We Love It's Guide to…
Explore a pixel-art sanctuary as a monster keeper, hatching creatures whose skills shape turn-based battles and traversal.
Released 08 Dec 2020
Hatch Monster Eggs
Build Three-Monster Teams
Chain Tactical Combos
Monster taming meets metroidvania. Collect, train and battle monsters in a lovely side-scroller pixel world.
Developed by moi rai games · Published by Team17
As a monster keeper, you explore the Sanctuary alongside a spectral familiar. Find monster eggs, hatch and train their inhabitants, and assemble a team from more than 100 creatures.
Battles are turn-based, with teams of three monsters taking on opponents. Each creature has its own skill trees, abilities, and role; choose skills and equipment to build a team whose attacks and effects work together.
Monsters also help you navigate the side-scrolling world. Their abilities let you overcome obstacles, solve environmental puzzles, and reach new routes, encouraging you to revisit places as your collection grows. Train and evolve your monsters and adjust their builds as you progress.
Players who enjoy the game often praise its strategic team-building: monsters have distinct skill trees, and combining their abilities can make battles feel rewarding to plan and experiment with. Reviews also frequently appreciate using monsters to explore and unlock routes, along with the pixel-art presentation. Some players find the strategy demanding, and others criticize the amount of backtracking, puzzles, or lengthy battles.
Delve deep into the Metroidvania inspired world of Monster Sanctuary, explore the expansive lands and call upon your monsters to lend their aid in and out of combat! Use their unique skills to fly, ride and brute force your way through environmental puzzles and precise platforming! The world is yours to traverse as you see fit, are you ready to take on the Sanctuary?
Your quest begins with a choice of an ancient spectral familiar, a wistful monster who will guide your first steps into the sanctuary. They will be by your side as you catch your first of 111 monsters. From here it is up to you to hatch, collect, evolve and train monsters from across the Sanctuary! Each possesses unique abilities and a skill tree for you to customise as your team grows in strength.
Strategically order your attacks for maximum efficiency, stacking your attacks to deal devastating combos! Try out different team combinations and make use of synergies between your monsters. Encounter formidable foes, endurance challenges and train an unbeatable team!
Face off in a test of skill and ability in online player vs player! Gather and train monsters, max out their skill trees and take on friends and foes in an epic battle to have the last monsters standing!
Added with the latest update, you can enable and combine optional Randomizer, Bravery and Permadeath game modes, making every playthrough a fresh and different experience.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
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| Achievements | 41 |
| Age ratings |
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| Players | 1–2 |
| Play modes |
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| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | Monster Sanctuary is primarily a single-player game with online PvP battles. Official store features list Online PvP and Single-player, and the description states players can face others in online player-vs-player battles. Reviews indicate online duels can be played against friends or strangers, and that PvP includes ranked play, leaderboards, and seasons. No co-op modes are stated. |
| Multiplayer & mods | No multiplayer mod support or multiplayer-related mod features are mentioned in the provided information. Optional Randomizer, Bravery, and Permadeath modes are described as playthrough modifiers, not multiplayer mods. |
| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| Demo | View demo on Steam |
| DLC / extras | 2 listed on Steam |
| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 81/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
