20 November 2025

Beginner Tips for Moonlighter 2

By newsgame

Moonlighter 2 brings forth another mixture of shopkeeping and adventure, as players progress through multiple challenging worlds in search of valuable relics to sell. For beginners, there are quite a few mechanics to wrap your head around as you collect gold and work toward being reunited with your home.

Given the title weaves two vastly different gameplay experiences in one package, it can take some time to figure out how to both conquer your runs and maximize your profit. With this in mind, the following beginner tips and tricks for Moonlighter 2 will have you starting your next run on the right foot.

Will with the starter weapons from Moonlighter 2

Moonlighter 2: Which Starting Weapon Should You Choose?

Players have a choice between four starter weapons in Moonlighter 2. Here’s everything you need to know.

Mix Up Your Offense

Players will be given the choice between four starting weapons from the beginning of their Moonlighter 2 playthrough, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. You can, of course, purchase the other weapons later on and try each of them for yourself, but there are a few other offensive options you have in addition to your main weapon.

Enemies will pose a threat from both short and long distance, some of which may even be unreachable without your ranged weapon. Consider using your gun whenever possible, especially when it comes to flying enemies. If you hit one with your gun, it will enter a Ruptured state, indicated by the purple outline, which means you can finish them off with a swing of your backpack.

Know When To Use Your Pendant

While Moonlighter 2 poses as a pretty cute, almost cozy game in some respects, the combat can pose a fairly significant challenge, especially when playing on higher difficulty levels. The consequences for failing to complete a run can be quite significant, as all items in Will’s backpack will halve their quality rating, so it is worth weighing up risk vs reward during your run.

Thankfully, players will have the option to protect their valuables and make a safe escape from harm by making use of their Pendant. You will be prompted to use it as your health gets low, but in times when things are starting to look a little dire, preserve the value of your items and escape, so you don’t miss out of the potential earnings that come with selling them at their full value.

Plan Your Run Ahead

As you progress through a run on any of the game’s multiple worlds and levels, you will have a choice in which direction you’ll want to go at the end of each Encounter. The best thing you can do to increase your chance of completing a run or, at the very least, getting out safely with as many valuables as possible, is to take the time to check what encounter types are potentially ahead of you.

You will discover new encounter types as you progress through the game, but some threads will have high-value loot and more difficult enemies, whereas some sections may offer you a greater number of useful boons that will best prepare you for the Boss at the end of the run. A balanced approach to your run might give you the best of both worlds, but one that is focussed solely on acquiring relics can be extremely useful for making quick cash, especially if you’re planning an early getaway.

Use Relic Effects, Even If You Don’t Keep Them

Some Relics have curses or effects attached to them that can alter quality, rarity, or even the sheer presence of other relics in your backpack. As you begin to discover relics of higher rarity, you will find that the actions of lower-value items, such as burning or shielding others, will also have an influence over a rarer item’s quality.

In instances where you have a rarer item that increases its quality when burned or when another relic is burned, for example, players will want to ensure they use any items with the associated effect, even if they don’t plan on keeping them. That way, you can maximize the value of your inventory without making too many sacrifices.

Consider Holding Onto Valuable Relics For Another Run

With the above tip in mind, you can significantly increase the value of your relics by skipping the next sale day and taking them with you on your next run in your backpack. In theory, you could explore if the game had a maximum quality cap by taking it on several runs, as long as you don’t take any huge risks and wind up failing a run and losing half of your quality points.

Quality plays a big part in how much money you make per item sold, so when it comes to those epic and legendary relics you find on your travels, you should do whatever you can to increase their quality rating. The higher the quality, the more you make from the sale, and the sooner you get to open the Endless Vault again!

Patience Is A Virtue

One of the worst things you can do for your run in Moonlighter 2 is rush in and try and take out enemies recklessly. On the most part, many enemy attacks are relatively easy to calculate, so an approach that slightly leans on caution can get you out of most exchanges unscathed.

While they’re relatively easy to identify, it is worth noting that very few actions will actually interrupt an enemy’s intended attack, which is why patience plays such a significant role in your success. It is better to maintain distance and hold off for a moment or so before going in to strike, so you can save your health points and, even more crucially, keep your health potions on hand until the final boss battle.

When In Doubt, Price Up

While the shopkeeping component of Moonlighter 2 is a lot more relaxed than its combat-forward counterpart, figuring out how to price new items can be difficult. The best strategy for early income, especially, is to price up. If you haven’t got an idea of how much to sell an item for, it is better to consider going a little higher than you might expect.

The reason for this is that items that are priced too high won’t be purchased, which gives you the opportunity to lower it and make the sale. If it’s too low, however, it will be sold at a price below its potential, so you’ll miss out on income. While this is great for customer satisfaction, you’re better off taking the option that earns you more money, particularly while your shop is small and you are learning the ropes.

Use The Environment To Your Advantage

Each of the worlds you explore in Moonlighter 2 have facets of the environment that can actually support your journey and increase your chances of survival. In some cases, they are pods that will shoot spikes at enemies when hit, in others, a beam that will hold an enemy frozen in place for a short duration. So, be on the lookout for temporary support from your surroundings.

It’s best not to be too trigger-happy with these supports, however. It is worth noting that in some encounters, particularly those later in the run, will have multiple waves of enemies. So, if you think you can handle the current wave without too much trouble, consider saving the support components for the enemies that haven’t yet appeared.