Montabi

Montabi attempts to bridge the gap between creature-collection RPGs and the tactical depth of a roguelike deckbuilder. While many games in this space focus on a single protagonist or a lone deck, here you manage a trio of monsters, each contributing their own specific skill sets and card pools to the encounter. The release date for Montabi is August 5, 2026, and it is currently scheduled for PC.

The defining mechanic of the experience is the 3x3 grid-based combat system, which transforms traditional turn-based monster battling into a spatial puzzle. Positioning matters as much as the cards you play, as you must protect your trainer from direct harm. Much like a king in chess, your trainer is the ultimate vulnerability; if they fall, the run is over, regardless of how healthy your team remains. This shifts the priority from pure damage output toward defensive positioning and area control.

Tactical Synergy and the August 5, 2026 Release Date

Progression follows a familiar but expanded loop of evolution and gear management. With 60 distinct creatures planned for the roster, the potential for synergy is high. As your team levels up, they do not just gain stats; they evolve into new forms that introduce fresh card abilities, fundamentally changing how a specific unit interacts with your deck mid-run. This evolution system, paired with equippable charms and gadgets, suggests a high ceiling for theory-crafting and broken builds.

Whether the 3x3 grid remains strategically interesting over dozens of runs or becomes a repetitive chore is the primary question developer mankibo must answer. To break up the combat, the game includes social hubs like cafes to recover health, adding a slight life-sim texture to the roguelike structure. Fans of position-heavy tactics games and monster collectors should keep an eye on this one. Given the variety of trainers that alter your base playstyle, the best approach is to wishlist the game and wait for gameplay footage to confirm the depth of its grid interactions.