Developers of Moonshine Inc. PC game - AMA about game design, moonshining, distillation, and the combination of both!

Submitted by klabater t3_zdyf30 in IAmA

Who Am I? Hello Reddit! We are Robert, Maja, Paul, and Maxime, part of the development team of the PC game Moonshine Inc. It was released on December 1st on Steam and GOG.

With this AMA we want to celebrate our game's launch and we want to spread the word about it! Perhaps you will love it and deep dive into it for dozens of hours :-)

About the game: Moonshine Inc. is a story-rich management game with an extensive economic layer and advanced crafting mechanics. In the game, players will learn the process of distilling high-proof spirits from scratch, build their distillery, and learn to avoid the watchful eye of the authorities while conducting a large-scale operation to sell illegal alcohol.

About the team: Robert Wesołowski - Producer,Maja Bunder - 2D Artist,Paul Muller - Game Designer,Maxime Husson - UX Designer.We are from Klabater company, an indie games publisher and developer. You can see our game catalog on our website: https://klabater.com/

Our proof: check out the photo we uploaded on our profile! Tweet: https://twitter.com/Klabater/status/1600021201920970752

THIS AMA IS LIVE-STREAMED ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@Klabater

THE GAME'S STEAM PAGE, LINKS:https://store.steampowered.com/app/1066760/Moonshine_Inc/

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bluedevil678 t1_iz3wr3t wrote

Would we consider allowing a mechanic the players can use to lower the pressure and police levels ? Seems to be a very hot topic in the Discord.

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klabater OP t1_iz3x0qu wrote

Indeed. It's a request that comes often.

We're working on two solutions:

  1. Increase the number of side missions that reward the player by lowering it
  2. Add more event-related alert level decreases
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Northlander_666 t1_iz3uc3l wrote

Looking forward to this game.

  1. How open is the game world and how much ''creative freedom'' does the player have?
  2. You mentioned the game being story-rich. Is there an endgame?
  3. Which authorities are present? What are the consequences of getting caught?
  4. Could you expand on the concept of an extensive economic layer?

Thank you kindly.

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klabater OP t1_iz3wj60 wrote

  1. In-game we have 5 different locations mountains, forest, swamps, small city and big city and the player has the ability to use them to set up production apparatuses.
  2. Based on the results of story quest (those limited in time) made by players there is posibility to reach 3 different endings of the game. Those 3 endings are related to the choices made by the player.
  3. There is only Police but in fact it is not mentioned directly, all the authorities are hidden behind the "Alert Level" system.
  4. There's a demand system which is the main pillar of the economic system. Its using quality parameters and prices of the product made by the player to confront yourself to the demand
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Northlander_666 t1_iz4137s wrote

Thank you for the information. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

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TheGoldenLion123 t1_iz3xs5w wrote

What inspired you to create this game and what made you name it that way?

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klabater OP t1_iz3y3ed wrote

Inspired by the country we are (Poland) and the tv show "Moonshiners". We had a deal with discovery but decided to move on to have more creative freedom.

Regarding the name, it's about Moonshine... So you pretty much know where you'll end up. Inc. is a reference to so many tycoon games, which is a big inspiration of us for the non-simulation part of the game.

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Reddiewitch t1_iz3yjo9 wrote

Where did you get the knowledge about the process from and how did you turn it into a game?

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klabater OP t1_iz3z39g wrote

First of all, it was based on books and forums because there's extensive knowledge of people who are still actively brewing and distilling.

Later on, we worked with a chemist from Warsaw academy who helped us create all of the advanced algorithm that were later used in the game.

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Reddiewitch t1_iz3xl4m wrote

How big is your team? Where the idea for moonshine making game came from? How long were you developing this game?

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klabater OP t1_iz3xxbw wrote

Throughout the production, we were between 12 and 15, even though that was changing based on our needs.

We are based in Poland, with extensive traditions regarding homemade alcohol (and not only vodka, but liquors and brandys as well).

We started working on cooperation with Discovery Channel, but we decided to part ways and have more freedom on the creation of the game.

We wanted to create an authentic and accurate experience, that'll be able to fullfill even the most experienced kind of players. We tried many formulas, and settled down for a tycoon/simulator which progressively became Moonshine Inc.

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fableppoq t1_iz3yn1t wrote

One more. How REALISTIC (from your perspective) is the process of creating moonshine in game? I mean. The time required, all the processess? If you could add a thing or two (even technologically impossible) what would it be?

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klabater OP t1_iz3yy5j wrote

Of course there's a compromise to be made between a realistic and entertaining experience, but we tried to be as faithful as possible, from the real life apparatuses to as-close-as-it-can-be formulas and pacing of the game (we had to cut fermentation time though for gameplay reasons).

We still haven't covered all the possibilities of real life, but we'd like to add different kind of distillation technologies like columns. Those techs were sort of designed but were never really implemented in the game.

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bluedevil678 t1_iz3zbvg wrote

What other ways can we support the development team financially other than buying the game?

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klabater OP t1_iz3zhoj wrote

You can paypal me if you want.

Joke aside, we have a "supporter pack" on steam which gives access to some cool things such as the OST and the artbook, among other things :)

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randemeyes t1_iz4gcqq wrote

Any discussion on avoiding methanol poisoning? I never hear anyone mention this, but I'd hate to hear of any accidents.

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OnAGoodDay t1_iz53rd9 wrote

There is no risk of methanol poisoning from distilling a fermented wash. Ever. No one has ever had this happen.

From what I understand the US government deliberately added methanol to moonshine to maim people and claim it was because of poor distillation technique. The reality is methanol's lower boiling point is only such for a pure solution of methanol. When in a solution of ethanol and water the methanol actually tends to bind to the water and come out more at the end of the run than the beginning, but is more or less constant throughout so it never gets concentrated. There is a great post on this in r/firewater.

Also, using methanol to denature industrial ethanol was also used as a technique before they just made it taste bad. And I'm sure people have also used it to bump up the proof of illicit spirits for more profit, just like with any illegal and unregulated drug. These would lead to poisonings for sure.

Finally, old stills sometimes used lead in their construction which got confused with the methanol myth and further entrenched it as a perceived danger.

If you mix yeast and sugar and distill it you will not go blind.

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randemeyes t1_izruohh wrote

Wow. This is all news to me. I thought it was "common knowledge" that the first cut was necessary to remove the methyl. That was a really enlightening article. I'll have to study this some more. I had never heard of the Chemists' War before.

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bluedevil678 t1_iz400if wrote

Thank you for all this information so far!

​

  1. How often do you intend on releasing patches?
  2. For how long do you intend to continue to invest in this game before making the next one?
  3. Will you be doing another AMA for when USA people are awake?
  4. Do you have a Twitch channel where users can watch and learn the advanced mechanics?
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klabater OP t1_iz40awf wrote

  1. As often as it will be needed! It's hard to give a schedule right now, but so far we're focusing and fixing breaking issues, then balancing, then quality of life and new features.
  2. It's a parallel process. Some members of the team are going to stay on the project, first to fix issues, then later on to improve it and work on future DLCs.
  3. Sure! When we have new things to show
  4. We have a discord channel if you want to know more about the game. Dev team and players are usually sharing their tips and feedbacks. Both will gladly help you if you have issues with some mechanics.
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Clean-Marshall t1_iz47w0u wrote

Did the whole team try actual, American moonshine before making the game?

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klabater OP t1_iz48t4m wrote

The core team did, but not the whole team. We're all willing to try and that's the plan for our celebration/ Christmas team gathering ;-) Certainly, the chemist Andrzej, who committed to our knowledge, tried real moonshine many times (made in Poland). And, we've talked to several moonshiners (UK, USA) who got interested in our game about their impressions, and they found many surprisingly realistic aspects of the game. We're probably going to record two or three interviews/ articles with their input, so you can follow our channels to read them one day.

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jaxpaboo t1_iz593j2 wrote

  1. How different is Poland moonshine vs USA moonshine in regards to process, ingredients, and taste?

  2. Any easter eggs?

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PureSativaBubbler t1_iz3xctb wrote

Because you're moonshine game developers, what's your drink of choice?

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klabater OP t1_iz3xmco wrote

Robert: Unfortunately, nothing alcoholic... But Piolonowka. It's a liquor with herbs (kind of like Polish jaeger).

Maja: Gin.

Paul: Red wine, something from Bordeaux.

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fableppoq t1_iz3xx6a wrote

Why did you make Moonshine Inc set in America? As you are polish game studio... Afaik polish bimber culture is stronk! So why not some slavik Witcher moonshiner bimbrownik?

Also, maybe some local dlc's with polish regions?

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klabater OP t1_iz3ya7n wrote

The reason behind it was that the project started as a cooperation with the Discovery Chanel, and therefore a lot of assets were already produced at that time, hence the U.S. setting!

We haven't considered it, but that'll be interested, especially since Poland is not an usual setting when it comes to video games.

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fableppoq t1_iz3yh48 wrote

Oh. There are so many forests and hidden... Gems in them. Reconsider it!

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Clean-Marshall t1_iz47urz wrote

Are there any plans for multiplayer?

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klabater OP t1_iz485zb wrote

Rather not, however, there were suggestions given by our Discord community and ideas of how the multiplayer could look like. Right now we focus on fixing. Afterward, we will implement some of the bright ideas for improvements and try to improve the performance. Then, we will think of any DLC, possibly a Sandbox mode, but we do not commit atm. Thank you for asking!

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SuspiciouslyElven t1_iz54s0p wrote

A recommendation written as a question: Have you seen the Ken Burns Prohibition documentary? Quite good and a wealth of info for you guys.

Actual question from someone dabbling in game design for a sim game: how are you guys handling the economic aspects? Price fluctuations, market oversaturation, etc. I'm curious if there's more logic back there than some prng. No hate if it is just prng, I just never find discussion on it for sim games.

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PureSativaBubbler t1_iz3zr32 wrote

What are the pros and cons of game dev? What do you love most about the industry and what do you hate?

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klabater OP t1_iz3zwj3 wrote

Maxime: Working as a team to create projects is fulfilling. Watching players enjoying the game is a great experience!

Maja: I love the relaxed atmosphere of our studio and game dev studios in general. I hate the constant chaos and going back and forth.

Paul: Free cd keys

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klabater OP t1_iz40mxk wrote

Thank you so much for your questions! If you will have something else to ask us, you can always find us on Discord server: https://discord.gg/WMKV9kztNV. See you there!

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Clean-Marshall t1_iz46m93 wrote

Is the game 18+?

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klabater OP t1_iz659pc wrote

Since we released the game only on PCs and digitally, we did not have to apply for an age rating. Considering the content, there is no vulgar language, no violence, not even drinking of what you produce. It's production and economy-focused. In the end, the answer would be - it's not 18+.

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Clean-Marshall t1_iz47f2d wrote

Was this game made based on Crossroads Inn code?

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klabater OP t1_iz47lkf wrote

Crossroads Inn was made on the Esenthel engine, Moonshine Inc. was made on Unity. Moonshine Inc. is not based on CINN's code.

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Kubrick_Fan t1_iz4ntj9 wrote

Can we flavour the moonshine too?

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klabater OP t1_izdlrbs wrote

Do you mean if we can taste or smell the moonshine? That's reserved for the real experience. Impossible even in VR games ;-)

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Kubrick_Fan t1_izdo1gx wrote

No, i mean like adding lemon peel etc to it in game

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Flame87 t1_iz4t1lt wrote

Is Franklin County going to be a setting? I live about 10-20 minutes north and it's the moonshine capital of the world!

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klabater OP t1_izdm6b2 wrote

The setting is not that precisely mirrored in one place so we could specify a County. During our research, we decided will focus on Appalachia. You get to build your bases in the mountains, forest, swamp, then a small and big city. It's definitely the USA, so you could think of it as Franklin County too, I guess... ;-)

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tinglep t1_iz51fgg wrote

Do you get a complimentary jar of shine with each purchase?

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Strange-Coffee-5481 t1_iz52fzh wrote

Do you expect the game to be popular?

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klabater OP t1_izdmc3o wrote

No expectations, though we're doing what we can to make it solid and known within its genre.

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MiaowaraShiro t1_iz5cvvv wrote

Is it slowly going to turn into a stock car racing game?

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PaulyKPykes t1_iz5de94 wrote

How do you make the leap from developing games solo, to working with a team for the first time?

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NinjatheClick t1_iz5scth wrote

My great grandfather was allegedly a moonshiner. He had some booby traps around his operations (like blow your legs off if you tripped a wire kind). Is this a mechanic in the game?

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yodatrust t1_iz603rj wrote

Can you make Bimber? I love Bimber!

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fandamplus t1_iz60j15 wrote

Can I make Mags Bennet's apple pie?

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IAmAModBot t1_iz66o6k wrote

For more AMAs on this topic, subscribe to r/IAmA_Gaming, and check out our other topic-specific AMA subreddits here.

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ATownStomp t1_iz6ib2i wrote

What game engine did you develop this with? Any other tools and tech that played a big part in development?

If you had to build the sequel from the ground up, would you use the same tech stack?

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klabater OP t1_izdl6ek wrote

We used Unity, which is an industry-standard and we would probably go for it again if developing a sequel.

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ReauxChambeaux t1_iz7mfcx wrote

Sounds awesome! I’m not a gamer so I’m not sure if this is a stupid question? Can I go to a website and play the game or do I need an account with a gaming system? God, I know I’m gonna get killed for my ignorance!

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klabater OP t1_izdl380 wrote

You will need to install either the Steam app or GOG to be able to purchase and play the game. Here is an example tutorial on how to install Steam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKpbJ9NygvE
Then you have to create your account, add a payment method and then you're ready to browse and buy the game on Steam. Then you will have to go to your library, add a game and activate the key you purchased. Sounds complicated, but it's not that hard! :D

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serialphreak t1_iz7okuy wrote

I can't get passed the tutorial. On the delivery portion it highlights old shack. I clicked and now the game is locked and I can't do anything. Do you have a fix for this?

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klabater OP t1_izdkhq0 wrote

Yes! Please join our Discord channel to stay updated: https://discord.gg/WMKV9kztNV! Yesterday we released a patch that should fix this issue. We apologize you experienced this bug.

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PureSativaBubbler t1_iz3y0ge wrote

You just release Moonshine Inc, few weeks earlier there was Weedcraft - is there gonna be the third part of a trilogy of illegal businesses, and why it will be Breaking Bad the Game?

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klabater OP t1_iz3ygza wrote

>it will be Breaking Bad the Game

We're not the devs of Weedcraft, only the porting team and publishing when it comes to non-pc versions. As you may know, Weedcraft was originally published by Devolver and dev by Vile Monarch.

It's quite funny to see so many references to Breaking Bad. I've never though of it once when creating the game, but seeing the "hard chemistry" part of our game, it makes perfect sense. If you can convince Vince Gilligan, we're in!

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GonzoTron t1_iz49i4k wrote

Can this teach me to make moonshine? I got drunk one night and bought everything I need off amazon. Never used it.

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jwrig t1_iz5xeod wrote

It isn't that hard, and there is a good sub here that can help. r/firewater

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klabater OP t1_izdlle7 wrote

Wow, now that's a crazy thing to do when drunk! Haha!
The game might give you an idea about the process, yes ;-) It's cheaper than a physical set and you'd learn interesting things quickly through having fun. Might encourage you to finally use your set! :D
Then, you also can get in touch with our growing community on Discord: https://discord.gg/WMKV9kztNV

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