Montabi

A clever hybrid that clicks fast

What stood out to me first in Montabi is how quickly it ties together its three big ideas. I went in expecting a fairly standard roguelike deckbuilder, but in my time with the game it became something closer to a tactical puzzle built around creature collecting. I liked that the Montabi themselves are not just a cosmetic layer on top of card play; they are the heart of the build. That gave every run a stronger sense of identity, because I was not simply assembling a deck, I was shaping a team that had to work as a unit.

I also found the core loop easy to get hooked on. In my sessions, I kept running into those satisfying moments where a small choice suddenly paid off several turns later. I would think I had put together a decent setup, only to discover that a new synergy completely changed the rhythm of a fight. That kind of payoff is exactly what I want from this genre blend, and Montabi delivers it often enough to keep momentum high. I was regularly tempted into “one more run” territory, which says a lot about how well the game sells its premise.

What I appreciated most is that the game encourages experimentation without making me feel lost. I quickly learned that the strongest runs were not always the ones built around the flashiest options, but the ones where I understood how each creature supported the others. I found myself thinking less like someone collecting individual upgrades and more like someone building a squad with a clear game plan. That shift in mindset gave the game a distinct personality in my eyes, and it made even early runs feel purposeful.

Combat is the best part, even when the UI gets in the way

The turn-based battles are where Montabi feels most confident. I liked how the game asks me to think a few steps ahead without becoming sluggish or overly intimidating. There is a nice balance between immediate tactical decisions and longer-term planning, and I found myself constantly weighing whether to spend resources now or set up something stronger for later. That tension kept the fights engaging, especially when a run started to snowball and I had to decide whether to play safe or push for a bigger payoff.

At the same time, I ran into friction that kept the game from feeling fully polished. Readability is one of the biggest issues I noticed. In several fights, I had to pause and inspect information more carefully than I wanted to, because the interface did not always make the important details pop. I also felt that some controls and card ergonomics could be cleaner. None of this breaks the game, but it does interrupt the flow of what is otherwise a smart combat system. I could feel the good design underneath, yet I also felt the rough edges every time the screen became too busy or the game asked me to parse too much at once.

That said, I never felt the combat was shallow. Quite the opposite: I often found myself genuinely planning around enemy patterns, resource timing, and the order in which I triggered abilities. When a fight clicked, it felt like I was solving a compact tactical problem rather than just cycling through attacks. I especially enjoyed the moments when a carefully timed move created a chain reaction that carried me through the rest of the encounter. Those are the moments that made me trust the game’s design, even when the presentation around it was not as clean as I wanted.

Runs, progression, and the appeal of experimentation

Montabi works well as a roguelike because it encourages experimentation without making every failed run feel wasted. I appreciated how often the game pushed me to try a different team shape or lean into a synergy I had not fully explored yet. In my time with it, I learned that the most successful runs were rarely the ones where I simply grabbed the strongest-looking option; they were the ones where I committed to a plan and let the team’s abilities reinforce each other. That made progression feel more like discovery than grinding.

Still, I found the pacing uneven. Some runs moved at a satisfying clip, while others dragged a little too much between the interesting decisions. Difficulty also felt inconsistent to me: there were stretches where I breezed through encounters, followed by spikes that felt more abrupt than strategic. I do not mind a game that keeps me on my toes, but I do want the challenge to feel readable, and Montabi does not always manage that. When the balance is right, the structure is addictive; when it is off, the game can feel a bit loose around the edges.

I also noticed that the game’s strongest hook is its willingness to keep me chasing new combinations. Even when a run did not go my way, I usually came away with a better understanding of how a creature or ability could fit into a future build. That made failure feel productive rather than punishing. I found that especially important here, because the game’s best moments come from seeing a plan come together over time rather than from any single explosive turn. The more I played, the more I wanted to test another idea, and that is a very good sign for this kind of design.

Presentation and personality

The creature designs do a lot of work here. I liked spending time with the Montabi because they give the game a warmer, more approachable tone than many other strategy-heavy roguelikes. That said, I came away wishing the world, story, and cast had a stronger sense of personality. The presentation is pleasant and functional, but it rarely pushed itself into memorable territory. I enjoyed the atmosphere, yet I would not call it the game’s main draw.

On a handheld-style play session, Montabi makes sense. The run structure fits short bursts well, and I found it easy to pick up for a few battles at a time. That said, the same format also makes the UI issues more noticeable, because I was constantly interacting with menus and reading combat states in a smaller, more focused context. The concept is strong enough that I kept coming back, but I also kept wishing the presentation had been tightened to match the quality of the underlying systems.

What I missed most was a stronger sense of flavor outside the battles. I liked the creatures, but I wanted the city, the story beats, and the supporting cast to leave a deeper impression on me. As it stands, the game’s charm comes mostly from the mechanics and the creature concept rather than from a particularly memorable world. That is enough to make the experience enjoyable, but it also keeps Montabi from feeling fully distinctive in every area.

Conclusion

Montabi is a good idea with a solid tactical foundation, and I had enough fun with it to keep chasing new team combinations. I liked the combat, I liked the synergy-driven progression, and I liked how easily it pulled me into another run. But I also felt the pacing, readability, and interface could have used more refinement. It is a worthwhile roguelike deckbuilder with a distinct hook, just not a fully polished one.

For me, the game succeeds because its core loop is genuinely compelling. I kept returning to it because I wanted to see what another team could do, how another synergy might change a fight, and whether a different approach would finally unlock a cleaner run. That curiosity is the game’s biggest strength. If Montabi ever gets a sequel or a major expansion, I would want it to preserve that tactical spark while smoothing out the presentation and pacing issues that occasionally hold it back.