Morimens: Stunning Art, Poetic Writing—A Hidden Gem for a Very Specific Kind of Player

• Game: Morimens
• Developer: B.I.A.V. Studio
• Launch: November 30, 2023 (HK/MO/SG/MY)
• Steam Release: August 2, 2024
• JP Server: March 12, 2026
• Genre: Cthulhu × Roguelite × Card-Building

In the gacha space, a game usually needs either its art or its gameplay to land squarely in the mainstream. Morimens does neither. Its art leans into dark Cthulhu-inspired gothic, and its gameplay inherits the hardcore roguelite card-battling DNA of Slay the Spire.

Since its launch at the end of 2023, the game’s reputation has settled into a strange split: fans rave about the art and story, while detractors call it a punishing, overly complex grind.

Cthulhu Looks and Poetic Prose

Morimens’ art direction stands apart from the crowd. Dark Lovecraftian tones, a muted color palette, and a Victorian-era retro texture run throughout. The character designs mix the eerie, unknowable quality of cosmic horror with the polished look of anime aesthetics.

As one player put it, the art direction is “just right.”

The writing has been described as reading like poetry, with a layered rhythm that makes the creeping dread hit hard. You play as a “Keeper,” waking up powers tied to the same source as the encroaching calamity, connecting with human weapons teetering on the edge of madness, and standing against unspeakable threats.

One thing worth noting: while every character’s voice lines—both CN and JP—are well done, the main story currently has no voice acting. For some players, that absence does take a bit away from the immersion.

Core Gameplay: Roguelite Deck-Building

The combat is turn-based card battles, building up “Frenzy” to unleash ultimate skills. The overall structure will feel familiar to Slay the Spire veterans.

• Four Realms: Chaos (high defense), Deep Sea (high attack), Flesh (burst recovery), Hyperdimensional (special mechanics)
• Main Story / Hard Content: No stamina cost—push as far as you want
• PvP Duels: Face off against other players’ formations

But this same gameplay also brings the game’s biggest point of contention: the learning curve and difficulty.

• High barrier for newcomers: The mechanics are dense, and the in-game guidance isn’t particularly thorough. Plenty of new players never get past the early friction.
• Fighting above your level is the norm: Early bosses hit hard, and clearing them often takes multiple strategy tweaks.
• Failure stings: Each stage packs a lot of encounters. One slip-up and you start over, which can wear down your patience pretty fast.

If you’re already into deck-building strategy games like Slay the Spire and have a soft spot for Lovecraftian aesthetics, Morimens might feel tailor-made for you. But if you’re mainly here for the art and don’t have much interest in hardcore card play—you might feel the grind before you ever get to soak in the cosmic horror vibes.

Gacha and Progression: Generous, but with Strings Attached

“Great rewards, punishing gacha” is a complaint you’ll see a lot in the community.

On the progression side, your player level gates pretty much everything: which upgrade systems are available, the strength of various in-stage buffs, and your squad’s base HP. Early on, with limited stamina and tight resources, it’s easy to get stuck, and character development slows down as a result. Seasoned players usually suggest taking it easy—getting walled by hard content is just part of the ride while your team is still coming together.

Latest News: Saya no Uta Collab Set for May 30

There’s one recent update worth mentioning.

On May 12, the dev team officially announced a collaboration with the cult-classic horror visual novel Saya no Uta, penned by Gen Urobuchi, kicking off on May 30. The timing lines up with the game’s 2.5th anniversary.

Saya no Uta is a well-known Lovecraftian VN, and the thematic fit with Morimens feels natural. The collab will go live on both the JP and global servers, and the team has confirmed that logging in during the event will grant the SSR collaboration character “Saya” along with some limited pull items. If you’ve been thinking about starting, this is a solid window to jump in.

So, Is Morimens for You?

It might be your next favorite if:

• You love Cthulhu aesthetics and dark gothic art styles—few games in this space look anything like it
• You enjoy Slay the Spire-style roguelite deck-building—the core gameplay has depth, and the strategic synergies are worth the effort
• You’re willing to spend time slowly learning team comps and strategies—the main story costs no stamina, so you can tinker as long as you like

It might not be a great fit if:

• Hardcore strategy card games aren’t your thing—the early learning curve is steep and can easily push people away
• You want to auto-battle through dailies without investing much time in mechanics—event stages and material nodes need repeated manual play
• You don’t enjoy constantly fighting above your level—the numerical pressure can feel pretty brutal

The game has never tried to please everyone. As one long-time player puts it: looking back at every update from launch until now, it really has been well-maintained and developed. But if you’re thinking of starting today, it does require a little thought—the character roster has grown, and so has the complexity of deck-building. Early on, figuring out which characters and strategies to go with can be a bit tough, but that feeling fades once you’ve played for a while.

It didn’t fail. It just chose the narrow gate.

All game screenshots, character designs, and related assets referenced in this article are the property of B.I.A.V. Studio. The article itself is an original work of commentary and curation. Please credit the source if reposting. For copyright concerns, contact yomiqo@126.com.