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Montabi Release Date Confirms August Launch For Mankibo’s Monster Taming Deckbuilder
Montabi finally has a release date, with Indonesian developer Mankibo and publisher Akupara Games confirming that the creature-collecting roguelike deckbuilder will launch on August 6.
The announcement arrived during the Southeast Asian Games Showcase, where the team debuted a new rap trailer for the game. Montabi is planned for PC as well as Xbox.
For players who have followed the project through its earlier demo, open beta, and regional showcase appearances, Montabi has always had an easy hook, but the August 6 date now gives its mix of monster taming, deckbuilding, and tactical positioning a firm place on the indie calendar.
Monster Taming Meets Roguelike Deckbuilding
The core idea is to assemble a team of monsters and turn that team into a deck-building engine. Each Montabi comes with its own deck of cards, which means team composition directly affects the player’s tactical options. Choosing a creature is not just about stats or appearance. It changes what cards are available, how turns unfold, and what synergies become possible during a run.
That gives Montabi a slightly different flavour from other monster-taming games. Instead of simply collecting creatures and levelling them through a fixed campaign structure, players are encouraged to experiment with team combinations, card interactions, and evolving strategies across repeated runs.
The 3×3 Grid Keeps Battles Tactical
Combat takes place on a 3×3 tactical grid, where positioning matters as much as the cards being played. That structure gives battles a compact but readable layer of strategy. Players need to think about where their Montabi are placed, how enemy threats are arranged, and when to push forward or protect the trainer.
The trainer system is especially important. Like a king in chess, the trainer becomes the condition that can end a run if defeated. That adds pressure to every positioning choice, especially when enemies begin forcing the player to choose between offence, defence, and preserving key pieces on the board.
Trainers Add Another Layer Of Playstyle Choice
Alongside team building, players can choose from different trainers with distinct playstyles. That should give the game more variety between runs, especially when trainer abilities are combined with different monster decks and evolving team setups.
Montabi can also evolve into stronger forms, gaining new cards as they grow. That creates a useful sense of long-term escalation within each run, as players are not only collecting and surviving, but also shaping how their team develops. Earlier looks already showed a project trying to bridge familiar creature-collecting comfort with a more tactical roguelike structure, and the full launch should give players the widest version of that idea so far.
Updated Steam Next Fest Demo Arrives In June
Before the full release, Montabi will participate in Steam Next Fest this June with an updated demo. Players can also try the current demo on Steam in the meantime. Steam Next Fest gives indie games a chance to reach players who may not have seen earlier regional showcases, and the genre mix should benefit from being playable rather than explained.
With its August 6 launch now confirmed, Montabi is no longer just one of Southeast Asia’s promising indie projects to watch. It is entering release season with a clear identity, a strong regional story, and a battle system that could appeal to players who enjoy both monster collecting and deck-building strategy.
