Moonlight Peaks is another game in the cozy farming sim genre made famous by Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, and the like. However, this one leans more toward the occult and the supernatural, offering a spookier feel to the proceedings. 

Alongside that unique slant thematically, the game also has a few mechanics and fun tweaks to the popular blueprint that make for a fun and engaging experience. That said, some of it can go right over your head if you aren't careful. 

So, to help you become an immediate expert in all things Moonlight Peaks, here are some helpful tips for beginners that will make your early days in your new place of residence a breeze. 

Focus On Clearing Space Fast 

On your first few days, there isn't much to do beyond saying hello to the townsfolk and getting your bearings. So, you should use that time to clean up your messy farm. 

You'll want to gather a good amount of resources, which means chopping trees, mining stone, and slicing grass to make fiber. But, above all, it's about making as much space as possible for planting crops, as they will be your money-maker during this first season. 

Energy will run out pretty fast, so be sure to chow down on the Gazpacho in your inventory when your energy runs low. 

Grind Out Early Quests To Access New Area 

While I am not necessarily a fan of telling people how to play, or what is important versus what isn't. It has to be said that, if you don't focus on early game quests, you will get left behind a little. 

You see, you'll need access to ore quite early in the game, and this is only available in the cave found in Misty Shores. An area that is only accessible by clearing the curse on the bridge during the 'A Bridge Too Far' quest. 

So, do your best to avoid getting caught up decorating your home, or rummaging for secrets too early. They aren't going anywhere, we promise. Just do those initial quests, and you'll find that progression later on will be much smoother. 

Stock Up On Mushrooms 

After you deal with the bust-up between Fiona and Orlock, you'll gain access to a new area called Misty Shores. This, by extension, gives you access to a mining area where you can get copper and iron ore. However, we are more focused on the Common Mushrooms you can get here. 

Mushrooms grow in this cave, replenishing so rapidly that you can forage as many as 20-30 a day. These sell for a modest amount, but the best use for these mushrooms is to replenish energy in a pinch. 

Depending on rarity, these will only replenish 1-2 energy each, but because they are so readily available, you can regain enough energy to dig a few more spots, chop down one more tree, or mine that extra bit of ore you need. In short, it's always good to have a few in your pocket for when you need them most. 

Keep One Of Everything 

This doesn't necessarily become a huge focus until slightly later, as the job board isn't immediately populated, and you don't have all the blueprints you need to craft useful gear. It's always good to be proactive and think ahead. 

As soon as you get a Refiner, you'll be able to craft Planks, which in turn let you make storage boxes. Once you have a few of these, it's best to keep one of every item rather than selling everything you get. 

You might need them to complete a quest, finish a job, fill the museum, or craft something higher-quality later. So, having the item ready to go is a huge boon. 

On top of that, we would suggest investing in an inventory upgrade through Sabrina's shop early on, as this will help gather items when all those storage boxes are full to the brim. 

Run Around In Hellkitten Form 

During the early game quest 'The Dinner Party ', a tussle with Brook and Orlock will go awry. Leaving you in the crossfire and victim to a wayward spell. Which will change you into a Hellkitten. 

Thankfully, this isn't permanent, and you'll then be able to swap between cat and human form as you choose. Leading to my pro gamer tip. If you want to save time and get around fast, get into the habit of switching to this form. 

Whether you want to make it home before 6 am, reach a shop before it closes, or simply cram a lot into your day. This form is what will allow you to do just that. 

Change Your Day Duration

Speaking of cramming a lot into your day, a little ways into your first season, you'll gain the ability to change your day duration from 15 minutes to 25 minutes. 

To do this, you simply need to head into the settings menu, find the day duration option, and make the switch. Then, just like that, you'll have ten extra minutes a day to forage, talk to the locals, and gather resources. 

Once I made this change, I don't think I needed to make a frantic dash to my coffin for at least a full season. It's a no-brainer: give yourself ample time to get your stuff done, and if you don't need the time, just hit the hay early. 

Farm On The Beach Too 

In games like Stardew Valley, farming on the beach is simply not viable, and even with a Beach Farm, it's far from ideal. But, in Moonlight Peaks, you have no such issue. 

There's a little beach just south of your home, and while this space seems like it's more geared toward collecting shells, digging, and fishing. The reality is that this is fertile soil for planting crops. Don't ask us how, but it is. 

This is a great place to plant crops because it's right beside the water. Meaning you won't need to build a well right away. Plus, it saves space near your home for other things, like machines or decorations. 

Mine Clusters, Fish In Ripples 

Mining and fishing are hugely important activities in the game, and doing them as efficiently as possible is important, as energy is finite and hard to refill in the early game. 

With regards to mining, we would suggest surveying the entire cave before exerting yourself too much, as there may be ore clusters, which tend to offer a lot more ore based on the energy output needed to break them.

Then, when fishing, you'll want to try and find fishing spots where there are glowing ripples on the water's surface. This will allow you to catch more high-quality and rare fish more consistently. Work smarter, not harder. 

Don't Forget Birthdays 

Building up your relationship with the folks around town can be a slog, as you need to chat with them every day and give them a gift they like as often as you can. But even then, building up those hearts can take time. 

One way to speed things up is to give gifts on these characters' respective birthdays, when they have a much more tangible effect on your relationship. So be sure to keep an eye on the calendar from one day to the next, because once it's over, it's a whole year before it rolls around again. 

Double Down On Kegs 

In the early game, there aren't a lot of great ways to earn serious money, mainly because the game drip-feeds you new content, machines, and mechanics that allow for this. However, the one thing you do get really early is a Keg Blueprint. 

This allows you to turn certain crops, like berries, into juices and wine. Something that can turn a crop that goes for a handful of coins into a luxury product that sells for hundreds of coins. It takes a little while to make, but it's worth the wait. 

We would suggest working hard to craft 2-3 kegs early on, as this will mean that, come the middle of the season, you'll have a huge windfall of cash to spend on whatever you like.