i can already tell i will want to write a longer post about it later, but i started lunarlux last night and was immediately stricken by a game design thing about it!
it uses every single incentive i can think of to get a player to explore its world, stacked up all together at the same time! we're talking large-scale overworld room sized puzzles that require knowing the entire area, write-down-a-password puzzles, sidequests, findable cosmetics, satisfying permanent stat upgrades, rewards for talking to npcs in the form of Area Affinity which gets you discounts at the stores cause people know you, fun easter eggs/jokes/shoutouts to other indie games, totally avoidable random encounters, unlockable movement speed increases-per-area, reveals that area A is connected to area B along this shortcut. all of those things at the same time!!
the result is an interaction-per-square-foot density that i've really only ever seen in (hot take alert) my favorite zelda game, minish cap, or disco elysium. if it can stick the landing with just like, an above average narrative payoff, i can see this becoming one of my favorite rpgs.