A week ago, I was discussing the intricacies of Arco and expressed my desire to play more bullet hell games with time freeze mechanics. And now, here comes Moon Watch, a pixel art shooter similar to Vampire Survivors, where you possess a watch that stops time when you stand still. In that frozen moment, you can mock the living dead as you leisurely select and aim garlic grenades, stake launchers, and bouncy ice comets.
However, this fun comes to an end when you deplete the energy for your weapons. To replenish this energy, you must keep moving, creating a challenging dynamic of balancing offense and defense. While you’re not taunting the zombies, you’ll be strategically evading their attacks and monitoring your energy levels at the bottom left of the screen.
Why do I call Moon Watch “Vampire Survivors-ish” instead of “Vampire Survivors-like”? Firstly, because many abilities require manual aiming and firing using the mouse. Secondly, the game is structured into distinct levels or arenas within a roguelite campaign. Each arena tasks you with surviving for a specific duration, rather than facing continuous waves of enemies and upgrades – somewhat resembling Into The Breach.
Similar to Vampire Survivors, when you level up in Moon Watch, you can choose from three unlocks. These include passive enhancements and new weapons for your arsenal, such as turrets, throwable zombie bait, and a teleport dash. The possibilities for combining these tools are endless.
What else is there to mention? The starting character resembles a warrior-nun who bears a resemblance to the blonde girl from Hey Arnold!, albeit less imposing. Upon completing a level, she celebrates with a victory spin, even as the remaining zombies converge on her like hungry pigeons. This plucky demeanor adds a charming touch to the game. Additionally, the developers, The Jaspel, are the same creative minds behind Backpack Hero.
You can find the demo for Moon Watch on Itch.io, with a full release scheduled for Steam in the near future.
