Upcoming indie game Moonglow Bay is not just about fishing, but about building a community. So it's appropriate that the game will have a co-op option when it launches in October 2021.
Moonglow Bay is a new voxel-art game that puts players in charge of a fishing boat in the title city. Most of the game's mechanics are tied to fishing, as the main character is on a quest to complete a fishing journal in honor of a deceased loved one. Besides filling in their journal, players can donate catches to the local museum, or cook their catches into meals to sell in town. Players won't just be fishing, but also getting to know the residents of Moonglow Bay and uncovering the mystery of why the town has become too scared to fish in the local waters.
In an interview with Pure Xbox, Moonglow Bay creative director Zach Soares explained how the indie game's co-op will work. While the game does not support online multiplayer, it does support local drop-in-drop-out co-op. The second player will be able to do the same tasks and activities that player one can do. Soares likened local co-op to a difficulty slider, in that adding a second player would not only allow a second person to complete activities, but to also enhance player one's abilities. If player one has caught a fish on the line but is having difficulty reeling it in, player two can also grab the rod and add their power to pulling the fish aboard.
How Moonglow Bay Lets Players Rebuild the Town
Soares also explained that Moonglow Bay isn't just about fishing, it's about building a community. Players will be able to befriend 12 NPCs and get to know their history. They'll also be able to help in rebuilding the community through such actions as using nets to collect litter. The town will have its own progression system that will let players participate in a beautification project, adding "nicer buildings, cleaner spaces, better foliage, and more." On top of that, the town of Moonglow Bay is actually just a small percentage of the map itself. According to Soares, what has been show in the trailer at events like the Wholesome Direct is only a fraction of what players will see in game.
Moonglow Bay is also yet another indie game that is getting a Day One release on Xbox Game Pass. Zach Soares and art director Lu Nascimento were complimentary of their experience working with the Xbox Game Pass team. According to Nascimento, "I'm always going to be happy working with them again."
Source: Pure Xbox
Moonglow Bay will release on October 7th, 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X.