Montabi

Montabi looks approachable from the outside — bright, cartoon-friendly monster designs, a cast description that leans “cute” — but the moment you’re into your first run, it plays like a genuinely demanding roguelike deckbuilder. You’re not just picking cute companions; you’re threading synergies between more than 60 collectible creatures while managing a card-based combat system that punishes sloppy team-building fast.

The core loop asks you to assemble a squad from over 60 Montabi, each with a distinct card set tied to their evolutionary line. That’s a meaningful design choice: instead of one universal deck players customize, Montabi ties deckbuilding directly to which creatures you’ve recruited, which means team composition and deck construction are effectively the same decision. Evolving a Montabi doesn’t just raise its stats — it changes its available card pool entirely, opening new tactical options mid-run.

Combat plays out on a 3×3 tactical grid rather than a simple linear battler, which adds a positioning layer most creature-collector games skip entirely. Where you place each Montabi on that grid interacts directly with their abilities, turning fights into small puzzles rather than straightforward stat checks.

Trainers, the City, and the X Gang

Montabi doesn’t stop at the creatures themselves — you also select a Trainer, and this choice matters more than a cosmetic skin. Trainers bring their own playstyle into combat, whether that’s repositioning your team for better grid coverage, engaging directly in melee, or buffing your Montabi with support effects. Losing your Trainer ends the run entirely, similar to losing a king in chess, which adds a layer of risk management on top of the usual roguelike permadeath pressure around your creatures.

Outside combat, the game is structured around exploring a city under threat from the local X Gang, with more than 30 randomized events scattered across runs to keep repeat playthroughs from feeling identical. Recovery matters too — resting at a cafe between fights is the primary way to heal up, which nudges players toward pacing their aggression rather than charging through every encounter at full risk.

Since launching on August 6, 2026, Montabi has built a strong reputation quickly: it’s sitting at Very Positive across all reviews (95% of 120), with recent sentiment even higher at 98% positive over its most recent 51 reviews. That kind of consistency between launch reviews and recent reviews suggests the post-launch patches have kept pace with player feedback rather than letting early issues linger.

Where Montabi Demands the Most Thought

What beginners consistently misjudge is treating early recruits as disposable. Because each Montabi’s evolutionary line locks in its entire card pool, committing early to creatures that don’t support your intended synergy can leave a run’s deck feeling scattered by the midgame — a mistake that’s easy to make when the roster of 22 starters all look immediately appealing.

Advanced players lean heavily on the 3×3 grid’s positioning rules rather than just raw stat comparisons, since several Montabi abilities key off adjacency or specific grid zones rather than simple front-line/back-line logic. Recognizing which Montabi benefit from flanking positions versus centered ones is one of the clearer skill gaps between early runs and later, more consistent ones.

Players especially drawn to deckbuilding roguelikes will find the genre fundamentals — permadeath, run-based progression, escalating difficulty — handled competently, while players coming from the creature-collector side may need an adjustment period getting used to combat resolved through card synergy rather than direct move selection. Achievement hunters have plenty to chase too, with 22 Steam achievements ranging from collection milestones to specific tactical accomplishments.

How many Montabi are there to collect?

There are more than 60 Montabi total, built from 22 starter lines that evolve into stronger forms with expanded card pools as you level them up during a run.

What happens if my Trainer is defeated in Montabi?

The run ends immediately — your Trainer functions like the king in chess, and their defeat overrides how many Montabi you still have standing, which makes protecting them a constant strategic consideration alongside managing your creature team.

Is there a demo available before buying Montabi?

Yes — a free demo is available on Steam separately from the full $19.99 release, letting players test the core deckbuilding and grid combat loop before committing to a purchase.

Montabi’s cute exterior does a good job of hiding just how much tactical depth is packed into its 3×3 grid and 60-plus roster, and that gap between first impression and actual difficulty is a big part of why it’s carried Very Positive reviews since its August 2026 launch. Between the city’s X Gang threat and the constant temptation to just recruit one more Montabi, it’s a deckbuilder that rewards the players willing to actually think through their team synergy.