Having picked up RPGMaker VX Ace on a bargain Steam sale I thought I'd browse some highly rated games on this site for inspiration.

Dead Moon Night is a short RPG that can be finished in a few hours. Apparently it was created in a short space of time which is pretty impressive.

Graphics 4/5
Cutesy graphics make the game appealing and it looks like care and attention have been lavished on each in-game map.

Music 3/5
Nothing stood out for me but I thought it got the job done. If I had to finish a game on a deadline, this would probably be the area I would spend the least time on.

Plot 4/5
The pairing of a naive girl and an evil necromancer is what kept me playing - I had to see how this would resolve itself! The dialogue made me smile (despite a few typos here and there) and the quirky characters really brought the game to life.

Gameplay 3/5
Lots to like and dislike here.
First off no XP and gold is a dramatic step but it works in the context of the game. Winning a battle gives you "mods" that allow you to customize your party characters in different ways (more ability points or new skills) - I really liked this idea but the execution could be improved.

In my opinion a good game should start off easy, so players can familiarize themselves with the game mechanics and then become more challenging.

Unfortunately, in Dead Moon Night, the first battle is one of the hardest because there is only 1 way to win. I died 3 times and was on the verge of quitting the game permanently (thank goodness I persevered!) until I understood the way the battle skills worked. In future, please make the 1st battle the easiest in the game!

Once you win the 1st battle and equip your mods the game then veers to the other extreme and becomes ridiculously easy. With the exception of the secret and the boss battles, there is no challenge, which is a shame. There probably wasn't enough time to properly balance the game which is understandable.

Dead Moon Night makes an effort to avoid grinding (yay!) but unfortunately some enemies respawn each time you leave and come back to a map. Having to go in and out of houses and having to fight the same enemies every time I left a house got tedious pretty quickly.

There is not much else to do besides shuffle from place to place fighting all that get in your way, but luckily it is always obvious where to go and what to do. Like any good RPG, it is really the story that drives you forward and keeps you playing.

Summary 4/5 - Good
Overall an enjoyable, memorable experience but I would love to see the game mechanics implemented even better in future games.