Aethermancer is a bold new entry in the roguelite genre, made by Moi Rai Games. Moi Rai Games is a small indie studio based in Germany. Their debut title, Monster Sanctuary, launched in 2020 and quickly made waves for its clever fusion of monster collecting and Metroidvania-style exploration.

Aethermancer follows this up, keeping the creature collecting and adding in roguelite elements.  It blends monster collecting, elemental strategy, and permadeath into a chaotic cocktail of tactical combat and emergent storytelling. Developed with clear inspiration from Pokémon and classic turn-based RPGs, it is not content to simply follow in their footsteps. It wants to burn the map and forge its own path. And for the most part, it succeeds.

First Impressions: A World That Pops

From the moment you boot up Aethermancer, it is clear this game has style. The art direction is vibrant and distinctive, with rich colours and a slightly surreal tone that sets it apart from the usual pixel-art fare. The world of Terastae feels alive, not just because of its visual flair, but because of how it reacts to your choices. NPCs respond to your actions, areas shift in tone depending on your progress, and the monsters you collect are not just tools. They are characters in their own right.

Every creature, from the smallest elemental critter to the towering corrupted beasts, has a unique set of animations that reflect its personality and power. Fire monsters erupt with bursts of flame, water types swirl and splash with fluid motion, and wind creatures slice through the air with sharp, kinetic flair. There's a real sense of weight and impact to each move, which makes battles feel dynamic and satisfying. 

Even status effects and aether interactions are visually distinct. Corruption creeps in with ominous pulses, shields shimmer with layered glow, and purges crackle with raw energy. It's all done with restraint and style, keeping the screen readable while still delivering flair.

Combat: Strategic Chaos

At its core, Aethermancer is a 3v3 turn-based battler. You manage a squad of monsters, each tied to specific aether elements such as fire, water, earth, and wind. The twist is that you are not just choosing moves. You are managing aether generation, elemental affinities, and synergy between your team’s abilities.

Combat is deep and at the start really punishing. Staggering enemies by focusing on a single element can cause them to miss turns and take double damage, which feels immensely satisfying when pulled off correctly. You can also interrupt foes by purging or stealing their aether, adding another layer of tactical play. But the game does not hold your hand. Mistakes are costly, and one-shot kills are a real threat, especially when corruption mechanics kick in and enemies start hitting like trucks.

There is a learning curve here, and it is steep. But once you get the hang of it, battles become thrilling puzzles rather than frustrating slogs. The game also adapts to how you play. Monsters don't just come with a fixed set of moves; they learn and adapt based on how you play. Each creature has access to a pool of potential abilities, and you choose which ones to equip depending on your strategy, elemental focus, and team composition. They can also unlock new moves completely outside their move pool if the game sees synergy there. It's an incredibly fun system, where the game being clever makes you feel clever.

Moves are tied to aether types, so if you're building a fire-heavy squad, you might lean into burn effects and stagger combos. But you can just as easily mix things up; give a fire monster a water move to cover weaknesses, or slot in a wind-based interrupt to mess with enemy turns. The system is flexible, and that's where the magic happens.

You're not locked into choices either. Each run gives you new moves, letting you tweak builds, and experiment with new combinations. It's all about synergy. Some moves work best when paired with specific allies or aether setups, while others shine in solo play or against corrupted foes. The game rewards creativity, and the more you understand the mechanics, the more powerful and unpredictable your team becomes.

Monster Mechanics: Death Is Just the Beginning

One of Aethermancer's most compelling features is how it handles monster death. Instead of fainting and being sidelined, defeated monsters are reborn. They come back stronger, weirder, and often with new abilities. It is a mechanic that turns failure into opportunity, encouraging you to take risks and experiment with your team composition.

You can also soulbond with monsters, allowing them to be available at the start of runs. Soulbonding in Aethermancer is a central mechanic that lets you carry monsters across runs, giving the game a sense of continuity and progression even within its roguelite framework. When you soulbond with a monster, it becomes part of your persistent roster. That means even if you lose it during a run, you can bring it back at the beginning in future attempts. 

Monsters can earn worthiness, a stat that boosts their base power and survivability over time. The more you use them, the stronger they become. This encourages long-term investment and gives you a reason to stick with favourites. You can also customise soulbonded monsters with specific moves and elemental affinities, making them more versatile and tailored to your playstyle. Since they persist, you can build around them and experiment with team compositions that suit your strategy.

There is a subtle emotional layer too, whenever you nickname a monster it retains that throughout your playthroughs. Losing a monster in battle still stings, but knowing they will return adds a sense of resilience. It turns your team into more than just a collection of stats; they feel like companions.

Team building is refreshingly flexible. You are encouraged to mix and match elements, even adding moves that are not native to a creature. For example, you might give a fire-earth monster a water attack, provided you can generate the right aether.

Progression and Replayability

Every run in Aethermancer feels different. Procedurally generated levels, randomised monster encounters, and varied aether builds mean you are constantly adapting. The game does not just throw new enemies at you. It forces you to rethink your strategy from the ground up.

What really elevates the progression system is the inclusion of permanent upgrades. As you play, your monsters can earn worthiness, a stat that boosts their base power and survivability across future runs. It is a clever way to reward loyalty and long-term investment, especially when paired with the soulbond mechanic. You are not just collecting monsters. You are building relationships with them.

NPCs also evolve over time. As you progress, you unlock upgrades to vendors and support characters, giving you access to stronger gear, better healing, and more strategic options. These upgrades persist between runs, adding a satisfying sense of growth and permanence in a genre that often leans heavily on reset loops.

Rough Edges: Clunky Controls and Pacing Issues

For all its strengths, Aethermancer is not without flaws. The controls feel clunky at times. Dash is mapped to Shift, F is used to void jump up ledges. You can dash between ledges, but only when right near the edge which makes navigation awkward if you get the spacing off a little and have to climb back up and try again. It does have controller support and can be played on your Steam Deck, however I did find myself unable to nickname my creatures when using it.

Combat pacing is another issue. Battles can drag, and even early areas take a surprisingly long time to clear. This is especially an issue when some mechanics aren’t explained, so a long battle can go to a TPK in one turn because of an enemy ability you might not have encountered before.

Healing and shielding mechanics are also a bit muddled. Shields can exceed max HP and reduce corruption, while healing is strong but limited in scope. The imbalance between the two systems can lead to confusion, especially when trying to build a sustainable team.

And then there is the dreaded one-shot problem. Enemies sometimes gang up on a single unit, wiping it out from full health with no chance to react. In a game with permadeath, that is a serious issue. It is not just frustrating. It undermines the strategic depth by introducing unavoidable losses.

Final Thoughts

Aethermancer is ambitious, inventive, and often brilliant. It takes familiar mechanics and twists them into something fresh, offering a roguelite experience that is as much about experimentation as it is about execution. The monster rebirth system is a stroke of genius, and the elemental combat has real depth.

But it is also a game that needs polish. The controls, pacing, and balance issues hold it back from true greatness. If the developers can smooth out those rough edges, Aethermancer could become a standout title in the roguelite space. Luckily the game is in early access, so there’s plenty of time to polish it up and address some of the balancing going forward.

As it stands, it is still well worth your time, especially if you enjoy games that challenge you to think, adapt, and embrace chaos. Just be prepared to lose a few monsters along the way. They will come back stronger. And so will you.