- Plans for Monster Lily - 10 June 2026
Wanted to share some of the plans for Monster Lily later this year. The next major update will be Version 1.1, currently targeting Q4. The major addition is a new 8-floor branching zone that serves as an alternate path to the current Zone 2. The new route will of course feature several new monsters. Difficulty may end up leaning slightly easier in the new zone, though balance is still something I'm still looking into. If you've played arcade games like Darius or Metal Slug series, the idea is similar: neither route is the “correct” path. They're simply different ways to progress through the game. I think this is the best direction for Monster Lily because it adds replayability, rather than adding more spells and items that risk the balance of existing builds. Q4 is still quite a ways off. I'd love to release it sooner, but I don't want to overpromise. I'll share a more concrete timeline…
- Gameplay Updates - June 1, 2026 - 1 June 2026
This weekend's update gives some love to a few existing items: 2-Strike Dagger Fixes Addressed an issue where only the first attack received the critical hit bonus. If you attack a stunned or unaware monster, both strikes will now count as critical hits. This also improves synergy with Ninja Ink, since the Dagger now benefits from the critical damage bonus on both strikes. Also fixed an issue affecting bonus damage from Melon Seeds. The Dagger now scales correctly like every other weapon. At level 8, this grants roughly +3 additional damage per hit on average. Because the Dagger strikes twice, it receives double the benefit. Other Enhancements Extended Whip range from 3 -> 4. Increased Bomber Stone activation chance from 3% to 5%. Increased Ninja Ink critical damage from (3,4) to (4,6). This is a buff to stealth-focused playstyles. Added a new escape menu option to save and return to th…
- Steam Achievements Added! - 25 May 2026
Weekend update! Other than a few minor bug fixes, the main addition this week is Steam achievements. I hope folks aren't too disappointed that there weren’t any major gameplay updates this time around. I know achievements aren't everyone’s thing, but I thought they’d be a nice way to complement the game with a bit of color and artwork. None of the achievements are intricately hidden. Everything can be unlocked through normal play. For anyone who has already fully cleared the game, the "All Clear" achievement is retroactive. The other eight achievements are not retroactive, so you’ll be able to unlock them naturally as you continue playing. One added bonus for me as a developer is that achievements will help show how far players are progressing through the game. I can use this as a reference point to make future difficulty adjustments, so this information will be quite useful. More meani…
- Gameplay Updates - May 16, 2026 - 16 May 2026
It’s been over 2 weeks since launch. Thanks to everyone who has come along for the ride. It takes a leap of faith to trust a new game from a new studio, one with barely any marketing. It’s thanks to folks like you that seek out unique experiences from, well wherever it is you found out about Monster Lily! Onto the updates: • Sparkly Stone added. These behave like unidentified stones, except they are never bad! You’ll start with one, and there may be other opportunities to obtain them during a run. • Adjusted the earliest possible Forge spawn to Floor 9. Note that Forges also have a unique tactical use: cleansing the weapon you sacrifice. This allows players to load weapons with unidentified inks to identify them, then recover the inks afterward. This gives Forges more strategic value in the mid and late game. The expected number of Forges per run has not changed. • Major buff to Scorpio…
- Gameplay Updates - 10 May 2026
One week since launch, thank you everyone who has been playing Monster Lily. This weekend includes quite a few improvements based on feedback and additional playtesting. If you have been enjoying Monster Lily, Steam reviews can really help the game reach more players. They are also a great way to leave honest critique and feedback. Thanks again for all the support! Added an option to destroy staffs and charms with no charges remaining to free equip space. Credit to Via for the idea. Added descriptions for Guts and Stim status effects. More information is available when examining a buffed monster. Credit to Via here as well! Using most toys will no longer break Shadow, except for those that interact directly with the environment. Protein Golem is no longer immune to magic. It remains immune to transformations. HP increased to 330, AC reduced to 10, and it now clearly states it does not r…
- Minimap update and more - 7 May 2026
Minimap updated to show unexplored boundaries. Player visibility has been enhanced too. Thanks to Endy73 for the idea.Several (minor) refinements to level generation to create more intentional looking layouts. Large diamond-shaped rooms now appear less frequently. Sphinx’s sandstorms now dissipate sooner when she loses line-of-sight to the player (more fair).
- Day 3 patch: Goodbye Nymph! - 3 May 2026
Based on early feedback, the annoying Nymph has been replaced with a new monster that the Moons like to keep as pets. Note we won't normally be making such a large change to existing bestiary, but felt it was better to do it now rather than later to make the game more enjoyable. Some other changes 1. Egg description updated to make it more clear it never misses. 2. Japanaese language improvement to the inventory menu based on some amazing feedback I got from the lead dev of Text Dungeon: The Ring of Life (also releasing on Steam this year!) 3. Lowered Ur-Vine's HP from 60 to 50. We are also considering to go further and will be looking at this more closely this week.
- Minor day 1 patch - 3 May 2026
Improving some of the flavor messages and help text. Adjusting armor to always be at the top of the inventory list. Minor adjustment to near-death state controls.
- Monster Lily is available now! - 1 May 2026
Thanks to everyone who has supported us! There have been significant improvements since the original demo:Improved and rebalanced difficulty.New items, abilities, and mechanics.28 floors across four zones, with constantly evolving monster variety.Checkpoints every 8 floors, but a no-death run is needed to reach the final floors and true ending.A new Amos King Cut for a slightly lighter alternative to some mature content.The demo has also been updated.We hope you enjoy exploring Hanwu Divinity College!
- Monster Lily Launches May 1! - 18 April 2026
Release trailer is live.Demo will remain available after launch.28 floors across 4 zones.40+ unique monsters. New items & mechanics!Thanks to all who have given us a shot and supported us along the way! Wishlists and reviews help a lot!
- Demo Update: April 9, 2026 - 9 April 2026
A small patch for the demo, let’s get right to it! Release notes:Fixed issues with the QWERTZ keyboard layout.Petrify Staff buff: recharge time reduced from 2.5x to 2.0x normal.Sprout Staff now recharges 2x slower to balance its strong synergies with Axe/Fan-type weapons.Fix: stunning a Futa (Fox) now correctly stuns all appendages.Players can now only equip one Staff or Charm of the same type.Dim Mak attacks now deal 4x damage (up from 3x).Fixed a bug where 0 HP monsters could linger on screen when killed by damage-reflecting armor.Japanese: improved High Score display formatting.Additional bug fixes and improvements to in-game popup dialogs.Thanks everyone for your support!
- Monster Lily Status and Demo Update - 18 March 2026
Thanks again to everyone who has been playing the demo! Development on the full game is progressing smoothly, and we’re still on track for a May release. The full version is shaping up with a number of enhancements. In addition to new items and abilities, the game will feature over 40 unique monsters across 26 floors (spanning four distinct zones), along with several meaningful gameplay updates. We’ll be sharing more details on the full game and an exact release date soon. Because of the many gameplay and code changes, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep the demo up to date. As such, going forward the demo will primarily receive bug fixes. We thank folks for understanding as this will help us focus on the main game. That said, we are happy to announce several updates to the demo!Demo UpdatesAttacks on unaware monsters can no longer miss.Attacks on monsters that idolize you can…
- Japanese Language (Beta) Support Is Now Available! - 26 February 2026
Reporting in that a Japanese language mode is now available! Thank you all so much for your support!
- Message to Our Japanese Players - 9 February 2026
This message is primarily intended for our Japanese players.Thank you to everyone who has been playing and sharing feedback.
- Demo Update (Feb 8, 2026) - 9 February 2026
Wow. Thanks to everyone who’s played the demo so far!We’ve gotten a lot of thoughtful feedback on Discord and elsewhere, and it’s already helped shape a few improvements.Recent changes:Minor balance tweaks.Most notably, 3-kobold horde spawns no longer appear on level 2. They were proving more punishing than intended that early in the game.A few flavor text adjustments.Minor quality-of-life improvements.Really appreciate everyone who’s taken the time to try Monster Lily and share feedback.
- Monster Lily Demo Available Now - 2 February 2026
The Monster Lily demo is now available.8 floors, tactical action, and a little WTF.Feedback welcome.
