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From charm and terror, an anime game that’s out of this world

Key Takeaways:

Good Aspects:

• Engaging Gameplay: Capturing monsters blends fun with a psychological twist.
• Intriguing Story: The dark, unfolding narrative keeps you guessing.
• Effective Audiovisuals: Charming graphics paired with eerie sounds enhance the creepy vibe.
• Decent Replayability: Expanding areas and diverse monsters encourage a few playthroughs.

Bad Aspects:

• Brief Playtime: Only about two hours to explore everything.
• Predictable Patterns: Gameplay can become repetitive after initial surprises.

Introduction

Hey horror fans! Several days ago, I was thinking about a certain anime game, Pokémon. I remembered the thrill of catching certain ones and the grind of building up their stats in a way that fits your team. It’s hard to explain but there was a unique kind of fun to catching Pokémon.

A day ago, I got to play another anime game that captures that same enjoyment, “Monster Merchant,” and it comes with an intriguing twist.

If you want to see more indie horror games with anime appeal, check out my 10 Fun & Free RPG Games Online!

This review dives into the depths of this anime game’s gameplay, storyline, and sinister undertones that set it apart in the creature collection genre of indie horror games. So, lets dive into the “Postgame Review: Anime Game – Monster Merchant.”

Overview

Released on January 23, 2025, “Monster Merchant” by SpoocleMacBoogle presents itself as an anime game that quickly entices you with its blend of simulation, adventure, creature collecting, and of course horror.

As the title suggests, we assume the role of a merchant dealing in monsters. However, this wrapped in gameplay where we capture these creatures and then ​sell them to a unknown party, spoocle.itch.io.

The initial visuals of this game are cute and dare I same innocuous. Once the story progresses, the game relies on a story that steadily gets darker as we hunt.

Not to mention the visuals we encounter that paints a whole different picture of what’s going  on.

The Story

This will be spoiler free, so all I’ll say is that you should definitely play this anime game.

Without giving too much away, the game starts off pretty cutesy, in an anime game kind of way, for the most part. We, as the Merchant go out to Area 1 to catch five monsters for our daily quota.

So, everything comes off innocently as we throw out capture cubes at the creatures. However, beneath this facade lies a darker narrative.

We become also compelled to “take our medicine” which is not taken for any random reason. I’ll just say our character’s background sheds light on why we need to take them.

This adds layers to the world around the Merchant, hinting at deeper psychological elements not only tormenting the Merchant but also distorting our perspectives on what is really going on in this world.

As the Merchant goes from Area 1 to Area 2 and the Area 3, darker implications are revealed to where not even our home is a safe haven. The more we hunt, the more we know, the worse it gets. By the end, we either choose to continue on with this uncanniness or break free.

The Gameplay

In “Monster Merchant” the gameplay blends anime game elements of creature collection with psychological horror.

As we catch each monster and place them in our holding pen, we get brief info on them until the info becomes more apparent. The mechanics are straightforward but compelling for an anime game.

To catch a monster, we aim our cursor and throw a hand-sized metallic cube at the creature. The cube acts like a Poké ball where once it makes contact, it puts the creature inside.

As the monster struggles to escape the cube, you can press a smash a button quickly to fill a bar that, once full, improves your chances catch the creature.

You are required to hunt and capture various monsters with unique attributes such as rarity and value. Additionally, there’s a progression system where you can upgrade your tools (metallic cube), your pen, and unlock new areas to explore and hunt new monsters​.

Graphics and Audio

Graphically, this anime game strikes a good balance between charming and creepy, using a 3D aesthetic that makes its environment and areas engaging and pretty lively.

The audio complements this with a subtle yet eerie soundtrack, which I believe plays a crucial role in psychological horror development. This enhances the unsettling atmosphere of the game quite well​.

Performance and Technical Aspects

Since this anime game’s release, “Monster Merchant” has seen critical updates, like the fix on January 25 for a bug that blocked progress. This shows the developer’s commitment to smooth gameplay experience​.

The only other bug I found was that you can get a bit stuck on assets for less than a second. However, this is so slight that it doesn’t impact the gameplay at all.

Length and Replayability

The game offers moderate replayability through its area expansions and different monsters to see and collect. Although it’s not the longest anime game, mine clocking around two hours collecting and exploring everything.

Yet, the elements of mystery and discovery keep you engaged for multiple playthroughs​, steamcommunity.com.

Closing Thoughts

In the end, “Monster Merchant” cleverly uses its cute anime game surface to lure us into a game rich with horror and psychological creepiness.

It’s a fresh take on the creature collection genre among indie horror anime games that doesn’t rely on jump scares but rather on an unsettling dialogue and environmental feedback.

It’s a subtle dread that grows with every monster sold. For those who enjoy indie games with a twist, this is a must-try.

So, what do you think about this game? Have you played it? Share your thoughts below, I’m genuinely curious about your take on this game.