It’s hard not to love the Pokémon gameplay loop. There’s something incredibly exciting about exploring an area and discovering a creature you’ve never seen before. With that said, we’re not always in the mood to play Pokémon.
Thankfully, fans of catching creatures have more options than ever. These 10 monster-collecting games like Pokémon are a great alternative to the classic Game Freak series.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
There are plenty of mysteries to solve in Cyber Sleuth, and there are also over 340 Digimon to collect. You’ll discover plenty of monsters as you explore the cyber world, but you can also unlock new creatures via a fusing system that’s reminiscent of the Shin Megami Tensei series. This is an incredibly addictive title that we’d call a hidden gem.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.
Siralim 3
If you’ve been hunting for a monster-collecting game that will keep you busy for years, Siralim 3 might be what you’ve been searching for. This procedurally-generated dungeon crawler has more than 700 creatures to collect, which puts it ahead of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Don’t worry if you’ve never played a Siralim game before; every title in the series is a standalone game.
Siralim 3 is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Android.
Nexomon: Extinction
Nexomon: Extinction is as close to modern Pokémon as you can get without actually being Pokémon. In fact, we’d say it improves on the Pokémon formula in some ways. There are nine starters to choose from, and the story is surprisingly charming. With over 300 Nexomon to collect, you’ll be busy catching monsters for quite a while.
Nexomon: Extinction is available on PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Monster Sanctuary
If we’d discovered Monster Sanctuary a little sooner, it might have been one of our top games of 2020. This title has a strong Pokémon influence (and some gorgeous pixel art) but it also has Metroidvania elements. There are 100 monsters currently available, which makes it a good option for people that prefer smaller rosters in their monster-collecting games.
Monster Sanctuary is available on PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
World of Final Fantasy
Not only is World of Final Fantasy a great game for Pokémon fans, but it’s essentially a love letter to Final Fantasy. The game is packed full of fan service, with chibi versions of beloved Final Fantasy characters everywhere you look. As you play, you’ll collect creatures called mirages that you can stack on top of each other. There are over 200 mirages available, but collectors should beware — the number of mirages you can store is limited.
World of Final Fantasy is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
World of Warcraft
Believe it or not, World of Warcraft features its own Pokémon-like monster collecting element. These creatures (called Battle Pets) can adorably amble beside you, and they can even engage in pet battles (which also allow you to collect more Battle Pets). It’s an incredibly addictive element in what’s already an incredible addictive game.
World of Warcraft is available to play on PC and Mac.
Serin Fate
Serin Fate is still in early access, but it combines some of the best elements of life simulators with the best parts of creature-collecting games. In this retro-inspired RPG adventure, you can catch creatures, learn spells, garden, and explore a massive world. There are several types of elemental creatures available, and new creatures are still being added in updates.
Serin Fate is available on PC.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
If one of your complaints about the Pokémon games is the lack of story, Ni no Kuni is a must-play. This beautiful game features a heartwarming story and animated sequences produced by Studio Ghibli. You can also collect more than 300 creatures.
If you’re in it for the monster collecting, you’ll want to make sure you play the first Ni no Kuni. The second game doesn’t have this feature (though it does have kingdom-building elements, which aren’t in the first game).
Wrath of the White Witch is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Temtem
Pokémon fans have long dreamt of a Pokémon MMO, and Temtem does its best to make that dream a reality. In this massively-multiplayer creature collecting game, you can battle other tamers, adventure with friends, and take on the 8 Dojo leaders. Temtem is still in early access, but there are currently 81 Temtem to collect.
Temtem is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.
Disc Creatures
Do you long for the halcyon days of Pokémon on the Game Boy Color? Disc Creatures does its best to replicate the classic Pokémon experience. It features a fantastic chiptune soundtrack and graphics that look like they belong on a Game Boy screen. There are also 200 creatures for you to collect and command in battle.
Disc Creatures is available to play on PC.
