Moonshine Inc. leans hard into Appalachian flavor and the mechanics of illicit distilling: fermentation, distillation, bottling, base management, and discreet deliveries. It’s a game built around systems and story; running crews, upgrading stills, buying ingredients, and choosing who to trust as you expand from mountain hideouts to city operations. The concept and crafting backbone are compelling, but launch‑era technical problems and a fiddly UI frequently interrupt the fun.
Core gameplay loop
• Objective: Build a profitable moonshine business; produce high‑quality liquor, manage staff and equipment, and deliver product while avoiding law enforcement and rival threats.
• Systems: Learn fermentation and distillation recipes, upgrade stills and facilities, source ingredients (including wild yeast), and assign workers to tasks.
• Economy: Price goods, plan deliveries, and balance discretion versus profit; decisions affect reputation, risk, and story outcomes.
• Progression: Complete main missions and side quests across five regions (mountains, forest, swamp, and city), unlock technologies, and expand bases.
Features and content
• Crafting depth: Detailed fermentation and distillation mechanics give a satisfying simulation feel for players who enjoy micromanagement and optimization.
• Narrative flavor: Strong Appalachian voice and character interactions; branching choices (e.g., dealing with an agent or a corrupt governor) shape your path.
• Regional variety: Each region brings new mission types, environmental challenges, and larger “pipe disaster”‑style operations to manage.
• Worker management: Hire, assign, and maintain staff who keep production running and equipment in shape.
• Delivery events: Road events and delivery risks add tension and emergent moments to the logistics loop.
Visuals, UI, and polish
The game presents a distinct aesthetic that fits its theme, but presentation and UI clarity are inconsistent. Menus and inventory screens can feel clunky and confusing; several players report actions that don’t register or options that are hard to navigate. When the systems work, the visuals and sound design support immersion, but the interface needs refinement to match the depth of the underlying mechanics.
Controls and comfort
Controls are serviceable for a management sim, but menu responsiveness and cursor issues have been flagged repeatedly. Players report disappearing cursors, unresponsive buttons, and difficulty performing expected actions (like buying ingredients or upgrading stills) even when requirements are met. These friction points turn otherwise engaging systems into sources of frustration.
Stability and bugs (critical)
• Common issues: Freezes that force players to dashboard, save progression that stops working, and UI actions that fail intermittently.
• Impact: These bugs can halt progress, corrupt sessions, or make key mechanics unusable, serious problems for a game built on long play loops and incremental upgrades.
• Player reports: Multiple reviews describe getting stuck at mission checkpoints or being unable to save further progress after hours of play.
Developer response and outlook
Klabater has acknowledged post‑launch problems and indicated ongoing support, with patches and community engagement promised. The game shows clear design ambition, and the developer roadmap suggests continued fixes and content updates. That said, the timeline for a fully stable, polished experience remains uncertain, watch patch notes and community channels for concrete fixes to save and UI issues.
Difficulty and replay loop
Difficulty ramps in a measured way: early missions teach systems, while later regions demand tighter logistics, better equipment, and smarter delivery planning. The depth of crafting and the branching narrative choices provide replay value for players who enjoy optimizing production and exploring different moral or business paths.
Practical advice
• If you want to play now: Be prepared for technical hiccups; save often and keep sessions shorter until recent patches confirm stability improvements.
• If you prefer polished experiences: Wait for major stability and UI patches or pick it up on sale to reduce downside.
• Follow: the game’s store page and community channels for patch notes and bug‑fix announcements.
Final Verdict
Moonshine Inc. brims with creative ambition and a genuinely rewarding crafting backbone; its fermentation, distillation, and base‑management systems offer deep, satisfying loops for simulation fans. Unfortunately, persistent technical issues and clunky UI interactions blunt that promise, turning what should be a smooth, addictive experience into something that can feel frustrating and unreliable. If you enjoy backing evolving indie sims and don’t mind riding out patches, it’s worth watching closely or picking up at a discount; if you expect a polished, dependable management sim today, hold off until the developer resolves the major stability and interface problems.
Watch and Wishlist
• Why wishlist: Get notified about stability patches, save fixes, UI improvements, and new content or region expansions.
• Platforms to track: PC (Steam) primarily; watch for console ports and updates from the developer.
• How to stay informed: Follow the Steam page, join the game’s Discord or community hub, and follow the developer on social media for patch notes.
• Price perspective: $19.99, Consider buying on sale if you want to avoid early‑patch risk; otherwise support the developer if you’re comfortable with ongoing fixes.
Key takeaways
• Strong concept: Deep fermentation/distillation systems and a character‑driven campaign give the game a unique identity.
• Thematic voice: Appalachian flavor and narrative choices add personality and stakes to the management loop.
• Technical problems: Freezes, save issues, and UI bugs are widespread and can break progression.
• Polish needed: Menus and cursor responsiveness require improvement to match the game’s systems.
• Replay value: Branching choices and regional progression offer long‑term engagement once stability improves.
• Buying advice: Supportive players and simulation fans may enjoy it now; others should wait for patches or buy on sale.
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Klabater
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Score 4.0 / 10
Moonshine Inc. is an ambitious and characterful management sim with satisfying crafting systems and a memorable setting. Its core mechanics reward careful planning and optimization, and the narrative progression across regions adds meaningful variety. However, persistent stability issues and a clunky UI significantly undermine the experience for many players. With continued developer support and targeted fixes, this title could become a standout in the simulation space.
“4.0 / 10 - A promising, flavorful sim that needs polish, great systems trapped behind frustrating technical issues.”