GOD EATER 3
GOD EATER 3
Game
Game2020
Monster Sanctuary
Developer moi rai games
Monster Sanctuary is a 2020 Metroidvania role-playing video game developed by Moi Rai Games and published by Team17. The game combines side-scrolling exploration with monster-taming mechanics and turn-based combat. It was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on December 8, 2020, after a period of early access on Windows beginning in August 2019. The game was also available through Xbox… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
399 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
196 positive · 30 negative
95% range 82–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 196 | 30 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 53 | 3 | 81 |
| Mastodon * | 6 | 1 | 12 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 0 | 14 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
5,655 of 6,117 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
88% recommend · 184 yes, 26 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 210 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (11,597 of 12,716 positive).
Players praise the deep combat and team synergy, but note a slow start. [1][2][3] The metroidvania exploration is enjoyable, though some find it linear. [4][5][6] A few reviewers criticize level scaling and forced optimization. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
If you're looking for an approachable rpg or a fun metroidvania, this is not it. The metroidvania elements are lackluster with most situations being a simple 'lock' that you need to rub one of your monsters on as a 'key'. Exploring is punished with rising enemy levels. You will match the level average if you do every fight, but you are never allowed to outpace it for long and it approaches the cap pretty quickly …
- [1]
The early game is pretty terrible. It's not great to look at, the music is pretty mid, the monsters aren't very interesting and the level design is very bland. The dialogue is especially egregious, where every living NPC is standing there to explain exactly one concept of story or gameplay and have nothing else going for them at this point. The one thing that kept me going was seeing my starter monster's skill tree …
- [3]
Do you like Pokemon because of monster collecting? Great! But that’s where the similarities stop. As another review said, you will get frustrated if you expect Monster Sanctuary to be a Pokemon clone. This game relies HEAVILY on strategies/team synergies. If you’re new to this game, there’s a good chance you’ll end up looking for guides. And that’s ok! This is definitely more for people who enjoy strategizing and …
- [10]
Monster Sanctuary's serviceable but not flashy presentation and occasionally strange creature designs I think make a lot of people write it off without too much thought, but I can't stress this next part enough: it probably has the best gameplay of any creature collection game period. Monster Sanctuary does this in a rather simple way: it focuses on the creatures. While many games, not unreasonably, tend to share a …
- [2]
This game is for sickos. This game is for absolute freaks. Every single monster type has its own unique skill tree, which means every single time you catch a new one you're encouraged to briefly theorycraft a build for it and estimate how well that build would work in one of your current teams, or possibly decide if its strong enough to build a whole new team around using some of the other monster's you've already …
Summarised from 34 of the 352 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Monster Sanctuary sits at 87% positive across 226 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the PC version holds a score of 81/100 and the PlayStation 4 version holds a score of 83/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews," while the Nintendo Switch version holds a score of 74/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews." According to OpenCritic, 82% of critics recommended the game. The combat system drew wide praise for its strategic depth and the range of options available through monster customization. Nintendo Life described the game as accomplished but noted that battles could feel slow at times. RPGFan found that the combination of detailed pixel art, Metroidvania movement design and a deep combat system made the game stand out…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 399 · most liked firstDay 461 of posting a Daily Screenshot from the games I've been playing. Today's game is **Monster Sanctuary**. I was initially going to try and diversify The Halloween season by trying some obscure Indie Horror games, but literally all the ones i could find just didn't seem personally appealing or weren't really horror. Mostly for point 1 it was Mascot horror, which, i don't have anything against, but it's not my kind of thing usually. I did pick one Mascot Horror game called Happy's Humble…
neutral · AI labelView post →coming to Game Pass Core on March 26: -Tunic -Monster Sanctuary -Batman: Arkham Knight
neutral · AI labelView post →Haha, what if I did a guerilla stream with a new game? You guys like catchin' monsters? Me too, see ya in 5 minutes for Monster Sanctuary! #CrimzOnline www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP3i...
neutral · AI labelView post →Some fanart of manticorb from the game monster sanctuary. #monstersanctuary #fanart
neutral · AI labelView post →As I mentioned last week, each week I want to highlight a couple indie games I'm closely following. This time it's Aethermancer from moi rai games who made Monster Sanctuary. It's a monster taming game combined with a roguelite. Can learn more here: store.steampowered.com/app/2288470/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Fanart of Catzerker from the game monster sanctuary. #monstersanctuary
neutral · AI labelView post →If you're looking for an approachable rpg or a fun metroidvania, this is not it. The metroidvania elements are lackluster with most situations being a simple 'lock' that you need to rub one of your monsters on as a 'key'. Exploring is punished with rising enemy levels. You will match the level average if you do every fight, but you are never allowed to outpace it for long and it approaches the cap pretty quickly (one might argue this defeats half the point of having levels in an rpg,). As for…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm excited for the GBA rereleases but annual reminder that there are also plenty of other mongames on Switch: Digimon, Monster Rancher, Monster Hunter Stories, Dragon Quest Monsters, World of Final Fantasy, and a TON of indie mongames like Coromon, Monster Crown, Monster Sanctuary, and plenty more!
neutral · AI labelView post →Finally got around to trying Monster Sanctuary, an indie I've been eyeing for ages. It's a charming creature collecting game with light metroidvania elements and a lot of Pokemon influence. The OST and audio in general is a weak point, yet its combat is easily better than Pokemon. Fun game! ☺️
positive · AI labelView post →It's a "just ok" game. In my opinion it has a lot of potential, I even actually did 100% on it, but I don't recommend even playing it. The game is ruined by the fact that it auto-scales with your level. Almost every enemy in the game has the same level as you. Even other "trainers". Making the game a lot focused on min-maxing monster parties and a lot of the fun being drained from it because you can't just play with monsters you like, you are forced to optimize your party. I don't think…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Fanatical] Monster Sanctuary ($4.19 / 79% off). Steam Key
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't usually promote non-mutual/friends indie games... but Monster Sanctuary by @moiraigames.bsky.social is genuinely one of my favorite game ever, not sponsored. Monster-Catching, Party Building, and Metroidvania? 💜 IT'S MASSIVELY DISCOUNTED RIGHT NOW. 🤩 store.steampowered.com/app/814370/M...
positive · AI labelView post →Hatch 'em all! Monster Sanctuary, Moi-Rai/Team 17, 2019, Switch. Monster taming + Metroidvania exploration. It is heavy on combos and targeting weaknesses = challenge! I am a sucker for monster taming and rich bestiaries. The art style and soundtrack make for a great game! #RandomGameSaturday
positive · AI labelView post →[Humble] Return to Metroidvania Bundle ($5/$10/$14). **$5 for 2 games** - Monster Sanctuary - Gato Roboto **$10 for 3 games + above** - Astalon: Tears of the Earth - Islets - Shantae and the Seven Sirens **$14 for all games** - Berserk Boy - BioGun - GRIME
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to Metroidvania Humble Game Bundle: bit.ly/3RSdYUY #ad $14 for 8 games - GRIME - Berserk Boy - BioGun - Shantae and the Seven Sirens - Islets - Astalon: Tears of the Earth - Monster Sanctuary - Gato Roboto $10 and $5 tiers are also available
neutral · AI labelView post →The Abomi Nation: Monster Rifts Kickstarter goes live TOMORROW! I'll be showing off a different crossover game all 30 days of the campaign, including bangers like Monster Sanctuary, Bug Fables, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator, and many more! Battle with ANYTHING! www.kickstarter.com/projects/470...
neutral · AI labelView post →GeForce NOW Adds Game Pass Titles Like Atomic Heart, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and Snowrunner. NVIDIA shared this week's additions to the GeForce NOW cloud streaming library, including several Game Pass titles. * Chants of Sennaar (New release on Steam, Sept. 5) * SYNCED (New release on Steam, Sept. 7) * Void Crew (New release on Steam, Sept. 7) * Deceive Inc. (Steam) * A Plague Tale: Requiem (Xbox app) * Airborne Kingdom (Epic Games Store) * Atomic Heart (Xbox app) * Call of the Wild: The…
neutral · AI labelView post →Been playing Monster Sanctuary on my AYN Thor curled up in bed while it storms and its absurdly comfy and nostalgiac feeling the thor has to be my best purchase in years, can't overstate how much i love this thing it goes above and beyond my expectations, game is so comfy and fun too!!
positive · AI labelView post →Started up a new game (Monster Sanctuary) that I've seen on GamePass for a while, and there was something about it that made me feel iffy to try it out. It's actually a lot of fun. They put Dragon Quest Monsters into a metroidvania, and it's a really nice combo! Combat gets kinda complex too
positive · AI labelView post →The early game is pretty terrible. It's not great to look at, the music is pretty mid, the monsters aren't very interesting and the level design is very bland. The dialogue is especially egregious, where every living NPC is standing there to explain exactly one concept of story or gameplay and have nothing else going for them at this point. The one thing that kept me going was seeing my starter monster's skill tree and monster journal sprite, which hinted at both more gameplay depth and art…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Today's review is Monster Sanctuary. pepsimanvsjoe.blogspot.com/2026/06/2026... It's a Pokémonvania that I probably shouldn't have played. I mean, the game does practically everything right, but 25 to 30 hours for one playthrough broke me.
negative · AI labelView post →Monster Sanctuary. A superbly polished, extremely fun, and decently challenging metroidvania and monster collecting/battling game. If you played the first few Pokemon generations on gameboy and don't find the newer games capture that same magic, check out Monster Sanctuary! Pacific Drive. A station wagon building amd exploration game set in a STALKER-esque Pacific Northwest in the Olympic mountain range. Extremely original and unique game, and with an excellent soundtrack. Hardspace…
positive · AI labelView post →A metroidvania for Pokemon lovers who want a deep battle system. If you want anything else out of your metroidvania I'd look elsewhere. The game expects you to read through dozens of mons and their abilities to form a tightly compatible team otherwise you WILL get hard stuck on a boss battle in this game. Don't get too attached to your mons because this game wants you to optimize your team which probably means ditching a mon you actually want to use because it's abilities don't synergize…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My pickup from the Steam Summer Sale this year. Cassette Beasts is a very charming monster taming game with immaculate vibes and very cool mechanics. It's only natural for me to play this after 100%-ing Monster Sanctuary earlier this year. Indie developers have mastered the monster taming genre!
positive · AI labelView post →Uh oh, found a new activity for me to do on Reddit, which is telling people to play Monster Sanctuary or watching World Trigger when a random person asks for a game or anime recommendation 🤣
neutral · AI labelView post →I finally got around to playing the game Monster Sanctuary, and it’s so much fun.
positive · AI labelView post →There's also the point that game quality has gone down significantly. If I were to build a new rig which would cost me an arm and a leg, I would still just play games that my current PC can already run anyway. I don't wanna play the newest CoD-slop or some tech-demo with MTX-shop disguised as a game. The newest games I really enjoyed were Monster Sanctuary (Unity-based monster collector metroidvania-like) and Balatro (no introduction necessary). A toaster can run these.
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is for sickos. This game is for absolute freaks. Every single monster type has its own unique skill tree, which means every single time you catch a new one you're encouraged to briefly theorycraft a build for it and estimate how well that build would work in one of your current teams, or possibly decide if its strong enough to build a whole new team around using some of the other monster's you've already caught. It's a nightmare. Also I like that every monster has their own…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After Monster Sanctuary comes Aethermancer. The second game from moi rai games in Hamburg mixes monster taming with roguelite. The game allows players to take an active role in combat alongside their monsters. @moiraigames.bsky.social @offbrand.games www.gamesmarket.global/publishing/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →What a fucking fantastic game! 10/10 😮💨 #MonsterSanctuary
positive · AI labelView post →In a nutshell: tedious, excruciatingly long, dullest possible dialogues, all about the incessant monster fights. This game does not care about: - telling a compelling story (language learning apps have better dialogues) - an immersive atmosphere (the graphics is perhaps supposed to be nostalgic, the music / audio can be completely turned off and it changes nothing) - exciting exploration - interesting logic puzzles Don't get me wrong, all of these elements are there, but they make you feel…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"We were worried about how our Monster Sanctuary community would react to the change in genre"- moi rai games' community-first approach to game development with Aethermancer How @moiraigames.bsky.social are striking a balance between innovating and staying true to the community they've built.
neutral · AI labelView post →good graphic design, if you're into pixel art adjustable difficulty, no auto-fight many backtracking; teleport waypoints are too far apart. all achievements are completable in a single run I got frustrated with the backtracking and grindy leveling on my first try. After taking a long break, I finally picked this game up again and finished it. The idea of the game is simple: hatch your monsters, level them up, upgrade their gear and save the world. The story is a bit weak though still…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#PromoSky but in reverse! If you’re looking for: An Indie Monster Capture Game Fun Trading Card Game Cool & Inspired Designs Of if you love: Pokémon Digimon Yugioh Monster Hunter Cassette Beasts Monster Sanctuary Moonstone Island Spy Kids Solar Punk Dungeons & Dragons This is the place for you!
neutral · AI labelView post →I'd give it neutral if I could. The game has a lot going for it. It's unique with its mixture of pokemon and metroidvania elements. I love metroidvanias and I love pokemon, so I thought it would be a blast. The fact that each monster has its own skill tree and upgradeable gear is awesome and very unique, and I like the idea that you need to catch certain monsters to get around certain obstacles or complete certain puzzles. There seems to be a great mixture of fairly well thought out and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Never in my life have a played a game as balanced as this, maybe Slay the Spire. Genuinely every single monster in this game is viable with the right combination and setup. It's a refreshing deviation from Pokemon, where you understand some mons are straight up better than others and some are almost unusable, let alone pre evolutions which don't even become a real mon until halfway through the game. This game takes everything great about Pokemon and strips its worst aspects away, leaving a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyway, in celebration of today, I recommend everyone play Monster Sanctuary. Very good game with cute art and good music. Superior turn-based battle and team-building system with a touch of exploration gameplay in a metroidvania style 😌
positive · AI labelView post →Do you like Pokemon because of monster collecting? Great! But that’s where the similarities stop. As another review said, you will get frustrated if you expect Monster Sanctuary to be a Pokemon clone. This game relies HEAVILY on strategies/team synergies. If you’re new to this game, there’s a good chance you’ll end up looking for guides. And that’s ok! This is definitely more for people who enjoy strategizing and using bleed out, debuff, and over buffing one monster teams. Even on normal mode,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some creatures from the game Monster Sanctuary. These are a spectral wolf and blobs. The goopy monsters are very squishy too. telegram.me/licographics
neutral · AI labelView post →My kid and I have really been enjoying co-playing this game, as kind of a more flexible, enjoyable Pokemon style battler. We've made good progress! The skill trees for each monster are satisfying, and there is great variety. But also you can choose a core group of 6 flexible monsters and not have to significantly grind in order to progress the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm so happy @happywolverine.bsky.social added Monster Sanctuary soundtrack as my "x has entered the chat" notification on Twitch in his stream 🥹 Makes me want to replay this game again 😜 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg90...
positive · AI labelView post →Love this game, and highly recommend it to fans of RPGs, exploration games, and monster-collecting games. I will say, though, it can get really frustrating really quickly if you expect it to be like Pokemon. This is not the type of game where you look at a monster's element and simply counter it with an element its weak to. It's more like Yugioh: you need to understand how your monsters synergize with each other and how they can counter or undo opponent synergies while also dishing out enough…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Trying to get back into posting more on here again, so let's try to get a new thing rolling: Show me a game that you got 100% achievements in! I start with Monster Sanctuary (Steam)😊
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm not into the monster collector genre by any means, but this turn-based rpg awakened a longing in me for a more simpler, relaxing time when you could enjoy your game slowly and take in it's atmosphere. This is what I wish Pokemon games were. A journey full of heart, fantastic monsters and their epic evolutions, special attacks, items, massive secrets, charming graphics, good music and an okay story. Truly a hidden gem... something that is worth your time for sure. Songs to listen to while…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played my switch a ton this year, with some of the biggest titles being Rune Factory 5 and the Final Fantasy series (ended up playing 1 through 6). Also discovered a game I adore, Monster Sanctuary 💛
positive · AI labelView post →Appleseed's Indie Game of the Day! Day 61) Monster Sanctuary by Moi Rai Games Take Pokemon, take Metroidvania, and you get Monster Sanctuary. The monsters are so unique, the gameplay and elemental system is super neat, the landscapes are beautiful, and to top it off it's just really fun.
neutral · AI labelView post →Coming to Game Pass - ULTIMATE - 33 Immortals - Today Octopath Traveler II - 3/19 Train Sim World 5 - 3/19 Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island - 3/20 Blizzard Arcade Collection - 3/25 Atomfall - 3/27 - CORE - Batman Arkham Knight - 3/26 Monster Sanctuary - 3/26 Tunic - 3/26 (Source: Xbox Wire news post)
neutral · AI labelView post →5 favs+5 tags Game: Monster Sanctuary Anime: World Trigger Animal: 🐱 Band: Yasunori Nishiki (I don’t have a band, so a composer instead 😜) Color: 💚 If I have to tag 5 people, I’ll never get to this 😂 So, if you want to share, consider yourself tagged 😉
neutral · AI labelView post →Beat Monster Sanctuary (about to finish 100%-ing it too. At least Re finishing the Map and Dex) wow what a good fucking video game. If you even remotely like pokemon, doubly so if you enjoy metroidvania's, PLEASE check this gem out. It's on Switch, which basically made it crack.
positive · AI labelView post →Another candidate for neutral, really. Someone who wants to manage a lot of intricate stat details for a large team will find something to like here. The pixel art is excellent. The platforming is at best forgettable and at worst annoying and uninspired. Technically metroidvania, but, like, why? In pokemon, I most like finding a few creatures I really like and focusing on leveling them. I don't get any sense of that here. I spend all my time looking to see if "all my icons" (dmg types vs…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve noticed that a lot of people are more tolerant of (or welcome) repetitiveness in games more than I do. I’m a lot less grind-tolerance these days (special thanks to Monster Sanctuary), and I kinda need a consistent progression in the game, or I’ll get bored even if the gameplay loop is fun.
negative · AI labelView post →Pokémon fans are insufferable. They will bitch about Pokémon becoming worse and worse, talking about how theyd change the game entirely. But they refuse to play other Monster Collection RPGs like SMT, Cassette Beasts, Digimon Cybersleuth, Monster Sanctuary, etc. So fucking annoying.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm 🟣LIVE for Creature CollecTuesday with Monster Sanctuary!! I have never played this before but it has been highly recommended to me by the lovely @fooljuice.bsky.social so let's see what this little game is all about and get some critters~ twitch.tv/PinkiPox #VTuber #goinglive
neutral · AI labelView post →If you're looking for metroidvania and monster collection with 3x3 battles, Monster Sanctuary might be the game for you. I think the story is kind of whatever, but the monster fighting and exploration with your monsters in this game could be quite fun! store.steampowered.com/app/814370/M...
neutral · AI labelView post →Think we're gonna do some more Monster Sanctuary tonight because we're close to finishing the main game 😈. If I finish early I'll pivot to some Legend of Dragoon!
neutral · AI labelView post →@newrem.bsky.social Aethermancer has a demo on Steam, it’s the new game from the Monster Sanctuary devs! I don’t think I realized it was going to be a rogue-like/lite…but I’ll give it a go and see how it differentiates. It looks beautiful though, the pixel art is great.
neutral · AI labelView post →(PCDD) Monster Sanctuary $2.99 (DRM: Steam) via Fanatical. ow.ly/fWp150UEVjj Game Pass via Xbox. ow.ly/a02x50UEVji
neutral · AI labelView post →5 faves & 5 tags Food: Pad Kaprao Season: Spring 🌸 Drink: Boba milk tea 🧋 Colour: Green 💚 Game: Monster Sanctuary 👾 Tag yourself if you want to play 😅
neutral · AI labelView post →Everything about Monster Sanctuary feels like it was crafted with a reverence for the genres it melds into a perfect slice of indie gameplay. Every bit of this is a joy to play and it genuinely irritates me I'm only now discovering this game five years on. The Metroidvania aspects are both breezy and precise, while giving me a meaty world to explore and tons of secrets to find. If I have one complaint about the game, it's that those secrets often feel fairly inconsequential, usually hiding…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Plus, it’s better to fly under Nintendo’s radar these days considering what they’ve been doing to Pal World and others. In any case, if people look for a monster-taming game with a very enjoyable battle system and gameplay, I recommend checking out Monster Sanctuary 😁 /n
positive · AI labelView post →
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