Crimson Moon

Crimson Moon — Complete Beginner's Guide

What Is Crimson Moon?

Crimson Moon is a gothic action-adventure RPG where you play as a Nephilim, a half-human half-angel hybrid forged to defend humanity. The game is set in Gildenarch, a fallen high renaissance city overrun by demons, undead, vampires, and the fabled Dead Gods. Developed by ProbablyMonsters and slated for release in September 2026 on Steam, Crimson Moon blends souls-inspired melee combat with replayable runs and two-player co-op.

The core loop is straightforward: pick a district of Gildenarch to assault, fight through hordes of hellish enemies using a mix of supernatural powers and medieval weaponry, upgrade your character between runs, and push deeper into the city until you face one of the Dead Gods. Each run is savagely replayable, with enemy compositions shifting each time.

How to Play

You start each run at a hub within the remnants of Gildenarch's safe zones. From there, you choose which district to enter — each has a different enemy faction, environmental hazard, and boss encounter waiting at the end.

Combat is deliberate and punishing. You have a light attack, heavy attack, block, parry, and dodge roll. Stamina management is critical: blocking reduces stamina, attacking consumes it, and running out leaves you exposed. The parry window is tight but rewarding — successful parries stagger most enemies and open them up for a critical strike.

Between runs, you spend currency earned from combat on permanent upgrades: increased health, stamina regeneration, new weapon techniques, and passive buffs. Some upgrades are tied to defeating specific Dead Gods, so progression is gated by boss encounters.

Two-Player Co-op: You can invite a friend at any time. Enemy health scales with player count, but so do rewards. Co-op also lets you revive each other, which is a huge safety net during boss fights.

Weapons and Abilities

Your arsenal falls into three categories:

Signature Weapons (permanent, upgradable): Each weapon type has a unique moveset. Greatswords are slow but hit hard with wide arcs. Rapiers are fast with precise thrusts. Warhammers deal massive stagger damage. Axes balance speed and power.

Supernatural Powers (cooldown-based): As a Nephilim, you draw on angelic abilities. The current known powers include a radial blast that knocks back nearby enemies, a healing burst, a temporary damage buff, and a slow-fall from heights.

Consumables (found or bought between runs): Health flasks, stamina tonics, elemental coatings for your weapon, and throwable distractions. These are one-time use per run, so use them wisely.

Districts of Gildenarch

Each district is a self-contained level with its own aesthetic, enemy types, and a Dead God boss at the end:

• The Ashen Ward: A burned-out residential quarter. Enemies are mostly lesser demons and shambling undead. The boss is a corrupted angel known as the Ashen Seraph.
• The Blood Cathedral: A massive cathedral complex where vampire covens gather. Expect tight corridors and ambush-heavy encounters. The boss is a vampire elder.
• The Iron Quarter: The industrial heart of Gildenarch, now overgrown with Hellgrowth abominations. Wide-open spaces with ranged enemies on elevated platforms.
• The Sepulcher: The ancient burial grounds beneath the city. The densest concentration of undead and the final Dead God encounter.

Controls

Combat Tips for Beginners

Don't mash attack. Each swing commits you to an animation. If you spam, you'll get hit. Attack once or twice, then dodge or block.

Learn the parry timing. Practice on the basic shambling undead in the Ashen Ward. The parry window is about 6 frames at 60fps — tight, but once you have it, most fights become manageable.

Use the environment. Many arenas have explosive barrels, crumbling pillars you can drop on enemies, or narrow choke points that limit how many enemies can reach you.

Stamina is your real health bar. Never let it drop below 20% in a fight. If you run out, you can't dodge, block, or attack. Disengage and let it recover.

Prioritize upgrades. Early on, invest in stamina regeneration and dodge distance. These two upgrades will save you more than raw health.

FAQ

Q: When will Crimson Moon be released? A: September 2026 on Steam. Wishlist now to get notified at launch.

Q: Is Crimson Moon a soulslike? A: It has souls-inspired combat elements (stamina management, parry, punish windows) but with shorter runs and more forgiving death mechanics. Each run is meant to be completed in 30–60 minutes.

Q: Can I play co-op? A: Yes. Two-player online co-op is supported. Enemy scaling adjusts dynamically with player count.

Q: What platforms? A: Windows at launch. Console releases have not been announced yet.

Q: Is there a price yet? A: Not officially confirmed, but based on similar titles expect around $19.99–$24.99.

Q: Who is developing Crimson Moon? A: ProbablyMonsters, a developer/publisher known for supporting indie action titles.