Devlog #1 - April

We've been working on Monster Alchemy for over a year now, and a few weeks ago we took the step that scared us the most: releasing the open demo. Today I want to share how it went, what you told us, and where we're headed from here.

But first, for those of you just joining us: Monster Alchemy is an open-world RPG where you don't catch monsters. You create them. (If that sounds interesting to you, you can support us by adding it to your wishlist :p)

Honestly, it was a mix of relief and adrenaline. We really had no idea how the public would receive our game. After a year of development, we could finally watch real people playing what we'd built: experimenting with recipes, exploring the world, discovering monsters we'd hidden behind tricky recipes… even beating Ferrous Knuckle, that was never supposed to be beatable!

The most important takeaway was that the core loop works. Players get hooked, they experiment, and they want more. For a game built entirely around a cycle of discovery, that's exactly what we needed to confirm.

But launching a demo isn't just about showing your game, it's about listening. And you had a lot to say.

What You Told Us (And What We're Doing About It)

Exploration feels slow

This was the most repeated piece of feedback, and honestly, it makes total sense. Many players felt the character moved too slowly, or that the maps were too large for what they offered. In a game where exploring biomes is the backbone of the experience, that friction can't stay.

We're rethinking how we build our maps: smarter spaces, denser with interesting decisions, where every corner has a purpose. We're also evaluating introducing a mount system in the future, one that, beyond fixing the pacing issue, would fit naturally into the game's philosophy: every monster you craft should be useful in some way.

The UI is confusing

Several players felt overwhelmed at certain moments, not quite sure what they were looking at. In a game with 150+ craftable monsters and recipe systems, clarity isn't something we can leave to chance.

We're working on a full UI/UX overhaul, cutting visual noise and making sure any new player understands what's happening within seconds. The goal is for the system's complexity to feel like depth, not confusion.

More monsters, always

You asked for them. We're still creating. Monsters are the heart of Monster Alchemy and we're not stopping.

Optimization

We’ve also noticed that some players on lower-end hardware ran into crashes and performance issues while trying the game.

That’s something we’re taking seriously. Right now we’re working on improving overall performance across the board, with a special focus on optimizing the world and their resources so the game runs more smoothly for everyone.

What's Coming Next

We're in full production mode. Here's what we'll be working on:

• Map redesign so exploration has better flow and purpose

• More depth in the story

• UI/UX overhaul to reduce confusion and improve onboarding

• New monsters added to the crafting pool

We're currently at 60% of Early Access content complete, with 150+ monsters, 12 biomes, 8 towns, and 3 coliseums planned for launch.

To Wrap Up

We started Monster Alchemy in January 2025. Shipping the demo a year later was one of those moments you don't forget. We're three people putting everything into this project, and every wishlist, every comment, and every play session someone puts into the demo gives us energy to keep going.

If you want to follow the journey, add Monster Alchemy to your Steam wishlist and join the conversation. See you in Devlog #2.

Want to say something? Feel free to chat with us on Discord! :)

— Umbra, Team Metacarpo