Monster taming and creature collecting are some of the most popular genres in games. Given the breakout success of Palworld, the genre extends far beyond the turn-based fighting mechanics of time past. It is far more expansive than many realize. Here is our list of the best creature-collecting games other than Pokémon.
Cassette Beasts
| Initial Release | April 26, 2023 |
| Developer | Bytten Studio |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Linux – Nintendo Switch – Xbox Series X|S – Xbox One |
Cassette Beasts is a role-playing game that shares similarities with the Pokémon series but also introduces unique mechanics and features. Players explore a diverse world filled with creatures known as “Cassettes” that they can capture, train, and battle. These Cassettes possess a variety of abilities and elemental affinities, offering strategic depth in battles.
What sets Cassette Beasts apart is the concept of “fusion.” Players can combine two captured Cassettes to create a new hybrid creature with its own unique abilities and appearance. This mechanic adds an innovative layer of customization and experimentation.
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy
| Initial Release | March 20, 2019 |
| Developer | h.a.n.d. |
| Platform(s) | – Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 |
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is a dungeon-crawling role-playing game set in the Final Fantasy universe, where players command Chocobo as they explore randomly generated dungeons, battle monsters, and uncover treasures.
The player Chocobo can be joined by various characters known as “buddies.” These buddies assist in battles and exploration, adding depth to the gameplay. The focus is on the dynamic duo of Chocobo and their buddy, fostering a more intimate and cooperative relationship between characters.
Of course, it is clearly inspired by the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, one of the most popular spin-offs of the gotta-catch-em-all franchise.
Coromon
| Initial Release | March 31, 2022 |
| Developer | TRAGsoft |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Nintendo Switch – Android – iOS |
Similar to Pokémon, Coromon features turn-based battles where players strategically choose moves and utilize elemental strengths and weaknesses to gain an advantage. However, Coromon introduces a grid-based battle system, adding an extra layer of strategy as players maneuver their monsters around the battlefield.
In addition, Coromon includes a deep and customizable skill tree system. Players can personalize their Coromon’s abilities and attributes as they level up, allowing for a more tailored and strategic approach to battles. This adds a level of depth and complexity not typically found in traditional Pokémon games.
Coromon also boasts stunning pixel art graphics and a dynamic soundtrack that immerses players in its colorful world.
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition
| Initial Release | October 18, 2019 |
| Developer | Media.Vision |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Nintendo Switch |
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition delves into themes of technology, mystery, and the digital world, offering a more mature narrative compared to some Pokémon games. While it incorporates elements of traditional Japanese role-playing games like strategic turn-based battles, the game offers complex character customization options and branching storylines.
With players assuming the role of a detective uncovering secrets in a digital realm, the most notable difference between Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth and Pokémon is the emphasis on narrative-driven gameplay and character development over exploration and battling.
Digimon World: Next Order
| Initial Release | March 17, 2016 |
| Developer | B.B. Studio |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 – PlayStation Vita |
In Digimon World: Next Order, players raise two Digimon partners simultaneously, nurturing their growth, training them in various skills, and forming bonds with them. The gameplay revolves around managing the needs of these Digimon companions, such as feeding them, training them, and keeping them healthy and happy.
Unlike traditional Pokémon games, which focus more on turn-based battles, Digimon World: Next Order features real-time combat where players issue commands to their Digimon partners while engaging in battles against wild Digimon and other adversaries. The outcome of battles depends on factors such as the Digimon’s attributes, skills, and the player’s strategic decisions.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
| Initial Release | December 1, 2023 |
| Developer | Tose |
| Platform(s) | – Nintendo Switch |
Outside of the art style and narrative themes found in its parent series, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has a distinct focus on breeding and synthesizing monsters. Players can breed their monsters to create new offspring with unique abilities and characteristics, allowing for a high degree of customization and strategy in team-building.
However, most of the gameplay featured in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is near-identical to Pokémon. Players traverse various environments, encountering wild monsters that they can recruit by defeating them in battle or through other means. They then raise these monsters, leveling them up, teaching them new skills, and evolving them into more powerful forms.
Monster Crown
| Initial Release | October 12, 2021 |
| Developer | Studio Aurum |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Linux – macOS – Nintendo Switch – Xbox One – PlayStation 4 |
Monster Crown is a creature-collecting game with a retro aesthetic that gives off massive Earthbound vibes thanks to its overhead view. It boasts over 1,000 monsters to collect and train, with a comparable battle system to Pokémon, including online multiplayer support.
Monster Hunter Stories/Stories 2
| Initial Release | July 9, 2021 |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Platform(s) | – PC – PlayStation 4 – Nintendo Switch |
Unlike the mainline Monster Hunter games, which focus on hunting and defeating monsters, Monster Hunter Stories 2 offers a more narrative-driven experience with turn-based battles and creature-collecting mechanics.
A key difference between Monster Hunter Stories 2 and Pokémon is the combat system. While Pokémon features traditional turn-based battles, Monster Hunter Stories 2 introduces a tactical turn-based combat system where players strategically choose attack types and target specific body parts of monsters to exploit their weaknesses.
Additionally, Monster Hunter Stories 2 emphasizes the concept of “gene manipulation,” allowing players to customize their Monsties’ abilities and attributes by inheriting genes from other monsters. This mechanic adds a layer of depth and customization to team-building, similar to Pokémon’s breeding and training mechanics.
Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX
| Initial Release | July 9, 2021 |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Platform(s) | – PC – PlayStation 4 – Nintendo Switch |
In Monster Rancher 1 & 2, players take on the role of a monster breeder tasked with raising and training monsters to compete in battles, tournaments, and other challenges. The unique feature of the Monster Rancher series is the ability to generate monsters by inputting specific codes or using CDs, unlocking a wide variety of creatures to raise.
A core gameplay element includes managing a ranch, scheduling training routines, and maintaining the health and happiness of monsters.
Monster Sanctuary
| Initial Release | August 28, 2019 |
| Developer | Moi Rai Games |
| Platform(s) | – PC – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – Nintendo Switch |
Monster Sanctuary is a side-scrolling, monster-taming RPG where players explore a vibrant pixel-art world filled with monsters, secrets, and challenges.
One of the distinguishing features of Monster Sanctuary is its emphasis on three-versus-three-party-based combat, with players deploying a team of monsters to fight against opponents. Each monster has unique abilities and attributes, allowing players to strategize and form synergistic combinations for battle.
Moonstone Island
| Initial Release | September 20, 2023 |
| Developer | Studio Supersoft |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Linux – macOS – Nintendo Switch |
Moonstone Island has monster-taming mechanics like Pokémon but mixes in farming and lifestyle simulation in the vein of Stardew Valley. What’s more, it’s unique with leveling, training, evolving, and card-battling wild enemies. Monsters, known as Spirits, come in the form of cards with customization that provides the player with distinctive choices in handling encounters.
Any one activity can have the player engaged for hours. Moonstone Island has more than 100 islands to discover that is chock-full of secrets and seasonal DLC to customize the environment the way the player wants. Characters that you interact with can also be romanced.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
| Initial Release | November 17, 2011 |
| Developer | Level-5 |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Xbox Series X|S – Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – PlayStation 3 |
Ni no Kuni is its own franchise, but the first game takes inspiration from Pokémon. Monsters are known as Familiars, and they can be used in battle with other creatures, including capturing and taming mechanics.
It has a Studio Ghibli-inspired art style and dreamlike narrative that offers a captivating change of pace.
Nexomon / Nexomon Extinction
| Initial Release | August 28, 2020 |
| Developer | Vewo Interactive |
| Platform(s) | – PC – macOS – Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – iOS – Android |
Nexomon offers a bright colorful anime art style and a massive collection of around 300 monsters to battle with. It mixes in resource collecting and crafting via elemental shards. Nexomon Extinction is the more recent sequel that throws the player straight into the action, with far more starter options than the classic Fire-Water-Grass trilogy seen in Pokémon.
Ooblets
| Initial Release | July 15, 2020 |
| Developer | Glumberland |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Nintendo Switch – Xbox One |
Ooblets offers a smaller pool of monsters than Pokémon but has capturing and battling all the same. However, unlike the violent combat seen in Pokémon, Ooblets has creatures partaking in non-violent dance battles. This sense of goofiness gives the experience a much more friendly feel.
Once the creatures are captured, they can be assigned to help with small tasks or tend to a growing garden, where food is harvested for sale and other Ooblets are added to your collection.
Palworld
| Initial Release | January 19, 2024 |
| Developer | Pocket Pair, Inc. |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Xbox Series X|S – Xbox One |
The game that made a name for itself as “Pokémon with guns”, Palworld offers one of the most unique spins on the gotta-catch-em-all franchise to date by combining everything that made the classic series great and evolving it with survival mechanics.
Palworld has the player placed in a setting known as the Palapagos Islands, very clearly inspired by the popular archipelago Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. While exploring, the player must constantly scout for resources, mine ore, cut trees, cook food for themselves and their Pals, and upgrade their fortresses to stay alive.
The combat is action-oriented, with real-time battles between the player’s Pals and various enemies. There is also dungeon exploration, world bosses, and raid mechanics.
Shin Megami Tensei V
| Initial Release | November 11, 2021 |
| Developer | Atlus |
| Platform(s) | – PC – PlayStation 5 – Xbox Series X|S – Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One |
Shin Megami Tensei V is a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) set in modern-day Tokyo, the game follows the protagonist, a high school student who becomes involved in a conflict between angels and demons after awakening to newfound powers.
It stands apart with its setting and dark, mature themes that often explore religious, philosophical, and existential concepts. What’s more, the game incorporates an alignment system where players’ choices and actions influence the game’s story and outcome, leading to multiple endings based on moral decisions. There’s also a fusion system where players can combine demons to create new, more powerful ones with different abilities and attributes.
Temtem
| Initial Release | January 21, 2020 |
| Developer | Crema |
| Platform(s) | – PC – Xbox Series X|S – PlayStation 5 – Nintendo Switch |
Temtem is perhaps the closest thing monster-taming fans have ever gotten to a true Pokémon MMO up until the time of its release. It’s a massively multiplayer online adventure. Set in the world of the Airborne Archipelago, players embark on a journey to become Temtem tamers, capturing, training, and battling creatures known as Temtem. The game features a vibrant world to explore with various islands to visit.
Players can see and interact with each other in real-time, and there is a greater emphasis on competitive multiplayer battles in this experience, with ranked matchmaking and tournaments.
Battles are turn-based, but feature a stamina system for moves during battles, adding a strategic element where players must manage to optimize their performance in battles.
World of Final Fantasy Maxima
| Initial Release | November 6, 2018 |
| Developer | Tose |
| Platform(s) | – Nintendo Switch – Xbox One |
World of Final Fantasy embraces the chibi RPG experience with a special monster-stacking mechanic. Each of the characters has its own size class, and the combat is managed by piling them on top of one another. You may do battle with a Cabuncle, Moogle, Behemoth, and tiny Sephiroth in various positions.
