An Abandoned Island
The story begins when the player washes ashore on a quiet, overgrown island—no memory of how they arrived, just the sense that something is off-kilter. Early on, a magical cat companion appears, drawn to them. Much of the island is calm, even beautiful. But the deep forest holds something darker.
The player’s role is to restore the island—not to conquer it, but to mend it. They’ll start by gathering food and shelter, clearing invasive thorns, and rebuilding old structures. Over time, they can craft their own home, plant crops, and gently reshape the landscape.
The island has scars: haunted forest paths, restless spirits, and a few wild boar that don’t take kindly to intruders. Some cursed forms of the island’s past will rise again—but the goal isn’t to destroy them. It’s to release them.
Gatherlight is quiet, cozy, and atmospheric at its core. Farming, crafting, soft magic, weather, and healing are central themes. Conflict isn’t central and can be tuned or turned off entirely. It’s a game about caretaking, not conquest.
Moonlight Magic
The island is rather different under moonlight. The ghosts of the old growth forrest can be seen again. The cat companion has a ghostly glow. Mushrooms, jellyfish, and flowers glow mysteriously.
And the dark forrest stirs with zombies and ghosts.
Mushrooms harvested under moonlight are key to magical power and key to healing the wounded dark forrest and releasing it’s haunted colonizers.
The Ghosts of Colonizers
There’s evidence the island once had residents, but they are no longer around. And there’s evidence the island was overharvested by colonizers, many who’s bodies and souls are now trapped in the dark forrest overgrown in invasive thorns and poisoned waterways.
When defeated, the undead release their spirits, which continue to haunt. When absolved / exorcised, their spirits can pass on to their afterlife.
