It's comforting to contemplate that everyone has rough days, even if you're royalty. In the midst of a sumptuous dinner Princess Moonchild asks if she may please be excused in order to get a surprise for Queen Calypso, swearing that it will only take a minute. When a few minutes have passed, the princess hasn't returned, and a loud crash is heard from her room, it's probably time to investigate. Either that's a gargoyle carrying her off through her bedroom window, or the princess still needs a bit of refinement when it comes to planning tasteful surprises — not to mention keeping to her commitments. I'm sure this must all be just a big misunderstanding... right? Right? Queen Calypso certainly seems to have her work cut out for her in Aldorlea Games' epic 20+ hour indie roleplaying offering, Moonchild.

It's all enough to prompt Queen Calypso on a major quest, scouring the countryside and dropping the regional horrific wildlife like so many sacks of potatoes — could she have been awarded her title in a championship fighting tournament? — in the search for her noble daughter. First up, it's a visit to the pointy-eared Elves of Dilldel to cure the only witness to the apparent abduction who — in a colossal fit of cosmic convenience — has developed amnesia. How did that happen? He's not quite sure. Touch of amnesia, you see. Yep, something probably should be done about that. Questing awaits! Move with the [arrow] keys, interact with the [spacebar] and bring up the menu with [ESC]. You can also navigate using the mouse if you'd like, clicking on locations around the screen to set destination after destination like some gleefully cackling digital overlord.

Crisp and colorful landscapes provide beautiful environments to quest through. Rich systems of inventory and skills keep things interesting, and level advancement happens frequently enough to keep things from feeling too grindy. Monster encounters happen in their own mode, preserving the feel of a classic roleplaying game. Like Book of Legends, another popular RPG by Aldorlea's team, Moonchild features several different characters to play, and provides a party switcher feature which enables you to swap them out at will to form the party you'd most enjoy playing — or the one with the skills necessary if surviving your next quest is your pleasure. The characters are well-written and almost come alive with their own character traits and motives, and in addition to the main storyline there's a substantial amount of sidequests as well. Moonchild is a substantial and intricately-developed indie roleplaying game on par with releases from more conventional studios. With plenty of content and even a strategy guide on offer if you need it, Moonchild will draw you into its lush realm and immerse you in its classic roleplaying feel.

Windows:
Download the demo Get the full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.