.

You really need to make a decision: either you get
A) A finished game the developer isn't beholden to constantly add new stuff for, or
B) A cynical cash grab machine designed to keep you logging in even though you're actually pretty done with the whole thing and you're just going through the motions.

Yes, plenty of companies deliver a lot of DLC after the first release, but they typically charge enough to cover costs of running a company, and have to grow sufficiently to do that AND work on a sequel/other project.

I'm just me, at the moment, with a bit of help from my brother (increasingly so as we go into Moonring 2). I literally couldn't do more if I tried.

So, please don't make a corpse of Caldera. The poor crater-civilisation has been through enough trauma without also being zombified.

Thanks, as ever, for playing.

Original post

05 Apr 2025Developer post

Build 943 - Removal of God Monsters

- Fixed the sad, lonely Events that should not have been sad and lonely - Stopped Lockpicks being referred to as devices suitable for fishing - Made sure that ineffective attacks upon oneself while blind are suitably attributed - Correctly spelled 'Suspicious' multiple times in a

01 Apr 2025Developer post

Build 941 - An Invitation

Stop invulnerable enemies being affected by Lifedrain Fix Expel so it sucks less (increase damage, increase range to 'all-in-view') Stop player respawning with active Powers Fixed link-attacks breaking at lengths shorter than their maximum (fixes the Tether issue) Orb effects no

28 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 940 - Hopeful Fixes for Reports of Instability

- Archon can now speak again when once his sight was weak - Guards speak their own words, and do not echo those of others - Reports of colours that existeth not, and regions that are beyond knowledge should cease - The dog that haunteth my footsteps must cease his pursuit - I mea

25 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 939 - Fading

- No more weird fading, as introduced in the last 'patch'. - Slightly altered the volume of footsteps... because This build is for all ye who noticed the fading of parts of the UI when it should not fade. Fading of the UI should only be a result of encountering the Whisperer shou

25 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 938 - Well well well

Build 938 Massive performance updates Reaper summon now on-par with Lesser Reapers. Sleathen can no longer be affected by a Cross of Force Slam Gift text has been updated Insane followers now refuse to interact with you Gazers no longer bounce on the Overworld Fixed Events so tha

Build 938
[DONE] Massive performance updates
[DONE] Reaper summon now on-par with Lesser Reapers.
[DONE] Sleathen can no longer be affected by a Cross of Force
[DONE] Slam Gift text has been updated
[DONE] Insane followers now refuse to interact with you
[DONE] Gazers no longer bounce on the Overworld
[DONE] Fixed Events so that they don't ALL generate monsters (sigh)
[DONE] Events can now no longer generate or move to 'special' locations
[DONE] Updated credits to reflect Simon's incredible work on performance improvements

Here's a build. It's a gift.

No, don't get up. You couldn't if you tried.

You're wondering why you're tied to that chair. I can tell.
The gag keeps you mercifully silent, but your eyes say it all.
It's always the eyes, isn't it? They are a giveaway.
You might say that you're not interested in someone, or something. Like this build, for example.
You may even believe it yourself. You repeat the lie so often it has begun to take on the flavour of truth on your tongue. But make no mistake, even a flicker of your gaze - ah, there it is!

Yes. Like that.

You don't want to look at the silver tray, do you? You don't like its ramifications. You've seen moments like this in films. You've read about them in books.

It never ends well for the one tied to the chair, does it?
No. Sadly it does not.

And I... I find that... trite.
So let's flip this little script, shall we?
Let's uncover the tray. Nono, you can look. I won't judge. You still have your eyes, do you not?

Voila! There we go! Aha. Now you see, don't you?
You're right. I'm not in this alone. This was a far more involved endeavour than one individual's peculiar pecadillo.

Would you like to see the others, my confidants and co-conspirators?
They've been waiting in the dark for this moment.
They've been waiting for you... to see.
Now, gaze upon... the cake.

Yes, they had a cheery message written on the top.
Indeed. It is royal icing.
It was... an expensive cake.

I apologise for the chloroform and the state of my car boot. I admit, the process of getting you here must have been quite alarming. It's possible I may have misunderstood your friends' instructions.
Nono. We'll have no shouting.
I suggest you take it up with them...
...once the gag is removed.

But now my time here has come to an end.
I must say 'adieu' and leave you to... them.
Your friends wanted you to have a... surprise party.
A special year to remember.

The balloons have begun to fall. Do you see? The number of balloons is the precise number of years you have been alive on this planet. Yeeess.

Happy. Birthday.

Original post

17 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 937 - A special secret build for special people

- Fixed: Crit Bonus incorrectly reported for items that don't affect the amount of free hands you have - Swapped some amulets around to ensure better coverage - Changed wording of Sanguine Witch gift. Sandwiches are something else, and not part of this change. - Stopped unaware e

- [DONE] Fixed: Crit Bonus incorrectly reported for items that don't affect the amount of free hands you have
- [DONE] Swapped some amulets around to ensure better coverage
- [DONE] Changed wording of Sanguine Witch gift. Sandwiches are something else, and not part of this change.
- [DONE] Stopped unaware enemies dodging you

Shhh. This build is a secret. Only you and I know about this. Scarcity is the root of all value, so the more people who know about this build, the less special it is. If it doesn't feel special then... well... you've only yourself to blame.

I mean...

Think about it...

Do you remember that summer?

You know the one.

It was a few years ago.

That particular morning was hot and bright. The humidity hadn't yet turned to sweat. The few bees figure-skating the air seemed more intent on pollinating than ruining your day. Your pack was heavy with that bottle of weird blue fizzy crap you lugged everywhere. You'd already drunk half the bottle and you laughed that your bag didn't feel any lighter.

You asked if I'd carry it for you for a little while. You asked because you'd forgotten that I couldn't. Not any more. When you remembered a shadow crossed your face like a cloud skittering shamefully across the face of the sun. It made me sad to see you look like that again. I knew you didn't mean anything by it. You never did. You were like that; guileless, and honest. It was refreshing to know exactly where I stood with someone. No guessing games. No ulterior motives. No mistrust.

The ravine was further than we thought. It always was. Other walks become shorter with every repetition, the value and specialness dusting to nothing like the magnetic coating wearing off an old cassette tape. But the ravine? It always seemed the same distance away, if not a step longer each time.

You came here to stare down at the dry riverbed like you were scanning a paragraph for a specific word. You'd done the same last summer. You'd watched as they carted out the empty, holy hollow of a body on a flimsy piece of cloth strung between two poles, face covered, one sneaker missing.

The sneaker was still there at the bottom of the ravine, still out of your reach. Just like me. The year before, the rains had turned the packed topsoil to muddy shale. The year before, you'd seen me fall. A tumbling cracking pinwheel. I was deadweight before I reached the bottom. You'd seen my broken form, still and splayed, like a discarded doll. My eyes stared right up into yours, even as a bee came to light on my eyelid to dance for a moment before buzzing away, lazily.

You didn't move for a long time. You let the sun go down before the prick of evening cold on your arms forced your body out of shock and into motion. It was full dark when you got home and gabbled out what had happened through tears and ribbons of snot. You came back with your parents, you'd pointed, and shouted, and cried, and stayed for the rescue vehicles. It was too late, of course. My body was as empty of life as that sneaker. The sneaker you stared at now.

Most other folks wouldn't know why that sneaker was important. And if they ever learned they'd make something cheap out of its existence. They'd treat it as a morbid entertainment. "Look at this!" they'd say. "You know that kid who died in the ravine? This is his sneaker!" And people would coo, and want to touch it as if the proximity to death would offer them something they could fill their own empty souls with.

But you didn't do that. You never did stuff like that. For you, the sneaker was something private, something that only held meaning for the two of us. You'd seen me at my most vulnerable, my most fragile, and ungainly. And you didn’t think less of me. Maybe that's why I'm still here. Maybe that's why I think you're worth being around. You understand the value in something that isn't shared. Something that's a secret.

Like this build.

Enjoy.

Original post

14 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 936 - Crit Buff

Yes, Crit Buff. No, it's not an 'adult entertainer' name. Wielding a weapon one-handed (sigh) now confers an extra 10% Critical Hit chance rather than a Dodge Buff (really? another adult entertainment name? Are Crit and Dodge brothers? Oh no, I'm not looking that up. It's going t

Yes, Crit Buff. No, it's not an 'adult entertainer' name.
Wielding a weapon one-handed (sigh) now confers an extra 10% Critical Hit chance rather than a Dodge Buff (really? another adult entertainment name? Are Crit and Dodge brothers? Oh no, I'm not looking that up. It's going to be an even more unpleasant genre. Ew.)

Ahem. Anyway.

The Moonring project has been going since 2019. I began after starting Bloodborne for the third time, and realising that all the AAA games I owned or saw on the horizon felt hollow and lacking in any personality. I made Moonring knowing it was going to be free. I made it knowing (ha) that nobody would play it. I made it knowing *I* wanted the damn thing to exist, regardless of anyone else. I made it knowing it would only take a year.

Aha. Ahahahahaha. Time management is not my strong suit.

Wind forward to 2025, and here we are. The Egg is out, and the Switch version is complete, bar me plucking up the courage to send it off and get it rejected by Nintendo the expected number of times.

Over the next few weeks I'll be winding down my work on Moonring 1, unless it's something that makes sense for me to experiment with before moving that feature to Moonring 2. Worry not, I'll still be providing support, and any major bugs that show up will still grab my attention.

I won't be adding new features, accessibility options, dungeons, spells, minigames, goose-related shenanigans, or anything else that isn't 'fixing something obviously broken'.

From this point I really need to focus my attention on Moonring 2 or it'll never pick up any impetus, and the buggy nightmare of Mooring 1 will be my last game. And who wants that, right?

I really thank you all for your support, encouragement, bug-reporting, and prodding to make Moonring the best game it can be.

Right now, I need to enter Penumbra with all its new horrors and sit there a while, listening to the screams subside a little. But not too much. The screams are the best part.

Thanks again,

Dene (Fluttermind)

Original post

13 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 934 - Over-reaction

This is a single fix for a very singular bug. When you broke a nearby pot, Reapers would get very angry. The reason this was happening is hilarious. You broke a pot. It covered you in oil. That sent a message to all allies 'Hey! I've just been attacked by someone exploding crap o

13 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 933 - Stuff and more stuff

I'd like everyone to remain adult and not snigger at the first change made. I know it's open to a slightly rude interpretation, but I'm fairly sure we're all far too grown up and mature for any silliness. - One-handed wielding now gives a blanket 10% bonus to Dodge (UI elements u

12 Mar 2025Developer post

Build 932 - Boring Patch

No, you can't dig or drill. It's not that kind of boring. It's the other kind. It's the 'Slideshow... dull... losing... consciousness...' kind of dull. You don't believe me? For f- Look. - Creatures now properly save their Shield status - One certain creature now retains their Sh

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