Growing up with Pokémon, I have always had a soft spot for creature-collecting games, so Stackmon, the upcoming game from Riftpoint Entertainment, immediately caught my attention. In an already saturated genre, this indie game manages to stand out by adding a card-stacking twist. Instead of simply catching and training creatures, you are also building your camp by opening packs and combining cards to create new resources, items, and equipment.
After spending some time with an early version of the game, I can confidently say that while this build may not represent the final version of Stackmon, it has already managed to get me completely hooked.
A Simple Premise with a Deeper Mystery
Stackmon Intro Scene
The story takes place in Gaia, where you play as a new Scout travelling across different regions, defeating rival Scouts and Scout Leaders with the help of your Stackmon. However, a mysterious corruption known as the Soot is spreading across the world, and you might just be the one to uncover its secrets.
A Creature-Collecting Adventure with Plenty to Discover
Stackmon Starters
Creature-collecting games live or die by how much they make you want to catch and train what's out there. Each monster needs to feel different enough to justify adding it to your team, while levelling up and evolving them needs to give you a reason to keep investing.
Thankfully, Stackmon already shows plenty of promise here. There are over 100 Stackmon to discover, each with different types, abilities, and evolutions.
Of course, collecting creatures is only half the fun , you also need to put them to use in battle, but not in a traditional turn-based system. Your Stackmon attack automatically according to their individual speed, while you can influence the fight with abilities, food, and equipment. Elemental advantages make choosing the right creature important, encouraging you to build a varied team rather than simply relying on your strongest companion.
A Card-Stacking System That Will Keep You Hooked
Stackmon gameplay
While the creatures are probably the easiest part of Stackmon to understand, the card-stacking system is what really makes the game stand out.
If you have played Stacklands, the basic idea will be familiar. Almost everything in your camp exists as a card, and you can stack cards together to create new resources, items, buildings, and other effects.
The real dopamine hit comes from unlocking and opening new packs to acquire new cards. This creates a simple but incredibly satisfying loop:
- Gather resources
- Complete quests
- Earn rewards
- Unlock new packs
- Use your new cards to create even more
Final Thoughts
Stackmon first Scout Leader Battle
After spending some time with Stackmon, I can safely say that the game left a very positive impression on me. More often than not, games that try to combine two different genres end up leaning too heavily into one, leaving the other feeling like an afterthought , but Stackmon manages to keep both sides of its formula fun and engaging.
Since launching on August 18, 2026, many players have left their feedback and suggestions on the Steam page, and the developers have been very quick to listen. Seeing this level of proactivity and community interaction so soon after launch is encouraging and gives Stackmon plenty of potential for the future.
