Pokémon and Stardew Valley are colliding in a new game that will certainly be your next obsession if you enjoy either or both of the aforementioned titles. Both these series have served as a massive inspiration for several other games that came after them – and while Nintendo’s IP is arguably the first big monster collector, Stardew Valley popularized the cozy farming genre initiated with titles like Harvest Moon. Now, the game is inspiring games of its own, like a new horror farming game on Steam that carries elements of Bloodborne, too.
One of these games, based on Stardew Valley mechanics, will also be heavily inspired by the classic entries in the Pokémon series. The upcoming RPG is already listed on Steam as a future release, allowing it to be wishlisted by fans of the project. The title cannot be played via a demo just yet, nor does it have a release date in sight, but based on the gameplay material shown so far, it seems extremely promising, even if evidently derivative of Pokémon.
The upcoming RPG on Steam in question is called Monsterpatch. The 2D pixel art game is highly reminiscent of the first few Pokémon games, both in Gen 1 and Gen 2. You’ll control a character who will collect monsters and have them grow and evolve through battles as you progress through the story and explore the world. The foundation of the gameplay and the art style look very much like older Pokémon titles, so that may draw you in.
The characters who own these MoNs are called Wizards, and each city in the game is led by a strong Archwizard, the ruler of a House – not unlike the Gym Leaders in the Pokémon franchise. These MoNs also have elemental abilities, and each one can belong to two Houses. As a Wizard, you’ll gradually unlock new spells, which will let you chop down trees, break rocks, and more. HMs, anybody?
While everything described so far points to Monsterpatch as a potential new Pokémon clone, there is more to it. You’ll also have access to farming and town-building mechanics, which will make the world around you a lot more interactive. You have free access to design the town’s layout, controlling elevation, water, dirt, paths, and more. You can also decorate, move houses around, and recruit townsfolk to help manage your town.
Instead of individual MoN battles, you’ll need to build a team of four MoNs for a fast-paced 4v4 turn-based combat system. Another cool reference to Nintendo’s IP is that, upon starting a save file, you can choose the Skyfarer Version or Aurora Version, which seems to influence the special MoN you obtain later on. Despite looking like a blatant copy from some angles, this mix between Pokémon and Stardew Valley does seem to carry its own DNA, and I’m excited to try it out.
Systems
- Developer(s)
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Sean Young
- Engine
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Unity
