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About Moonrise Fall

Moonrise Fall is a single player and multiplayer simulation game with mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Made From Strings and was released on May 31, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

​Moonrise Fall is an atmospheric puzzle game about a boy who finds himself lost in a supernatural forest after losing both parents in a car crash. Armed with a clue filled journal, a camera, and a lantern he must unravel the mysteries of the forest and photograph the strange creatures that reside there.

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Games Like Moonrise Fall

Looking for games like Moonrise Fall? Here are top simulation recommendations with a mystery and science fiction focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with The Witness, Homesick or AER Memories of Old.

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Reviews

73%Audience ScoreBased on 192 reviews
story14 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions

  • Beautiful and atmospheric pixel art with dynamic lighting, weather, and a day-night cycle that creates an immersive and mysterious forest environment.
  • Engaging exploration and puzzle mechanics including photographing cryptids, manipulating time and weather with a kalimba, and decoding a mysterious language.
  • Emotional and subtle storytelling centered around themes of grief and loss, supported by a haunting soundtrack and environmental storytelling.
  • The slow walking speed and pacing often make exploration and backtracking feel tedious and frustrating, detracting from overall engagement.
  • Lack of clear instructions and guidance on mechanics, controls, and objectives leads to confusion and requires extensive trial-and-error or external walkthroughs.
  • Some puzzles, especially in dungeon sections, are repetitive or overly simple, and occasional technical issues like poor optimization and UI/UX problems reduce polish.
  • story

    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 76% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story is understated and often cryptic, focusing on emotional themes like loss conveyed through environmental storytelling rather than direct narrative. While some players find it poignant and beautifully atmospheric, others feel it lacks clarity, depth, and payoff, making it best suited for those who appreciate slow, exploratory, and metaphor-rich experiences over traditional story-driven gameplay.

    • “Moonrise Fall is a narrative-driven adventure game that blends exploration, environmental puzzles, and emotional storytelling within a beautifully handcrafted forest setting.”
    • “The story doesn't waste any time being gentle about it; it opens with a car accident that goes horribly wrong, the kind of horribly wrong that leaves a kid alone in the woods talking to his own grief like it's a tour guide.”
    • “It is a thoughtful and beautifully crafted adventure that demonstrates how powerful a quiet story can be when supported by strong world-building and meaningful exploration.”
    • “The puzzles and exploration bored me a lot and the story felt too vague to stay invested.”
    • “Since it's a story-focused game, I expected a clearer path to follow, but I often felt lost and unsure of where to go next.”
    • “The mystery/story doesn’t really pay off, I did not understand the ending.”
  • atmosphere

    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    71% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    Moonrise Fall is widely praised for its beautiful, immersive, and haunting atmosphere, characterized by dynamic weather, day-night cycles, ambient soundscapes, and striking pixel art that create a calming and emotionally resonant experience. While the mood and setting strongly appeal to players seeking a relaxing, exploratory puzzle adventure, some find the gameplay repetitive and simplistic, emphasizing atmosphere over traditional narrative or action. Overall, the game's atmosphere is its standout feature, delivering a memorable, contemplative journey through a mysterious supernatural forest.

    • “A beautifully atmospheric exploration puzzle game that blends mystery, cryptid photography, and quiet storytelling, Moonrise Fall invites you to unravel the secrets of a supernatural forest at your own pace.”
    • “Rather than relying on combat, action sequences, or traditional progression systems, Moonrise Fall focuses on atmosphere, observation, and discovery, creating an experience that feels more like a personal journey through grief and wonder than a conventional adventure game.”
    • “Dynamic weather, shifting lighting conditions, and ambient environmental effects create an atmosphere that constantly changes as players move through the landscape.”
    • “If you are looking for a game with a good narrative to accompany the gameplay and atmosphere, look elsewhere.”
    • “While the atmosphere may appeal to some players, I found the lack of variety and meaningful gameplay made it hard to stay engaged until the end.”
    • “I honestly tried to get into what was happening, but the more I played, the stronger the feeling became that the game confuses 'atmosphere' with 'gameplay.'”
  • gameplay

    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The gameplay is centered on slow-paced exploration and puzzle-solving, featuring unique mechanics like photographing cryptids and using environmental interactions, which some players find satisfying and original. However, the experience is often described as repetitive, tedious, and lacking clear guidance, with slow movement and limited variety reducing engagement for those seeking more dynamic or action-oriented gameplay. Overall, the gameplay appeals mainly to players who appreciate atmospheric, story-rich indie adventures with a focus on discovery and puzzle mechanics.

    • “The creature mechanics were entertaining, the puzzles were simple yet engaging, and the overall feeling the game evokes demands your attention.”
    • “The gameplay is deceptively simple, as the controls and interaction are very limited, yet the inventive ways with which the mechanics are handled lead to a surprisingly broad array of options. Half the fun is spent just discovering these secrets.”
    • “Moonrise Fall is a puzzle game where the main objective is figuring out the mechanics themselves and how this strange world interacts with them.”
    • “Even accounting for the main gameplay area as limbo, it doesn't really serve as a connective tissue as to how your circumstances reach from the first cutscene to the last.”
    • “The slow walking speed makes exploration feel like a chore, especially when most of the gameplay revolves around repeating the same simple mechanics over and over.”
    • “Only downsides are how tediously slow walking around is and the fact that it gives you little to no instructions on some of the mechanics, leaving you to do a lot of backtracking for the missed items.”
  • music

    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    51% positive mentions, 41% neutral mentions, 8% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, often described as beautiful, relaxing, and emotionally resonant. It effectively complements the art and gameplay, enhancing the overall mood and player experience, though a few players found it basic or less appealing. Dynamic soundscapes, including ambient nature sounds and musical puzzles, add depth and help create a memorable, cohesive world.

    • “The music is hauntingly intangible, fading in and out of the action in rhythm with the game's moods; always accenting, never overshadowing it.”
    • “Music adapts to the player's journey, blending ambient sounds with emotional melodies that strengthen the game's atmosphere.”
    • “Combined with the sounds of rainfall, wildlife, and distant environmental effects, the soundtrack helps transform the forest into a believable and immersive setting.”
    • “I don't like giving negative reviews, but personally I didn't like the art style or the music, and I found it both boring and frustrating.”
    • “Couldn't find a way to turn the music/atmospherics off short of disabling the app sound completely.”
    • “Though I gotta say, the music puzzles were the least annoying, as simple button-mashing made short work of them, which isn't good from a puzzling perspective, but anything to keep things moving here.”
  • graphics

    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    48% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 10% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, beautiful visuals, and atmospheric design that complement its heartfelt narrative and relaxing tone. While some find the art style simple or occasionally monotonous, most appreciate its combination of retro aesthetics with modern effects, creating a lively and memorable world. Overall, the visuals strongly enhance the immersive experience despite occasional minor criticisms.

    • “Its relaxing atmosphere, striking art style, and heartfelt narrative create a memorable experience from beginning to end.”
    • “I think this is one of the best games I ever played, the pixel graphics are divine, the theme is cozy and the puzzles are abundant.”
    • “Visually, Moonrise Fall embraces a pixel-art style that combines retro influences with modern environmental effects.”
    • “The graphics are pretty basic as is the music, but this doesn't deter from the story being told.”
    • “I don't like giving negative reviews, but personally I didn't like the art style or the music, and I found it both boring and frustrating.”
    • “Sometime I was captured by the dreamy atmosphere, sometimes bored; maybe because of slowness coupled with monotony of pixelated graphics.”
  • emotional

    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Moonrise Fall delivers a unique and emotionally resonant experience through its heartfelt narrative, atmospheric exploration, and clever puzzles set in a beautifully crafted forest. While some design choices and pacing may challenge player engagement, the game's striking art, music, and storytelling create a memorable and touching journey that lingers long after completion.

    • “Moonrise Fall is a narrative-driven adventure game that blends exploration, environmental puzzles, and emotional storytelling within a beautifully handcrafted forest setting.”
    • “Its relaxing atmosphere, striking art style, and heartfelt narrative create a memorable experience from beginning to end.”
    • “It combines a heartfelt narrative, rewarding exploration, intelligent puzzles, and an unforgettable atmosphere into a journey that lingers in memory long after completion.”
  • grinding

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game often involves slow, tedious backtracking and repetitive tasks, with some puzzles feeling more tedious than challenging. The lack of clear instructions and slow movement contribute to the grind, which may detract from the overall experience for some players. However, completing these tasks still provides a sense of accomplishment for those who persevere.

    • “Only downsides are how tediously slow walking around is and the fact that it gives you little to no instructions on some of the mechanics, leaving you to do a lot of backtracking for the missed items.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay proved too slow and tedious for me.”
    • “These are overwhelmingly "flow" based, and despite having different themes, feel grindingly similar.”
  • character development

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    Character development is minimal or nonexistent, with no dialogues or meaningful interactions; the focus is instead on exploration and photography rather than evolving characters.

    • “There is no character development, no dialogues; interaction is limited to encounters with pagan creatures whose photos you take while exploring the woods.”
  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from poor optimization, particularly in the final location with waterfalls, resulting in slow performance.

    • “But it’s very slow and poorly optimized in the final location (waterfalls).”
  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Replayability in Moonfall Rise is limited, as the game offers little incentive to revisit once fully completed, aside from searching for secrets and Easter eggs.

    • “Moonfall Rise lacks any kind of replay value once you 100% complete the game. You can always look for secrets and Easter eggs, but that's about it.”
  • humor

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's humor is characterized by quirky, ugly creatures that add a funny and charmingly peaceful vibe.

    • “Creatures are ugly but funny and peaceful!”
  • monetization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Users criticize the monetization for being overshadowed by numerous low-quality shovel-ware and cash grab games, making it challenging to find genuinely valuable or well-designed titles.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Moonrise Fall is a simulation game with mystery and science fiction themes. Common tags for Moonrise Fall include indie, 2d, exploration, pixel graphics, atmospheric and others.

Moonrise Fall is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One and others.

Moonrise Fall was released on May 31, 2019.

Moonrise Fall was developed by Made From Strings.

Moonrise Fall has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Moonrise Fall for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Moonrise Fall is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include The Witness, Homesick, AER Memories of Old, WitCup 12, THE INHERITANCE OF CRIMSON MANOR and others.