Whether it’s A Hat In Time, The Artful Escape, or Massive Chalice, I’ve always supported a developer who puts together an indie game masterpiece. Indie games, when made for gaming passion, in my experience usually fall into two categories: revolutionary experiences or inspired interpretations.
Limbo was a completely new experience, like Five Nights at Freddy’s or Celeste; or they can take on newly established genres but throw a curveball like the Dokie Dokie Literary Club. On the other hand, you get indie games that keep their influences on their sleeves, games that you can tell which games inspired the developer.
Monster Crown: The Sin-Eater is the last one he wears JRPG and Pokémon greatly affect his arm, giving the player something familiar and comfortable. After 2021’s Monster Crown and original creator Jason Walsh passed the baton to Studio Auurm, Sin Eater looks to learn the lessons of the former and give fans something to sink their teeth into. The question is, do they do enough to stop people judging a book by its cover?
You start the game collapsed in bed, only to be woken up by your brother Dyeus, who has returned to your family after a year away. Spending his time learning to be a Monster Tamer, Dyeus assures you that he wants to overthrow the kingdom’s hierarchy and destroy Lord Taishukutem and the Four Heavenly Kings.
Monster Crown: Sin Eater
Title: Monster Crown: Sin Eater
Genres: JRPG, Adventure, Strategy
Edition: April 14, 2026
Developer: Studio Gold
Available: Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, PlayStation 5
Price: $24.99
Xbox Anywhere Play: ❌
Xbox Game Pass: ❌
After the Inquisitor visits you and arrests your brother, it’s up to you to find him, maybe become a Tamer yourself, and take down Lord Taishukutemi and the Four Heavenly Kings.
The pre-judgment I have about this game is important because looking at it at face value has me immersed in the expectation that I will be playing some kind of love letter. It’s a love letter, but I was immediately taken aback because the conversations between you and your family made me realize that I’m here for more than a simple story.
It was from there that I let go of all preconceived notions about this game and began to wonder where I was going. One thing I noticed in the 5 and a half hours I played was that the effects didn’t drive the story and the characters felt fresher than other Indie JRPGs I’ve played in the past. The writing is fantastic and intense, with some arguments that made me sit up and take notice rather than think I was playing by the numbers story.
The soundtrack by Joscha Beab is remarkable, the perfect blend of nostalgia and creativity, to stand on its own, the tunes will stay with you throughout the game and you’ll catch yourself leaving the dialogue alone as you soak in the atmosphere it creates. Same with other JRPG, for example with Nobuo Uematsu Final Fantasy series plays an important role in your musical experience, as what may seem like a generic village comes to life and requires more exploration than just another town to get through. This is especially true when you take in the gorgeous pixel art of the world.
After conquering the opening area, Windy Providence, you can move north to the central spire. This tower is a smack bang in the middle of all the provinces and allows you to travel to anyone you want. It’s your adventure, and Sin Eater lets you write your story however you want.
The battle system for Sin Eater’s is similar but evolved compared to the first game with a typical RPG menu: attack, defense, stuff. The Sin-Eater’s main battle feature this time around is the ‘Synergy Bar’: When you land high-impact attacks, or perhaps your monster can withstand an opponent’s attack, your synergy bar will fill up, allowing you to ‘crown’ an attack when it’s full enough, essentially turning it into a super version. Not only is this a great addition that can be a lifesaver when your monster is a few levels short, but it’s also a great way to build tension and excitement.
Monster taming has a special kind of appeal for players who want to catch ’em all while building the best party you can. There are nearly 200 monsters you can tame in the game world, each of which can fall into one of five types: Willful, Cruel, Malicious, Unstable, or Merciless. With the ability to fuse or breed each monster, the completists out there will groan when they know this makes for 1,000 different variations to find.
Additionally, you can take your monsters to the Breeding Warehouse to breed or fuse them. Breeding is the cheapest but slowest of the two options, allowing you to keep your monsters and the eggs they produce. Once the egg hatches after sitting in your incubating party for a while, you’ll create a level 1 monster with a mix of both parents’ attributes.
Fusion, on the other hand, is the fastest but riskiest, producing a monster at the average level of both parents, but you’ll also lose two of your monsters. I hope that if you choose to go this route, you won’t make any contact with your monsters, because not only will you lose your favorites, but you won’t be sure what the outcome will be.
Monster Crown: Sin Eater is available now Xbox Series X|S, Steam, PlayStation 5and Nintendo Switch
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