Code provided with thanks to Press Engine.
Lunars – Let’s Party
Lunars is one of those party games that immediately makes you picture the setting before you even boot it up. Friends on the sofa, controllers scattered everywhere, someone laughing too hard at losing, someone insisting it “wasn’t their fault.” Whether you’re playing locally, online, or even dipping into single-player, Lunars clearly wants to be part of your next game night.
Currently launching into Early Access, Lunars already feels like it understands what makes party games tick. There’s a free demo available, which is always a great move, and after spending time with it, my early impressions are genuinely positive. It takes clear inspiration from the Mario Party formula but manages to give itself its own personality, which is easier said than done in this genre.
Getting Cuddly
Before you even roll a die, Lunars does a great job of pulling you in with its character selection. You choose from a lineup of adorable, zodiac-inspired plushie animals. Think dogs, owls, foxes and other cuddly creatures that look like they’ve escaped from a very stylish toy shelf.
Customisation is surprisingly deep here. You can tweak eye colours, throw on hats, dress your plushie in outfits, and generally give them a bit of personality before the party begins. It’s light-hearted, fun, and immediately sets the tone that this game doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is exactly what you want from a party game.
Roll the Dice
Once the game begins, things will feel very familiar to anyone who’s spent time with party board games before. Up to four players can play locally, while online play supports up to eight players, with AI bots available to fill any gaps. You can even tweak AI difficulty from very easy to very hard, which is a welcome option and not something all party games bother with.
You select from several boards, each with its own theme, from medieval to forest-inspired designs. The main goal is simple: collect green buttons, which act as Lunars’ equivalent of stars, while also grabbing coins along the way. Dice rolls determine movement around the board, and landing on different spaces can reward you, punish you, or throw items into the mix to sabotage your friends in the best possible way. Blitz mode allows everyone to roll the dice and take a turn at once, quite a nice way to just speed everything along. But if you prefer classic mode, go for that one player at a time approach.
Mini-Games Galore
After each round, it’s mini-game time. The controls are clearly explained before each game in the loading screen, and they’re generally very accessible. Most mini-games rely on simple movement, jumping, or a single action button, making them easy to pick up even for less experienced players.
There’s a great variety on show already. Jump-rope style challenges with rotating poles, goose-collecting games, navigating dark spaces filled with steam pipes, and more. They’re fast, colourful, and designed to be fun whether you’re winning or failing spectacularly. Even losing often leads to laughs, which is exactly what you want in this kind of game.
You can also choose how many rounds you want to play before starting, which is a small but important touch. Lunars can be short and sweet or stretch into a full-on game night marathon depending on the mood.
The Winner is…
At the end of a match, Lunars leans into tradition with a results ceremony that hands out awards for both good and questionable performance, but this can be switched off in the settings if preferred. It’s a fun nod to the genre and helps keep things light, even if things didn’t go your way.
What helps Lunars stand apart is its presentation and personality. The knitted plushie aesthetic, the bright colours, and the generally optimistic tone give it a unique feel. The mini-games take some creative risks, offering challenges that are engaging without being overly punishing. That said, players who are more experienced with platforming or fast reactions may naturally have an edge, and accessibility balancing is something that will likely need refining as Early Access continues.
Final Thoughts
While Lunars is clearly best enjoyed with real people, I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was even when playing solo with AI opponents. Party games don’t always get AI right, but here it feels competent enough to keep things entertaining.
As an Early Access title, Lunars already shows a lot of promise. There are some rough edges that will likely be smoothed out over time, particularly around balance and accessibility, but the foundations are strong. It understands fun, it understands presentation, and most importantly, it understands that party games are about shared moments.
If you’re looking for a new party game to keep an eye on, especially one that works both locally and online, Lunars is absolutely worth watching as it continues its Early Access journey.
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