MONOLISK

About

MONOLISK is a single player and multiplayer casual hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Trickster Arts and was released on February 4, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Monolisk is a fantasy ARPG where players clear dungeons with one of five customizable heroes, collect cards with loot, creatures and environments, then build their own dungeons for other players to explore. Monolisk is a world that was shattered into pieces and players have the opportunity to recreate it and fill it with their own stories.

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews

story6 positive mentions

gameplay7 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of dungeon building and action RPG elements, allowing players to create and explore user-generated content.
The community aspect is strong, with players able to share their creations and provide feedback, fostering a creative environment.
It's free to play with no aggressive monetization, allowing players to earn in-game currency and items through gameplay without spending money.

The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with a grind-heavy progression system that may deter long-term engagement.
Controls are clunky, especially for a PC port, and the game feels more suited for mobile devices, leading to a less satisfying experience.
User-generated content varies greatly in quality, resulting in many poorly designed levels that can detract from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
65%
19%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it mediocre and repetitive, often comparing it unfavorably to its predecessor, "Fight the Dragon." While the game offers a variety of RPG mechanics and a level editor, it suffers from poor targeting systems, confusing interfaces, and a lack of depth, leading to a shallow experience that feels more suited for mobile gaming. Despite some enjoyment in its simplistic design and creative potential, the overall mechanics and gameplay fail to provide a compelling or refined experience.
- “A lot of gear and options and the ability to craft your own dungeons; everything is free and can be obtained through gameplay.”
- “Its core gameplay is very satisfying, and shardbuilding has so many layers of creativity you can attach to it.”
- “The mechanics are not hard to master, and the possibilities are endless.”
- “The game is alright, it's nearly identical to the system of 'Fight the Dragon' from 2014, but it's much worse: poor targeting systems, terrible perspectives, dreadful art style, atrocious game mechanics design.”
- “Very cool idea, but the gameplay is where the game sucks.”
- “While I do enjoy the distinct visual presentation and atmosphere it has going on, the actual gameplay and mechanics are pretty much what I'd expect of a mobile title, and as such don't really do anything for me.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The game's story aspect is largely player-driven, relying on user-generated content and signposts for storytelling, which can lead to a diverse but often incoherent narrative experience. While players can create their own quests and campaigns, the lack of a structured story campaign and limited quest frequency detracts from the overall narrative engagement. Many players appreciate the creative freedom but feel that the storytelling tools are minimal, resulting in a less cohesive experience compared to traditional narrative-driven games.
- “Game is beautiful and totally free with a level creator that allows you to place signs with information on them so you can create a 'story' in your levels if you want.”
- “All shards (dungeons) and campaigns are made by players, so you can always find a new story or description of your actions like in tabletop D&D RPG games by reading the notice boards.”
- “There are assets like signposts which allow you to add tidbits of story to your dungeons and a campaign feature to tie your dungeons together in succession.”
- “It's currently more obscure and hard to find than Dark Souls, so all the content creators have different names and ideas, making most of the story incoherent.”
- “The levels are of wildly varying quality since they are almost entirely user-made, and there is no real story campaign to speak of.”
- “The game advertises as single player, but it's very much reliant on other players making levels for you and it does not have anything substantial to offer other than that, especially not in terms of story and gameplay.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the charming art style and polished visuals, while others criticize the poor character animations and simplistic design. Overall, many players appreciate the aesthetic appeal and the game's graphical execution, though some feel it lacks depth and innovation compared to its predecessors.
- “Clear out dungeons with beautiful (without being too in your face) graphics and music!”
- “It looked quite polished, with its charming, isometric graphical style, and was a free ARPG (a genre that I love).”
- “As for the technical part, this game has really good graphics, and a soundtrack no less.”
- “The game is alright, it's nearly identical to the system of 'Fight the Dragon' from 2014, but it's much worse: poor targeting systems, terrible perspectives, dreadful art style, atrocious game mechanics design.”
- “Simple graphics, sounds, and the animations are kind of goofy.”
- “Fun concept and art style, sadly just a mobile port.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be tedious and time-consuming, it also offers opportunities for creativity and community engagement through map-making. Some appreciate the balance between grinding and level building, while others express frustration over the slow progression and reliance on player ratings for rewards. Overall, the grind is seen as a core element that can enhance or detract from the enjoyment, depending on individual preferences.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Of course, in exchange, Monolisk gives you incredibly homogeneous user-made maps and tedious grinding for the game's remarkably few map editing components.”
- “I want to say it's a great game; I love the concept, but it has not updated in years and is very grindy.”
- “Another issue at the core of the game is that you are rewarded for map making based on the ratings other players give it upon completion... so if they don't complete a run, they can't rate your map and you get nothing... the result of this is most of the top maps are 'farming' maps and other cheese that isn't really fun.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The monetization system in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of energy systems and battle passes, while others criticize the presence of microtransactions and loot boxes that can hinder free-to-play progress. Although in-game purchases are considered affordable, many users feel that the grind required for advancement without spending money is excessive, leading to a perception of greedy monetization practices reminiscent of earlier mobile games. Overall, while some players find the monetization acceptable, others believe it detracts from the overall experience.
- “There is no energy system, no battle pass, no predatory monetization.”
- “In-game purchases are not expensive.”
- “There are some microtransactions, but they're not necessary for the game (unless you want a quick boost, of course).”
- “At first I was skeptical, especially after sensing that the game seemed designed for mobile and had the tell-tale microtransactions and loot boxes in the form of card packs.”
- “It's a good game, I started playing it on mobile, but if you want to play it truly free-to-play, you have to spend a lot of money (microtransactions), since progress requires a lot of grind otherwise.”
- “The problem lies with the monetization system - it is much akin to early Hearthstone levels of greed, back before there were 'watch & learn' dailies to get packs, and events to get packs, and brawls to get packs, etc.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the music in the game is well-received, with many users praising its quality and epic nature, enhancing the overall experience. While some players express a desire for additional content beyond just the soundtrack, the combination of beautiful graphics and a compelling musical score is frequently highlighted as a strong point of the game.
- “Clear out dungeons with beautiful (without being too in your face) graphics and music!”
- “I liked their music very much.”
- “Music is epic!”
- “I wouldn't mind so much if they had a DLC that added something other than the soundtrack. I don't want more music; sell me resources to build shards or add new enemies or treasure chests in a shard.”
- “I wouldn't mind so much if they had a DLC that added something other than the soundtrack. I don't want more music; sell me resources to build shards or add new enemies or treasure chests in a shard.”
- “Clear out dungeons with beautiful graphics and music!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users indicate that the game's replayability is quite low, with only a small fraction of content being enjoyable or worth revisiting.
- “You get about 1 in 10 that are playable, and 1 in 100 that you find to be good.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates impressive stability, performing well even on older hardware.
- “It runs great on my old machine too.”
- “The game has been incredibly stable, with no crashes or bugs during my playthrough.”
- “I've experienced smooth gameplay without any frame drops or lag.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as strange and entertaining, providing a lighthearted experience that allows players to escape from their worries. One user even expressed enthusiasm for promoting the game in a future movie, highlighting its comedic appeal.
- “It's so strange and funny that I can play it and don't have to think about other things.”
- “I'll make sure to advertise this in my next movie, Jumanji 3: The Jumanjis Return to Jumanji, where I pose as the incredibly handsome and funny protagonist.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players finding moments of humor and wholesomeness, while others express frustration with gameplay mechanics, particularly the challenging click-to-aim system.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's distinct visual presentation creates a captivating atmosphere, but some players feel that the gameplay and mechanics are typical of mobile titles, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “While I do enjoy the distinct visual presentation and atmosphere it has going on, the actual gameplay and mechanics are pretty much what I'd expect of a mobile title, and as such don't really do anything for me.”