Mankibo has released Montabi version 1.0.2, the second hotfix for its newly launched creature-collecting roguelike deckbuilder. The August 10 update addresses several softlocks and progression problems reported during the game’s first five days, while also opening a public testing branch for a proposed restriction on infinite card loops. The patch follows version 1.0.1, which arrived one day after Montabi’s August 6 launch.
The update is notable because it separates urgent repairs from an experimental balance change. Version 1.0.2 puts the confirmed bug fixes into the main build, but keeps the new anti-loop rule in an optional Steam beta. That lets players resume interrupted runs without automatically subjecting every build to a system whose wider effects are still being evaluated.
Version 1.0.2 targets run-ending failures
Two fixes address softlocks involving combat resolution. One could occur when a multi-hit attack defeated the final boss. Another involved the interaction among fainted units, revivals, and movement effects. Mankibo also closed an exploit that granted Montabi Mastery when players abandoned runs very early, and corrected a display problem that showed Mastery continuing beyond its maximum level.
The remaining fixes cover the Montapedia failing to mark playable units as acquired, Heating Pad equipment activating while its unit was in reserve, and an interaction between Wasteless and Temporary cards. The patch also clarifies how Ascension unlocks and adds more difficulty information during battles, including the modifiers active at higher Ascension levels. These are interface changes, but they matter for both players and the developer: a visible difficulty state makes a run easier to understand and a bug report easier to reproduce.
Infinite combos get a narrower experiment
Montabi’s public testing branch introduces a proposed Ascension 1 modifier: after a card is played, that card costs one additional action point for the rest of the turn. The developer says experienced deckbuilder players reported that infinite loops could make higher Ascension levels substantially easier. Increasing a repeatedly played card’s cost attacks that specific pattern while leaving strong, finite combinations possible.
This rule is not confirmed for the standard game. Mankibo says the branch exists to collect feedback before a broader release, and players must opt into public_testing through Montabi’s Steam properties. The test also has a known visual issue: enemy intents can remain visible during the taming phase. Anyone trying the branch should therefore treat it as a test build, preserve useful details about a failed interaction, and switch back to the default branch when reliability matters more than early access to balancing work.
Why the distinction matters for a hybrid strategy game
Montabi combines cards, creature evolution, equipment, trainer abilities, and positioning on a three-by-three battle grid. Its Steam page lists more than 60 collectible creatures and more than 30 randomized city events. Because the trainer functions like a chess king whose defeat ends the run, movement and revival behavior can affect more than damage totals. A defect in those systems can halt progression; an infinite combo, by contrast, is primarily a balance question until the team decides where powerful synergy becomes an unintended bypass.
For indie teams, the useful launch lesson is to avoid bundling every heavily discussed issue into one irreversible balance patch. Mankibo first published a five-day development update identifying softlocks, progression errors, Ascension discoverability, and loop concerns, then shipped repairs while placing the controversial rule behind an opt-in branch. That approach creates separate evidence: crash and softlock reports can validate the stable patch, while experienced players can test whether the escalating card cost curbs loops without flattening legitimate decks.
Players should update to 1.0.2 before continuing an affected run and remember that the branch is currently a Steam-specific testing route, not a confirmed change for every platform. Mankibo has not announced whether the modifier will enter the main build or how it would reach console editions. The confirmed result today is narrower and useful: several launch blockers are fixed, difficulty information is clearer, and the most consequential balance proposal remains explicitly experimental.