Moonglow Bay is the delightfully charming fishing life sim that has captivated audiences with its colorful voxel art style and chipper music. Fishing on the ebbing waters of a Canadian town can be immensely soothing for a lot of players and has proven to be since its launch. It is packed full of great writing, fun mini-games, and a whole slew of other things you may have missed.
However, while the many wonders of Moonglow Bay continue to astound, there are a few things here and there that don't seem to add up. It's not that they worsen the experience, rather these fun little oddities are what make games brilliant and almost always illogical - and these logically questionable features both make the game that much more fun and a little nonsensical.
5 Who Is Taking Photos Of You Sleeping?
Moonglow Bay plays out across multiple days, giving you the freedom to enjoy your stay in this sleepy little town. As the day turns to night and you wrap up your fishing activities, you'll likely want to get a few hours of sleep in before heading back out onto the waters the next day. You'll get back home, give Waffles the dog a little scratch before lumbering up the stairs and collapsing into bed. However, it would seem that you're not alone in the house. Someone is out there. Someone is taking pictures. The question is: who?
As a quaint little transition between sleeping and waking up the developers implemented a series of polaroid photos of you turning out the light, tucking yourself under the covers, and then drifting off to sleep. While this transition is in keeping with the game's generally comfy and warm tone, when thought about for more than a second it does raise some questions. In reality, who is taking these photos of your nighttime routine? Are you? If so why? And if not, then who? Of course, at the end of the day, you've got Waffles by your side and I'm sure they'd stop anyone from breaking in and snapping a photograph of you. Unless of course, it's Waffles the dog who's taking the pictures!
4 How Come Everyone Already Knows Your Plans?
When you start Moonglow Bay all seems right with the world. You and your partner are out fishing and you couldn't be happier. But, as is often the case with happy beginnings, things had to take a dour turn. After your partner passes, you're left in a worrisome state. Fortunately, the depressing years of mourning pass by in an instant, and before long you're up on your feet and ready to fish. The plan is to sell delicious food for the residents of Moonglow Bay and earn enough money to restore it to its former glory. It makes sense that you and a couple of close friends know that plan, but how come suddenly everyone else in the town does too?
It's possible that the moment you told the two other people who know initially that one of them ran around the town telling everyone excitedly that you were selling food. But the chances of the news spreading faster than the loading screen between you opening the door and standing outside seems a little unbelievable. Perhaps everyone in Moonglow Bay is a psychic and read your mind before you did? Or perhaps it was the developers finding a way around the obligatory "go talk to everyone in town" mission that takes far too long because you can never find that one person. It's probably the psychic answer.
3 Why Is The Currency Shells?
You'll have to spend a lot of money in Moonglow Bay. Whether it's upgrading your equipment or restoring the town, everything costs a fortune. So, among a plethora of other tips you should know before heading in, trying to build up a small fortune during your time in Moonglow Bay is advised. The currency in Moonglow Bay are shells, a commodity that one would assume are everywhere in a coastal town. If you're not going to use paper, then shells are likely the next best thing. But that begs the question: how is Moonglow Bay so poor when their currency is quite literally all around them?
Moonglow Bay isn't a rich place, and you'll be frequently told that it's in a state of disrepair and no longer at its peak. The mayor is practically boarding the place up before you get out of bed and offer to lend a helping hand. But that seems illogical when the form of currency they use is not even ten feet away from them at all times. Why they can't just head on over to the beach, pick up a few shells and hand them out amongst the residents simply makes no sense.
2 Apparently, All Anyone Wants Is Fish
Side content in a video game is important, especially in a life sim like Moonglow Bay. Whether it's a simple fetch quest or a more meaningful mission, there should always be a plethora of side content for the player to complete. In Moonglow Bay, there is a notice board where your fellow residents can put up requests for things they want doing or need. Apparently, all they want is fish, and the only person capable of getting it is you.
At all times of the day, someone somewhere wants a fish. Whether it's big or small, you can be sure that a Moonglow Bay resident has a hankering for fish. It's fortunate too that they seem to have an endless supply of money or rewards for you heading out and catching the fish. You should count your blessings that everyone else is too scared to go out onto the waters, thus ensuring you have a monopoly on all species of fish in this coastal town.
1 The Entire Town Rests On Your Shoulders
Life sims have a habit of stealing all of your money. Whether it's having to donate practically all the money needed to construct a bridge in Animal Crossing: New Horizons or pay to quite literally restore the entire town in Moonglow Bay, life sims expect quite a lot from their players. Quite early on into its runtime, Moonglow Bay introduces you to the prospect of paying to restore certain buildings. You're expected to pay up a substantial amount of money to see these properties fixed, but apparently, no one else is.
While everyone else seemingly has all the money in the world to buy your food and reward you for catching fish, no one can afford to donate a shell or two to help in the restoration efforts. Ostensibly, the entirety of the town's survival rests on your shoulders. It is up to you to donate the hard-earned money that you've had to venture out into the supposedly dangerous waters for in order for the town to thrive once more. Suffice to say, it simply isn't fair.