The Monster Breeder
DISCORD SERVER
About the GameThis is a turn-based fantasy strategy game with RPG elements. The game has two main layers: the first is the monster breeding, the second is the tactical turn-based arena combat.
Main Features
- Create Monsters
- Tactical Arena Combat
- Large variety of tournaments
- Warrior training
- Forging
- Alchemy
- Base upgrading
Players can purchase eggs and juvenile creatures from local hunters. The next step is to set up a magical treatment to enhance the creatures’ strength, agility, and other attributes. Nearly all these traits can be manipulated with magic scrolls, potions, blood infusions and runestones, although overuse of magic and potions can cause severe illness, infertility, shorter lifespan, or even death.
Natural species are weak and perform poorly in the arena, but all have at least one valuable ability. There are three classes of creature available: insect, reptile and carnivora. Players can only crossbreed species within the same class, and the best offspring can then be selected for magic treatments to improve their combat performance. Only eggs and juvenile creatures can be treated. Adult monsters earn experience fighting in the arena and learn new skills when leveling up, but these skills are not inheritable.
There are multiple options for players to house their monsters in the various chambers and cellars of the Old Keep, or they can build a small hut or kennel in the courtyard and upgrade it. Depending on their temperature tolerance, some creatures can live in a flooded dungeon cellar while some others need a warm environment to remain healthy. Only healthy creatures can fight and earn money for their masters.
Combat in the arena is tough but not always deadly. Beginners can participate in non-lethal tournaments without the risk of losing a character or monster. Lethal combat pays much better, but this is a game with permadeath, so be aware!
How much risk are you willing to take? Which tournament are you going to enter? Only you decide. Players get money if they take part in a tournament, but only the winners receive the glory and extra rewards.
Warriors, archers and sorcerers can be hired to fight side-by-side with monsters in the arena. Players can personalize their training and equip them with weapons that match their skills and strength, although to be overburdened with armor comes with serious penalties in combat.
Characters earn experience in the arena and gain new skills when leveling up, and older warriors can be valuable trainers depending on their intelligence and trainer skills. Some hired characters may refuse to participate in lethal tournaments, but slaves can also be trained for combat.
Players need to hire a blacksmith and alchemist to be able to craft items like weapons, armor or potions. Every craftsman has unique skills and traits affecting their products’ quality, their rate of work, and the amount of material they use.
Various types of equipment can be purchased to enhance productivity: recipe books, alembics and extractors are all useful accessories of the alchemist’s lab, while weapon and armor molds, alloy smelters and special forges are exceedingly beneficial to the blacksmith. Apprentices can be hired to improve productivity and players can employ them as blacksmiths or alchemists when they graduate.
Players can construct or upgrade various types of buildings, allowing them to keep more monsters, incubate more eggs, create more weapons and potions, or increase storage capacity and the size of their living quarters.
Some buildings have unique features: Hatchling’s Cabin provides the possibility of using runestones and magic fields to modify juvenile creatures’ traits, while the Alchemist’s Shack and Blacksmith’s Hut provide more places to hire craftsmen and also give an efficiency bonus. The Old Keep is the default building at the beginning of the game. It has multiple chambers and cellars, all of which can be assigned to any purpose.
Steam User 4
If you enjoy creature collector's get this game. It is rough around the edges, the models are an ugly kind of cute, but it is incredibly in-depth. There are several QoL features that would be nice to have, but from the way it looks, the developer is still working on the game, so I am hopeful they get included.
Steam User 4
Review update after 'beating' the game.(or atleast the EA) Honestly? Its amazing. I am addicted to this bare bones shoddy looking genetics breeder. A game like this DOES NOT EXIST in this day and age. Atleast not to this degree. Which is a shame! I've been wanting a game like this for literal AGES! Theres been plenty of monster breeders, but none as indepth and good as this one. There are literally countless combinations for you to create even with the somewhat limited roster of monsters. Monsters gain the appearance of the gene you're trying to get. If you want a dino with spiny skin? They will have spikes on them jutting out to represent that. etc. Unfortunate that you can't crossbreed egg groups(in EA(, but thats not too much of an issue. Though it is a bit of a disappointment when Insectoids seem to have the BEST genetics but are super weak with extremely low life (unless you breed that out of them). But this game is amazing. Definitely do NOT skip out on this one if you've played and fell in love with games like Critter Forge in the past.
Something I'd like to see in the full release: a generations system to denote breeding generations (though its easy enough to do it yourself)
There also needs to be a leatherworker to make leather gear.
Damn I love this game. Just 'finished' it, even though you can continue on, and well. I made an army of regenerative fire breathing dragons. And im still playing. I want to develop them further.
The Rogue Druids quest seems nearly impossible. Which is a shame, the Staff of Fear seems really strong. But given how early the quest appears, you wont have the strongest team. And seeing as it never reappears(or I dont think it does) thats your only opportunity to get that unique weapon.(Unless its made that way as a sacrificial quest, in which case its actually genius.)
If this game plans to have any online features in the future, I would love a system to buy and sell creatures with other players, and maybe a pvp type system where you can fight others' creatures. And maybe more ways to capture creatures aside from stealing eggs.
People may look down on this game for basically encouraging slave labour, but look at it this way, we are NOT good people. We breed monsters for the specific purpose of killing people. Morality is not a factor in our deeds of utter chaos. We dont have to be the good guys in every single game we play.
Steam User 2
I play in offline mode so people don't think I'm playing something weird, but it's well worth it!
Steam User 3
this game looks very retro in some senses. very...oh early 2000s (you might not think that's retro but it was 20yrs ago) i didn't have my hopes up for it. then i tried the demo. the combat forces you to plan and think. you fudge up in a battle and die, your game is over. frustrating but oddly addicting. i wasn't mad when my first character died, was more 'well drat' because i had finally started to gain ground with some speed.
Steam User 3
Nastoligic reminds me a little of Jade Cocoon from ps1. I don't review much, but this game hits a ton of the right notes for me. A monster sim with some genetics and hardcore- often brutal consequences for failure. 20 hours in and I lost my best creature to a simple mistake. 500/10 highly recommend it and can't wait to see what's next!
Steam User 2
Buy this game for the following reasons.
1. It is turn based.
2. It has extensive customization for difficulty.
3. It his progression, via skills, money, reputation.
4. You can play sandbox style (forever) by preventing your char from aging and dying.
5. The battles are tactical with "Jagged Alliance" style attacks of opportunity.
6. You can play with only monsters, monsters and a human, almost all humans in selected battles.
7. It has event which happen monthly including satisfying Contests with huge gold payouts and or Loot.
8. It never feels like the game is cheating.
9. The graphics or "good enough" for the level of gameplay provided.
10. It has many ways to modify or influence your monster's development, magic stones, potions, scrolls.
11. It has building progression, and you can upate your locations in a huge varity of ways. (if u gotz teh gold).
12. (no political nonsense of any kind).
13. It is singleplayer no online connections required, (minus the STEAM drm of course :) ).
14. It is STILL early access (as of 01/25/24), and he listens to the community!!!!! Let me explain.
There could be others, but I hate walls of text.
Steam User 1
This really does deserve more attention