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Tales from The Dancing Moon News

💃 Tales from The Dancing Moon 1.0 is out now! 🌙

Originally posted by DjMonkey
[h3]A personal note from the developer:[/h3]
"Tales from The Dancing Moon is a personal project of mine that I chipped away at for many years. The embers of it's story were lit over ten years ago during my time at University, starting as a novel with Young Adult themes and slowly morphed into what you see now - an indie game with inspirations from life-sim and isometric RPG games (whilst maintaining that core story-driven theme).

In December of 2023 I released the Early Access, gaining a small audience and receiving more tangible and constructive feedback. I'm now happy to have reached a point where I can safely say the game is the most complete and stable version it has ever been, achieving all of what I set out to do for it. I invite old and new players to enjoy the unique story, life-sim gameplay and many improvements that have brought the game up to version 1.0!"


-DjMonkey


[h2]What is Tales from The Dancing Moon?[/h2]

The game was born from a desire to create a life-sim game with a unique blend of strong storytelling and casual gameplay mixed with the aesthetics of an isometric RPG. It's true selling point is the character driven main quest that lures the player along in it's 3 act narrative.

The game offers a multitude of charming side quests and mini games such as farming, fishing, cooking, tea brewing, light combat, procedural dungeons, and more. All of which provide endless sandbox opportunities even when the story is finished!

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[h3]Watch the 1.0 Release Trailer:[/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
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[h3]LAUNCH DISCOUNT - 25% OFF[/h3]
As part of the transition out of Early Access, the base price of the game increased to reflect the new content and improvements.

But! To celebrate the launch I'm offering a 14 day launch discount at 25% off!

This is your last chance to grab the game at a discount before it returns to full price for the foreseeable future.

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[h3]STEAMDECK VERIFIED[/h3]

Don't forget - the game is verified on the Steam Deck, and has already received positive reviews from players using it!

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[h3]PLAY NOW:[/h3]

The free demo is still available where you can play the entire first act of the main story. You can always come back later during the sale to pick up the full version!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782420/Tales_from_The_Dancing_Moon/

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[h2]Version 1.0 Changelog[/h2]

[h3]Updates[/h3]

  • Added a short quest to provide closure to Skye’s procedural dungeon questline.
  • Introduced a new cooking-related quest in Nicolas’ questline focusing on chocolate-based recipes.
  • Added a new quest to Astryn’s fishing questline.

  • Added Creative Mode as a new game option (Achievements are disabled in this mode).
  • Updated main menu to include Creative Mode when starting a new game.

  • New construction options: a lower foundation platform, various houses, a crafting shelter, a beer garden, and a Dewbug sanctuary can now be built in the Plaza from Lucas' construction menus.
  • Some buildings have variants—use (U for keyboard, Y for Xbox gamepad/Steamdeck) to cycle through them.
  • Added new craftable recipes to Lucas’ store, available at different game states.

  • New hairstyles added to character customization with improved visual quality.
  • Legacy hair styles are no longer available to improve visual consistency.
  • Village walls now feature additional decorative assets for improved immersion.

  • Introduced 9 new museum artifacts found in procedural dungeons.
  • Museum artifacts now slowly rotate in their displays.

  • Food cooked through Nicolas’ quests can now be purchased from Fergus at the Inn, evolving its menu as the story progresses.
  • Cooking stations now support up to 5 ingredients to accommodate new recipes.
  • Fergus now offers different rest bonus options at The Dancing Moon for a price.
  • Increased rest bonus duration from [color]8 hours[/color] to [color]14 hours[/color].
  • Updated sleep screen tips to reflect new gameplay mechanics.

  • Lyka now has an updated movement schedule after completing the Lyka+Dion side quests.
  • Skye now has an updated movement schedule after completing her side quests.
  • Astryn now provides some guidance on fishing in the lake through her dialog.

  • Added a new type of dungeon-exclusive fish.

  • The shovel now has Silver, Gold, and Shadow-Silver upgrades.
  • The watering can now has Silver, Gold, and Shadow-Silver upgrades.
  • Holding the action button expands the dig or watering area based on tool upgrade.
  • Added a particle effect when digging or removing farm plots.

  • Minor visual improvements to the fishing hut exterior in the Illisor Steppes.
  • Save/load UI updated with higher-resolution images, new icons, and save date/time details.
  • Fishing rods and fish items all have new UI icons.
  • Moved the "New Quest" banner higher on the screen to be less intrusive.

  • Changed the 'Toggle All Highlightable' keyboard input to 'H'
  • Added the ability to rebind keyboard control inputs in the settings menu.

  • Added new achievements:

    • Sebastian’s Memories: Earn an achievement by finding all of Sebastian’s memories.
    • Museum Completion: Earn an achievement for collecting all museum artefacts.


[h3]Bugfixes[/h3]
  • Fixed an issue where the Shadow Plants attack projectile was not working in the procedural dungeons.
  • Fixed an issue where selection highlighting was not working on the museum cabinets.
  • Fixed an issue where various overhead tooltips related to farming plots, NPC name tags, and others were not displaying when using a controller or Steamdeck.
  • Fixed an issue with overly sensitive auto-scrolling behaviour on the character customisation screen.
  • Fixed an issue where the face camera position would not take into consideration player height on the character customisation screen causing the face to be slightly off screen.
  • Fixed an issue where farming UI overlays were not positioning correctly at different screen resolutions.
  • Fixed an issue where tile overlay UI's were not positioning correctly in the Tiles from The Dancing Moon mini-game.
  • Fixed an issue where sounds coming from footsteps in snow were not obeying the SFX volume settings.
  • Fixed an issue where water effects were not showing on the gold water sprinkler.
  • Fixed an issue where buildings would incorrectly be built at the centre of the Plaza when prematurely exiting the city building process.
  • Fixed an issue that would allow players to select undiscovered areas on the map if using a gamepad or Steamdeck.
  • Fixed an issue where the 'Fast Travel' button was not displaying on discovered areas.
  • Fixed an issue where audio settings were not taking affect on the main menu.


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A huge thank you to those who have followed along on my development journey. I hope you continue to enjoy your time at The Dancing Moon, and look forward to what may be in store next!

- DjMonkey

Chapter 4 of Before the Rift is out now.



Before the Rift is a prelude story following the events leading up to the beginning of the game in Tales from The Dancing Moon.

This is the final chapter before the games Version 1.0 release on June 19th, 2025!

The gang find themselves in a mysterious new area following the stressful journey to Worm's Head Island. Discover what happens next by unravelling the mysteries in Illisor and The Dancing Moon by playing the game!

🏖️ Read todays chapter here:
https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/p/chapter-4-a-new-bridge

🌙 Read the other chapters through the Tales from The Dancing Moon Substack Newsletter: https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/s/before-the-rift


Make sure to wishlist Tales from The Dancing Moon below:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782420/Tales_from_The_Dancing_Moon/

Chapter 3 of Before the Rift is out now.



Before the Rift is a prelude story following the events leading up to the beginning of the game in Tales from The Dancing Moon.

New chapters will gradually release leading up to the Version 1.0 release on June 19th, 2025!

Continue where we left off from Chapter 2 as we follow James, Alexis, Roz, Andrew, and Desmond start their perilous hike over to Worm's Head Island.

🏖️ Read todays chapter here:
https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/p/chapter-3-worms-head

🌙 Read the other chapters through the Tales from The Dancing Moon Substack Newsletter: https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/s/before-the-rift


Make sure to wishlist Tales from The Dancing Moon below:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782420/Tales_from_The_Dancing_Moon/

Chapter 2 of Before the Rift is out now.



Before the Rift is a prelude story following the events leading up to the beginning of the game in Tales from The Dancing Moon.

New chapters will gradually release leading up to the Version 1.0 release on June 19th, 2025!

Continue where we left off from Chapter 1 as we follow James, Alexis, Roz, Andrew, and Desmond continue their journey towards the beach village of Rhossili.

🏖️ Read todays chapter here:
https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/p/chapter-2-rhossili

🌙 Read the other chapters through the Tales from The Dancing Moon Substack Newsletter: https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/s/before-the-rift


Make sure to wishlist Tales from The Dancing Moon below:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782420/Tales_from_The_Dancing_Moon/

💃 VERSION 1.0 IS COMING SOON! 🌙



Release date announcement!


Version 1.0 is aiming to be released on 19th June, 2025. Watch the brand new trailer below to see what's in store!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The 1.0 release contains various content updates, tweaks, patches and polish to the gameplay experience. Read on to learn more about what's new!

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Before The Rift - A Prelude Story



I'm excited to announce a completely new set of lore planned to release in weekly installments leading up to the games full release in the form of what I'm calling - 'Before The Rift'

'Before The Rift' is a series of written chapters about the lives of a group of teenagers and the events leading up to the story found within Tales from The Dancing Moon. It's not a requirement to read, but I'm hopeful it will breath a little bit more life into overall lore that players have enjoyed with my game so far.

The first chapter is published right now, and you can read it right here!
https://open.substack.com/pub/djmonkeyuk/p/chapter-1-the-train-to-swansea

You can read future Before The Rift chapters as they release on my new Substack page. Make sure to subscribe to be notified of future chapters:
https://djmonkeyuk.substack.com/s/before-the-rift


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Version 1.0


Here are the highlights of the version 1.0 release. There's more to come and a full changelog will be provided later on release!

[h2]Creative Mode[/h2]
Start the game in creative mode to unlock complete sandbox freedom and for a more relaxed experience. All shop items in this mode are free and craftable items don't require any resources to make. Enemies also do not inflict any damage. However, creative mode is assigned to the save, can not be changed later for that save, and achievements will be disabled.



[h2]New Hair Styles[/h2]
A multitude of new hair options have been added to character customisation with improved visual quality. Various NPCs have been updated with them to better match their portraits. Start the game with these new options or use a wardrobe to give yourself a fresh new look!



[h2]New Museum Artefacts[/h2]
The museum is still looking a little empty - so a set of 9 new museum artefacts have been added to procedural dungeons found in the Skye questline. Discover interesting and amusing lore behind these items by finding them in the dungeons and taking them to Oswyn!



[h2]New Craftable Blueprints[/h2]
Lucas' blueprint shop has had a restock! A bunch of new items can be purchased and built around the village including more bed choices, decorative ruin pieces, colourful tulips and more! Some of these new items require Shadow-Silver materials found in the procedural dungeons that were added in the last update!



[h2]New Village Buildings[/h2]

New buildings can be constructed in the plaza which provide both visual and gameplay perks. Including a variety of houses, a beer garden, and a Dewbug sanctuary! Talk to Lucas in the later parts of the game to see these new options!



[h2]Improved Equipment[/h2]
The watering can and the farming shovel can now be upgraded to the silver, gold and shadow-silver tiers! It can now effect a wider area of farm land depending on how long you hold the action button before committing to the action!



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Release Schedule


Phew - with the main details announced - here is a summary of how this all unfolds over the next few weeks.


I think that's about it for this news post. I'm excited to see how this all unfolds over the next few weeks. In the meantime, the current 60% sale is the best time to pick up a copy of the game if you haven't already!

Hope to see you at The Dancing Moon!

-DjMonkey

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1782420/Tales_from_The_Dancing_Moon/