Monster Sanctuary Review — Monster Taming Meets Metroidvania (and Aethermancer Carries the Torch)
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 — a hobby project by Denis Sinner that blew past its 2018 Kickstarter goal five times over and fully released on December 8, 2020 for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. It fuses the monster-catching of Pokémon with side-scrolling metroidvania exploration: every creature you tame fights in strategic 3v3 turn-based battles and doubles as a traversal key through the world. With the huge free Forgotten World update included, online PvP, a Steam Deck Verified badge and a recurring $4.99 sale price, it's one of the safest indie buys of 2026 — and the team's monster-taming roguelite Aethermancer is already a year deep 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, Germany) / Team17 |
| Release | 8 December 2020 (Steam Early Access from 28 August 2019); day one on Xbox Game Pass — cycled since, check your catalog |
| Platforms | PC (Windows/Mac/Linux), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch · 696 MB install · Steam Deck Verified |
| Genre | Monster taming × metroidvania; 3v3 turn-based combat |
| Content | 100+ monsters · ~25–30h campaign · keeper duels + endgame · free Forgotten World update (30 June 2022): biggest area, 10 monsters, level cap 42, three combinable hardcore modes |
| Players | Single-player + online 1v1 PvP · controller recommended |
| Reception | Steam Very Positive (~91% of 12,500+) · OpenCritic 81 "Strong" (82% of 28) · Metacritic 81 |
| Price 2026 | $19.99 list · recurring −75% → $4.99 (on sale right now, mid-October) · Deluxe $29.99 → $7.49 |
| Successor | Aethermancer — monster-taming roguelite in Steam Early Access since 23 Sep 2025 (publisher Offbrand); 1.0 now targeted for 2027; free demo available |
| Rating | ESRB E10+ |
Table of contents
- Premise and structure
- Metroidvania exploration done right
- 3v3 combat and build depth
- The free Forgotten World update
- What holds it back
- What's next: Aethermancer
- Buying advice for 2026
- FAQ
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 becomes 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, 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.
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 30 June 2022 — free for every owner, forever — the Forgotten World update is effectively a full expansion, and in 2026 you get all of it automatically:
- A new area, the largest in the game, gated for the late game (you reach it from the lower part of Horizon Beach once you own a late-stage traversal ability).
- Ten new monsters — five of them community-designed — including the new "Ancient" type and a super-secret Champion unlocked only after reaching Keeper Master.
- Level cap raised 40 → 42, with 78 new skills spread across the whole roster and reworked skill trees for many older monsters.
- Three new game modes, freely combinable: Randomizer (scrambled monsters and eggs), Permadeath (no revives — the nuzlocke experience), and Bravery (limited team slots for build-crafting masochists).
- Plus: 13 new items, 6 weapons, 7 accessories, two player costumes and new rooms back-filled into older areas.
If you're buying today, this is the definitive, complete game — no season pass, nothing held back.
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 |
| Free Forgotten World expansion; online PvP; 3 hardcore modes | Skill trees can overwhelm new players |
| Steam Deck Verified; ~$5 on sale; 696 MB install | No native current-gen port (runs fine via BC/back-compat) |
What holds it back
- The story is the weakest link — serviceable framing, low-stakes villain plot, characters you won't 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 which builds work.
- No native PS5/Switch 2 edition — though it runs flawlessly via backward compatibility and on Steam Deck.
What's next: Aethermancer
Moi Rai's follow-up, Aethermancer (this time published by Offbrand), entered Steam Early Access on 23 September 2025 — monster taming reconceived as a roguelite: runs reset, dead monsters grow stronger from previous lives, and the Fractured Ruins' biomes re-arrange every attempt. One year in, it already offers 2 player classes, 40 monsters plus shifted variants, 500+ abilities, 4 biomes, 4 difficulty modes and two Monster Deity bosses — and it's been raised in price from its $22 EA launch to about $26 as content stacked up.
The full 1.0 was originally guided as "about a year of Early Access," but the current plan extends that: the team and community FAQ now point to a 2027 full release with more classes, biomes, monsters and the final boss still to come. There's a free demo on Steam (note: it's a static snapshot from early 2025, not the current build). If you're buying Monster Sanctuary for its battle DNA, wishlist Aethermancer — it's the same medicine in an infinite bottle.
Buying advice for 2026
- It's on sale right now: Monster Sanctuary is sitting at its recurring $4.99 (−75%) this week on Steam and Xbox (Deluxe $7.49 through October 22 on Steam). If you missed this window, the next is rarely more than a few weeks away.
- Performance is a non-issue: a 696 MB pixel-art game that runs on any laptop from the last decade, all current consoles via backward compatibility, and natively verified on Steam Deck — controller recommended, as the devs suggest themselves.
- Game Pass: it launched day one on Xbox Game Pass in 2020 and has bumped in and out since — check the current catalog before assuming it's there.
- Physical: a Switch physical edition exists and is routinely cheap at retail.
- Skip "free download" repack versions: builds floating around pirate sites predate the Forgotten World expansion and bundle unknown executables. Older versions of this post pointed to them — removed; the real, complete game is $4.99 on sale.
Safe official links
Only download from official stores. Pirated archives of this game are abandoned, outdated builds of a game that now costs less than a coffee.
- Steam: Monster Sanctuary on Steam
- Official site: monster-sanctuary.com
- Also on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store and Nintendo eShop — search "Monster Sanctuary" on your platform's store.
- Next from the devs: Aethermancer on Steam (Early Access) · Aethermancer demo (free)
More from IGGG
Monster Sanctuary FAQ
Is Monster Sanctuary like Pokémon?
It borrows the collecting-and-training backbone, but 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 25–30 hours. Add the Forgotten World endgame, optional champions and build experimentation and dedicated players can double that — the three combinable modes make replays effectively endless.
Does Monster Sanctuary have multiplayer?
Yes — online 1v1 PvP battles with a team of your tamed monsters. The campaign itself is single-player; local co-op isn't included.
What is the Forgotten World update?
A free 2022 expansion-sized update: the game's largest new area, 10 new monsters, a raised level cap, 78 new skills, and three combinable modes (Randomizer, Permadeath, Bravery). It's included automatically in every current version.
Is Monster Sanctuary good on Steam Deck?
Yes — officially Steam Deck Verified, a tiny 696 MB install, controller-first controls, and perfect snap-on/snap-off sessions. It's one of the genre's most portable games.
Is the story any good?
Honest take: it's the weakest element. The world-building is pleasant and the four-family setup adds color, but don't expect drama or twists. You play this for battles and exploration.
Should I play Monster Sanctuary or Aethermancer first?
Start here. Monster Sanctuary is complete, cheap and more accessible; Aethermancer is still Early Access (1.0 targeted for 2027) and aimed at short, harder roguelite runs. There's also a free Aethermancer demo on Steam if you want to sample the evolution early.
Is Monster Sanctuary worth it in 2026?
Absolutely — especially at $4.99 during sales. All promised content shipped, reviews have stayed ~91% positive across years and 12,000+ verdicts, and it remains 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 package included, PvP intact, a Steam Deck Verified badge and a rock-bottom sale price, it's the definitive version of one of the best creature-collectors on PC — and its sequel-in-spirit is already shaping up nicely down the road.
Monster Sanctuary (2026 verdict): 8.5/10. The monster-taming metroidvania set the bar — five years and a free expansion later, nothing has cleared it.
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.