May 31 is a special day! Today, we bear witness to a Blue Moon, which refers to a second full moon appearing in the same month. This phenomenon happens once every 2–3 years, and I’m sorry to say, the moon doesn’t actually turn blue. Still, that’s why we say “once in a blue moon” for something that reliably happens, but only rarely.
This event got us thinking: which games use the moon for more than just its beauty? Plenty of titles have skyboxes that show the natural satellite in some form or another, but not all that many actually do something interesting with it. Usually, the moon exists to simply exist. However, like with all things, a few exceptions exist. Let’s cover those video game masterpieces that turn the moon into an integral part of the experience.
Rather than just list games, I’m going to divide everything into three categories: Red, Blue, and Strawberry Moons.
The Red Moon – The Cosmic Horror Manifestation Of Ruin
Bloodborne & Zelda
In gaming, crimson skies with blood moons are never just an aesthetic choice, but rather a showcase of a developer’s commitment to creating a universe defined by existential dread. Similar to the Sun, the Moon acts as a comfort blanket that humanity can rely upon for consistency. Regardless of how bad things are and might become, we can turn to the night sky and gaze at the Moon, finding some solace in the existence of tomorrow. These games strip away that safety net, turning the Moon into a representation of despair, death, and horror.
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Bloodborne’s Blood Moon Is Cosmic Horror
Arguably the most famous example of a red moon, FromSoftware’s gothic masterpiece pulls a bait-and-switch on players. For the first half of the campaign, the moon stands removed from Yharnam, bringing a touch of light and beauty to a doomed world defined by tragedy and corruption. Bloodborne takes away this one beacon of normality when players defeat Rom, the Vacuous Spider, and break the grand illusion masking reality. You, yes you, are directly responsible for this change, as the sky morphs into a broken canvas. The Blood Moon drops so low that it seems to almost touch the city.
Somehow, Yharnam goes from bad to worse after this point. The Blood Moon physically alters the environment while also driving the few remaining citizens completely mad. The fractured sky brings forth cosmic-level frenzy, and the moon’s change represents the point of no return. Now, the battle for survival becomes about taking on indifferent gods of the cosmos. The true confirmation comes in Bloodborne’s secret ending, which introduces the true architect of the Hunter’s Dream: The Moon Presence. This skeletal, multi-tentacled Great One literally descends from the blood-red sky in the game’s final moments, essentially acting as the embodiment of the moon (she isn’t literally the moon, but she controls the moon).
Fun fact: Bloodborne is my favorite game. No real point to this statement; I just wanted to mention that.
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW & TOTK’s Blood Moon Resets Hyrule’s Ruined State
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom handle their Blood Moon very differently from Bloodborne, although they share some similarities. While FromSoftware uses the transformation as a “before” and “after” point, Zelda integrates the Blood Moon directly into the gameplay loop, with its arrival signaling the revival of defeated enemies. They both significantly alter the status quo and remind players that they exist in a world filled with nightmares, and Zelda does all this while greatly expanding a playthrough’s longevity. Simultaneously, it tells you that you are not safe AND you will never be safe unless Hyrule is restored.
Majora’s Mask’s Moon Illustrates The Inescapable Horror Of Mortality
Although not always red, Majora’s Mask‘s moon turns into that color when the three-day limit runs out. Then, it plunges into Termina, bringing an end to reality and restarting Link’s loop. As it grows larger during those three days, the moon casts a wider shadow over the world, drowning it in darkness. By the final hours, it burns an apocalyptic, fiery red-orange, choking the atmosphere and shaking the earth.
The Blue Moon – Paradoxes & Subverted Realities
Portal 2 & Final Fantasy 9
Previously, we discussed the real-life meaning of a Blue Moon, and this truth seems to slightly influence its usage in game design. A blue moon represents something rare and almost logic-defying, almost like a subversion that breaks the universe’s rules. That isn’t exactly what happens in reality, but the concepts are similar enough.
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Portal 2
Leave it to Valve to completely subvert expectations of a skybox. During 99% of Portal 2, the moon is just a blip in the sky that occasionally peeks through a broken panel in the ceiling. Due to being so small and insignificant, it doesn’t feel real or, more importantly, noteworthy. However, the story quietly reveals one important fact that foreshadows the ending: the portal-causing gel uses lunar rocks. In the grand finale, this fact comes back in a big way. As the facility rips away and exposes the night sky, Chell seems to have nowhere to go… until the moon suddenly changes from a background asset into your lifeline. Using the portal gun, Chell sends Wheatley into the shadow realm (aka the Moon). In games, the skybox is never anything more than just a vista, but Portal 2 challenges that.
Final Fantasy 9
I almost went with Final Fantasy 4‘s legendary shift from fantasy to pure sci-fi executed through the reveal that the seemingly ordinary moon is actually a cosmic vessel… but the ship is literally called the Red Moon, so I just couldn’t do it.
Fortunately, Final Fantasy 9 fits this concept really well. Throughout the game, players will occasionally see two moons in the background: one large blue moon and one smaller red moon. The celestial twins aren’t brought up all that much throughout the campaign, and they just come across as fantasy set dressing. However, the lore reveals that the blue and red moons belong to different worlds, and their current twin state represents a dying civilization’s attempt to absorb another planet. The moons are a constant reminder of Gaia and Terra’s history.
The Strawberry Moon – Cozy Tides & Changing Seasons
Don’t Starve Together & Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Red Moons are Lovecraftian horrors, and blue moons are sci-fi subversions… are there any gaming moons that aren’t so extreme while still being more than just pretty furniture in the night sky? Well, yeah, technically. Certain games use their natural satellite to ground the gameplay or players, allowing them to craft a routine around it.
A strawberry moon is set to happen on June 29, and its name derives from its connection to the short season when strawberries are ripe and ready to harvest. I’m sorry to say, the moon doesn’t actually turn pink.
Don’t Starve Together: The Best Food Sources
Surviving the world of Don’t Starve Together requires players to manage their hunger. Here’s which food sources are the best.
Don’t Starve Together
OK, “cozy” is not a word I would use to describe Don’t Starve Together, but it fits this section pretty well. The multiplayer game runs on a 20-day lunar cycle, with the one-day full moon serving as the catalyst that changes the environment and world. Stuff like Gloomer’s Flower spawn, and Pig and Merm open their eyes to allow for nightmare fuel to be picked up. Werepigs automatically transform, too.
This design extends to the Lunar Island, a free DLC map literally set on a fragmented part of the moon. On this island, the game’s core “Sanity” mechanic is completely inverted into “Enlightenment.” Instead of staying calm, your character must embrace the surreal, lunar energy to craft powerful tools. Unlike BOTW and TOTK‘s Blood Moon, which just resets the world, Don’t Starve Together uses the full moon to force players to adapt and change their strategies.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Let’s end things with the coziest slice-of-life game imaginable: ACNH. Famously, Nintendo’s game syncs to the console’s clock so its days progress in real time, and this extends to the moon. Not only do your residents see the moon at the same time as you, but they also see the same moon. That’s right, ACNH perfectly replicates the state of your moon, be it full, half, or quarter. This is a really cool detail. Characters even comment on the night’s beauty at times.
You can also unlock the Moon as furniture.
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These items are seen so rarely in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that it’s quite incredible when players get their hands on them.
