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Closed Alpha Release #1 - Part One

Sep 22, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

A farm-themed poster from Moonfrost promoting the game's first alpha playtest.
Closed Alpha Playtest Poster

We’re thrilled to announce the next phase of our development Alpha Stage.


Why is this so important and exciting?


Well, we are now at the point where we can start to open the doors for some select players to come and experience what we have been working on.


Simply sign up on our website via the sign up button and your all set.


What’s the purpose of this playtest?


Firstly we want to say: Thank You!


For your ongoing support and patience as we build Moonfrost — to show our gratitude we are dedicating a playtest of our main gameplay loop, which is your homestead!

This is also a massive learning experience for us as game developers; with your feedback, we can make it even better.


Here are some of the questions we hope we can find answers to:

Have we achieved our goal of how we want the game to feel as you play? What it is like to be the player? How are the controls? How satisfying is it to do the small actions? — Swing an axe, plant a crop, run around etc. What do you like to do most while playing?


These are all crucial areas we would like you our community to help us answer, so let’s look a little deeper into our upcoming playtest.


Experience the magic

First and foremost, the Alpha Playtest is your golden ticket to experience the enchanting world of Moonfrost before anyone else. You’ll step into the shoes of one of two different characters to explore this picturesque pixel-perfect world that we’ve been working hard to make sure feels as alive, charming and enchanting as we can — a gameworld you’re happy to just exist inside of.


Pixel Art gameplay screenshot of Moonfrost a farming homestead scene.
Kyung (NPC)'s farming homestead set up.

Farm life

You’ll have an array of tools at your disposal via crafting to help you develop your homestead; Axes, Scythes, Pickaxes, Hoes and Watering Cans. However, Moonfrost isn’t your usual farming sim so there are three power tools you will need to keep a lookout for too (if you can unlock them!): The Earthquaker, Turbo Tiller and Super Sucker… These should come in handy when tending to your crops and gathering those precious resources.


Task completed UI pop up, unlocking three new items.
Task completed (Super Sucker Unlocked)

Discover and explore

Your homestead in this playtest is designed to showcase what yours could look like later in the game. That includes the surroundings so, if you’d like to take a break from farming, have a stroll around — who knows what treasures you’ll find…


A pixel art gameplay screenshot at the local farm pond.
Standing at the local pond on your homestead at sunset.

Play a role in development

Ever wondered what it’s like to influence a game’s development? Your insights, suggestions and feedback will play a pivotal role in shaping the final Moonfrost experience. This is your chance to make a lasting impact on our beloved world. For all playtesters there will be a survey form that we’d love for you to complete — by providing in-depth feedback it’ll help us build the best version of Moonfrost and also secure you a spot for the future playtests.


A gameplay screenshot of your home in-game which feels somewhat like 'The Sims' but in pixel form.
Inside your home for Alpha Release #1

Frequently Asked Questions


Is this the final version of Moonfrost?

No, far from it! This version is created as a thank you for your ongoing support and patience. It also offers us a chance to gather crucial and valuable feedback about our core gameplay loop: farming!


When will Moonfrost be released?

We still don’t have an official release date at this time. We will continue to update you all on our progress through our official channels!


How many people are going to be invited to this playtest?

As this is our first-ever playtest we want to make sure we do it right, so it will be a small controlled group — the exact number is still to be confirmed. We will be offering spots to the public via our sign-up process on our website but we want to reward long-supporting members of Moonfrost as well, so those core community members/ supporters will be contacted via our Discord announcement channel.


Can I increase my chances of being selected to be a play tester?

Yes, you can actually!

As we said above, we will be reserving some spots for core community members who have helped and supported us. This can be as little as being a nice person and building relationships with other players in our communities. Maybe you’ve created some awesome fan art? How about creating a post about Moonfrost on social channels like Twitter and Instagram using #Moonfrost? If you want to go one step further, create a short-form video about why you are excited to play Moonfrost!

The options are really endless but your support doesn’t go unnoticed. We want to reward supporters and fans alike!


Will there be more testing phases in the future?

Absolutely. We’re planning to conduct several Alpha and Beta phases as we progress towards Moonfrost’s official launch. The specific timing of these phases isn’t set in stone; it depends on the results of our testing. We hope to receive a lot of valuable feedback that will drive improvements, and this, in turn, may necessitate additional development time to implement. Our goal is to ensure that we can shape Moonfrost into the finest pixel-perfect experience possible, and your input is instrumental in achieving that vision. Rest assured, we’re committed to making Moonfrost the best it can be.


Can I stream, share content, record and talk about my experience?

For this first initial playtest we are controlling what gets published online, so you cannot stream or share any content/discussions without consent from us first. If you do we will sadly have to remove you from this playtest and you will not be asked to return for future playtests, as you have breached our NDA.


We do understand you’d like to share the experience with your friends and communities; to facilitate this we will have an auditing process, where you can record, take screenshots, and make content — but this needs to be approved by our team before publishing to your channels and communities.


We will also be sharing some of your highlights on our official channels and you’ll of course get credit too!


We will offer a more detailed process on this for our successful playtesters.


Thank you from all of us at Moonfrost and we look forward to seeing you in game!

4 Comments


RachelLeonard
Nov 01

https://senzadocumenti.com actually makes me think about documentation in a different way after reading this, because what you're really asking testers to do is document their gut reactions to the axe swing and crop planting rather than just report bugs. Focusing the playtest on the homestead loop instead of the whole game seems smart since those small actions are what you'll repeat thousands of times, and getting them right early matters more than showing off content. Curious whether the Earthquaker and Super Sucker are meant to replace the basic tools eventually or just speed up specific tasks.

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olgapetrov821
Oct 19

I find it intriguing how the emphasis on player feedback in the Alpha Playtest highlights a thoughtful approach to game development. It seems like a vital step to ensure the game not only functions well but truly resonates with its community. As someone who enjoys exploring new tech, I recently stumbled upon jerkoffai.tools, which discusses AI-generated content, https://jerkoffai.tools/and it made me consider how important user input is in shaping digital experiences. I'm curious to see how this feedback will influence the final version of Moonfrost, especially with the unique homestead mechanics they've introduced.

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NoraStevens
Oct 11

https://lastschriftcasino.de was in my head while reading about the survey requirement because asking players to give in-depth feedback in exchange for future playtest access feels like a fair trade rather than just farming free labor. The part about testing whether swinging an axe or planting a crop actually feels satisfying caught my attention, since those tiny interactions are usually what make or break my interest in a farming sim long before the bigger systems matter. Locking three power tools behind unlock conditions during a closed alpha is a bold move too, because it means testers get a taste of progression without seeing everything at once.

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Sep 18

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