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Monster Sanctuary Review — Monster Taming Meets Metroidvania (and Its Roguelite Successor Is Here)

Read our Monster Sanctuary review: 3v3 creature-collector combat, metroidvania exploration, free Forgotten World update, PvP, buying advice, and

Monster Sanctuary Review — Monster Taming Meets Metroidvania (and Its Roguelite Successor Is Here)

Monster Sanctuary review showing turn-based monster battle gameplay

Catch, train and battle over a hundred monsters — then make them carry your map traversal, too. It's Pokémon by way of Castlevania, and it works.

Monster Sanctuary is a pixel-art RPG from German indie studio Moi Rai Games and publisher Team17, fully released in December 2020 for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It mashes the monster-catching of Pokémon with side-scrolling metroidvania exploration: every creature you tame fights in strategic 3v3 turn-based battles and unlocks new ways to move through the world. With a major free update, online PvP and a permanent spot in the bargain bin at ~$5, it's one of the easiest indie recommendations around in 2026 — and the team's next monster-taming game, Aethermancer, is already out in Early Access.

Quick verdict:

Play it if you love creature collectors, build-crafting JRPG battles, or metroidvanias with real depth. Skip it if you want a gripping story or fully voiced characters — the writing is the weakest part.

Monster Sanctuary at a glance

Game Monster Sanctuary
Developer / Publisher Moi Rai Games (Denis Sinner) / Team17
Release 8 December 2020 (Early Access from Aug 2019); day one on Xbox Game Pass
Platforms PC (Windows/Mac/Linux), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre Monster taming × metroidvania; 3v3 turn-based combat
Content 100+ monsters, ~25h campaign, post-game keepers' duels, free Forgotten World update (2022)
Players Single-player + online 1v1 PvP battles
Reception Steam Very Positive (91–93%) · OpenCritic 81 "Strong" (82%)
Successor Aethermancer — monster-taming roguelite, Steam Early Access since Sept 2025
Rating ESRB E10+

Table of contents

Premise and structure

Humans in Monster Sanctuary live in fear of the wilderness, where wild monsters roam freely; only trained Monster Keepers can safely travel between the sheltered cities. You play a rookie keeper from one of four great families, each bonded to a spectral familiar — and your first choice is which of four starting monsters will become your partner. A rising number of aggressive champion monsters suggests something is wrong in the wilds, and naturally it falls to you to find out why.

The story itself is functional rather than compelling — simple in structure and light on twists — but it gives your journey proper momentum and, more importantly, it never blocks you from wandering. You can take most areas and champions in whatever order your tames allow, which is a structural freedom most creature-collectors can't offer.

Metroidvania exploration done right

Every monster you catch is a key. Some soar you across gaps, others smash through fragile walls, glide you on currents, light darkened caves or carry you underwater. When you spot a ledge you can't reach, the answer isn't grinding — it's going somewhere new, catching something new, and coming back. The result is the most readable "ability-gating" in the genre, because the abilities walk (or fly, or slither) around with you as party members.

The biomes are distinct and generously packed: ancient woodlands, lava chambers, snow caves, an Underworld and mechanical workshops, each hiding secret rooms, rare monsters, and optional champion fights. Backtracking rewards you constantly — a new tame routinely opens three things you noticed hours earlier.

Monster Sanctuary metroidvania exploration with pixel art biomes

Each monster doubles as both party member and traversal tool — the game's smartest design decision.

3v3 combat and build depth

Combat is where Monster Sanctuary quietly becomes one of the better turn-based JRPGs on the market. Battles are 3v3 against wild monsters, champions and rival keepers, and the hook is synergy over raw power: a monster that reliably applies poison stacks, a partner that detonates those stacks, a support keeping the combo counter rolling. Get the engine humming and fights end before the enemy moves.

Each of the 100+ monsters is deeply customizable:

  • Skill trees: freeform point spending into attacks, passives, buffs and auras — re-spec freely mid-game with no penalty.
  • Equipment: weapons and accessories push a monster toward physical attack, magic, defense or support roles.
  • Catalysts and food: late-game items like the Shift system let you re-shape a creature's role entirely.
  • Ultimate abilities: unlocked at higher levels, one per battle, fight-swinging when timed right.

It's genuinely possible to start the game with a "bad" monster and beat the campaign through smart team design — flexible enough for casual players, crunchy enough for number specialists. The optional keeper duels and online PvP put those builds to the test.

The free Forgotten World update

Released June 2022 and free to all owners, the Forgotten World update is effectively an expansion: 10 new monsters, one of the biggest new areas in the game (the titular Forgotten World, a haunted village biome), new end-game champions and challenges, quality-of-life features, reworked attack animations for early monsters, and new hardcore modes including a nuzlocke-style ruleset. If you're buying in 2026, everything is included — this is the definitive, complete game.

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
Genuinely deep 3v3 synergy combat Thin, forgettable story and side characters
Best-in-genre monster-as-key exploration Platforming feels clunky early on
100+ monsters, near-infinite build variety Difficulty spikes at champion fights
Big free Forgotten World update; online PvP Skill trees can overwhelm new players
Routinely ~$5 on sale; tiny download; Deck friendly No Nintendo Switch 2/PS5 native edition (fine via BC)

What holds it back

  • The story is the weakest link — serviceable framing, low-stakes villain plot, characters you'll rarely think about afterward.
  • Early-game stiffness: jumping and ledge-landing has a deliberate, slightly clumsy weight until you unlock better traversal.
  • Champion difficulty spikes punish unprepared teams — a blessing or a wall depending on your build discipline.
  • The skill system opens so many options that some players hit choice paralysis; the game doesn't always teach you which builds work.
  • No native current-gen port — though it runs flawlessly via backward compatibility and on Steam Deck.

What's next: Aethermancer

Moi Rai's follow-up title, Aethermancer, entered Steam Early Access in September 2025 — this time blending the studio's monster-taming 3v3 combat with a roguelite structure. Runs reset, monsters return stronger after death, and procedural biomes change each attempt. After a year in Early Access it's on pace for a full release around late 2026, with a free demo on Steam. If you're buying Monster Sanctuary because you love the battle system, watch Aethermancer — it's the same combat DNA remixed for endless runs.

Buying advice for 2026

  • Price: $19.99 list on Steam and consoles — and on sale ~75% off to $4.99 every few weeks. Deluxe Edition (game + soundtrack + Monster Journal artbook) drops to ~$7.49 during the same sales.
  • Performance: a sub-1GB, pixel-art Unity game — runs on any laptop from the last decade, Steam Deck (natively great there), and all current consoles via backward compatibility.
  • Game Pass: it launched on Xbox Game Pass in 2020; check your catalog — it's cycled in and out. On sale it's owned forever for under $5 regardless.
  • Physical: a Switch physical edition exists and is routinely cheap at retail.
  • Skip "version 2.0.0.55" repack archives: builds on pirate sites lag years behind the final game and bundle unknown executables next to a save folder. The real thing costs less than a coffee.

Safe official links

Only download from official stores. The old version of this post linked an outdated MegaUp repack of the game — the current, complete version (including the free Forgotten World content) is cheap and runs everywhere.

More from IGGG

Monster Sanctuary FAQ

Is Monster Sanctuary like Pokémon?

It borrows the collecting-and-training backbone, but it plays very differently: side-scrolling metroidvania exploration, 3v3 battles with a combo counter, and no version exclusives or trading — all 100+ monsters are catchable in one save.

How long is Monster Sanctuary?

The main campaign runs about 25 hours. Add the Forgotten World endgame, optional champions and build experimentation and dedicated players easily double that.

Does Monster Sanctuary have multiplayer?

Yes — online 1v1 PvP battles where you bring a team of your tamed monsters. The campaign itself is single-player, and local co-op isn't included.

What is the Forgotten World update?

A free 2022 content update with a new area, 10 new monsters, endgame challenges and a nuzlocke-style hardcore mode. It's included automatically in every current version of the game.

Is Monster Sanctuary good on Steam Deck?

It's a near-perfect Deck game — pixel art, tiny install, controller-first controls, and snap-on/snap-off session structure.

Is the story any good?

Honest take: it's the weakest element. The world-building is pleasant and the four-family setup gives characters color, but don't expect Until Dawn-style drama. You play this for battles and exploration.

Should I play Monster Sanctuary or Aethermancer first?

Start here. Monster Sanctuary is complete, cheap and more immediately accessible; Aethermancer is still Early Access and aimed at short, harder roguelite runs. By the time you finish this one, Aethermancer's full release may be out.

Is Monster Sanctuary worth it in 2026?

Absolutely — especially at $5 during sales. It's completed all its promised content, holds over 90% positive Steam reviews years later, and is one of the genre's most replayable designs.

Final verdict

Monster Sanctuary proves the smartest indie ideas are remixes: monster catching that unlocks the map, metroidvania backtracking that feeds your team, and 3v3 battles that reward clever combos over grinding. The story won't stick with you — but the builds will. With the Forgotten World update included, PvP intact, and a rock-bottom sale price, it's the definitive version of one of the best creature-collectors on PC.

Best for: creature-collector fans, JRPG battle-system nerds, metroidvania lovers, Steam Deck players.

Skip if: you want a story-driven RPG or hand-holding difficulty.


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