Monster Fantasy is in development at Jotoyo, with a limited-time Steam playtest set to begin September 22. The developer has stated a spring 2027 demo target and summer 2027 completion, and a Kickstarter campaign is planned.
Jotoyo's hunting life simulation Monster Fantasy has moved from an early demo to a scheduled public playtest. The game showed a playable demo at the Bilibili First Look event in Shanghai in June 2026, with four classes (Warrior, Ranger, Ronin, Mage), three monster types in the demo, and a planned roster of around 50 large monsters in the final version. The village hosts up to 10 NPCs out of several dozen types, and in-game time syncs with real time, changing monster behavior by time of day and weather.
After that first look, the studio addressed the Monster Hunter comparisons in a July FAQ. It acknowledged Monster Hunter as an inspiration while pointing to village building, life simulation, and multiplayer as points of difference. The FAQ also confirmed the game will be buy-to-play, use no AI assets, launch on PC and consoles, and run a Kickstarter campaign. A later story repeats the Monster Hunter inspiration and adds fishing, logging, mining, cooking, and crafting to the life-sim side, plus four jobs and about 100 villagers.
The most recent development is the playtest. Jotoyo will hold a limited-time test starting September 22, with sign-ups open on Steam and test contents to be detailed later. The team has also stated a spring 2027 demo plan and summer 2027 completion.
What is settled: the game's pitch as a hunting life sim, its buy-to-play model, its PC and console target, and its Kickstarter plan. What remains open: the exact playtest contents, and producer Fei Ling's stated considerations of a fifth class and romantic relationships with NPCs. Music is by Claude Ruelle, who worked on Monster Hunter Rise.
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Jotoyo will hold a limited-time playtest for its hunting life simulation Monster Fantasy starting September 22, with sign-ups open on Steam and test contents to be detailed later. The game pairs hunting actions against roughly 50 large monsters with fishing, logging, mining, cooking, and crafting, plus four jobs and about 100 villagers. The team says Monster Hunter is one inspiration.
Jotoyo published an FAQ for its in-development hunting life simulation game Monster Fantasy, responding to user comparisons with Monster Hunter. The developer acknowledged Monster Hunter as an inspiration but emphasized the game's unique blend of hunting, village building, life simulation, and multiplayer features. The game will be buy-to-play, use no AI assets, and launch on PC and consoles with a Kickstarter campaign.
Chinese studio JOTOYO showed a playable demo of its upcoming game MONSTER FANTASY at the Bilibili First Look event in Shanghai. The game combines hardcore hunting action with life simulation elements, drawing inspiration from Monster Hunter and Animal Crossing. Players choose from four classes-Warrior, Ranger, Ronin, and Mage-each with distinct mechanics. The Mage, for example, combines four elemental orbs to cast spells, while the Ronin uses an iai stance and can enter a demon mode. The demo featured three monster types, with a final version planned to include around 50. The in-game time syncs with real time, and monsters' behavior changes with time of day and weather. Players can delegate hunting and gathering to NPC villagers, who have their own daily routines and favorability systems. The village can host up to 10 NPCs out of several dozen types. The game is single-player with multiplayer features. Development began in earnest about four months before the demo, though the team spent years on preparation. Music is by Claude Ruelle, who worked on Monster Hunter Rise. The producer, Fei Ling, stated that a fifth class and romantic relationships with NPCs are under consideration.