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To make this list, a game must allow the player to use creatures/entities to fight for them and also be collectible (in some way or another). The fighting does not have to be the traditional type - the creatures you collect must be used in a competition of some sort or be used in battle in some way. Some games have similar game mechanics, like the character from Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in North America) named Gau who can “leap” onto enemies to learn one of their moves, but do not allow the player to actually capture the enemy creatures. Here are ten games that play similarly to the games in the Pokemon series.
Updated May 5, 2021, by Jeff Drake: It seems like these creature collecting games are only getting more and more popular as time goes on. This list was updated with five additional entries. A few of these new entries are for some of the newer creature collecting games to be released - one is still in early access. Any of the games below are solid choices when you get done with Pokemon: Sword & Shield and still have the desire for more creature collecting.
Updated October 18th, 2022, by Jeff Drake:The Pokemon series started something. Not so much the creature collecting genre itself, but certainly its popularity. There were several immediate imitators; some were good, and some weren’t. At this point, the genre is saturated with new entries. Again…some are good, some not so much. Many modern games try to incorporate the creature collecting element into their games, and the games are not solely focused on collecting creatures. In games such as these, the creature-collecting aspect can feel a bit underwhelming. In fact, there are plenty of games that allow players to collect creatures where the player can never collect a single creature and have it not affect the game in any way.
20 Starbound
Starbound is an interesting game. At first glance, it resembles a Terraria clone and it kind of is, but at least it’s a good Terraria clone. This game allows players to customize their own starship. With this starship, the player can visit alien worlds for missions, trading, or just to boldly go where no one has gone before.
On their travels, the player can capture alien creatures and tame them to act as Pokemon-like pets. Pets can also be purchased and unlocked from performing missions. Most of these pets have a special ability of some kind, even if it’s just illuminating dark caves. Starbound is currently available for PC and Mac.
19 Coromon
Coromon is clearly designed at luring-in Pokemon players that have tired of Sword and Shield and want something similar but also new.
This game could easily be mistaken for the Pokemon: Ruby and Sapphire games. There are 114 Coromon for the Pokemon to collect; though, as with Pokemon, many of the Coromon can be evolved into a stronger form.
This is one of the best new creature collecting games.Coromon does almost everything well. It has bright, colorful 2D graphics with pleasing animations, great music, and sound effects, plenty of creatures to collect, and an engaging story. The only real common complaint about Coromon is that it requires a lot of grinding and makes grinding a little more of a hassle than necessary. Coromon is available for the PC, Mac, and Switch.
18 Slime Rancher 2
Slime Rancher is not the typical creature collecting game franchise. For starters, the game is played from a 1st-person perspective. This is, oddly, pretty rare for creature collecting games that usually use a top-down or 3rd-person view. The player is free to explore the game world. While exploring, the player can use their weapon to catch the various types of slimes. Slimes produce plot, which can be sold. The money can then be used to upgrade the player’s equipment and base. Plort can also be fed to slimes; feeding a plort to a different type than which produced it results in mutations.
This game is beautifully crafted - the pastel color palette is easy on the eyes. Slime Rancher 2 is in early access on Steam and also available for the Xbox Series X/S.
17 Planet Centauri
This is another game currently in early access on Steam. Planet Centauri is yet another Terraria clone. Starbound has earned a large, devoted following; time will tell if Planet Centauri will also become as beloved. The developer of Planet Centauri, Permadeath, is always introducing patches to fix problems and add new content.
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Planet Centauri gives the player several biomes to explore, and has a monster collecting game aspect. Each biome has different native monsters the player will encounter. By hitting these monsters with a soul gem, the player can trap them and use them as a companion is battle. These monsters can also gain levels and become more fearsome combatants.
16 Kartia: The Word Of Fate
If it’s one thing developer Atlus is known for, it’s hardly ever releasing a bad game. This has been true since the days of the NES. Karti: The World of Fate is a PlayStation exclusive that deserves more attention. In terms of gameplay, this game resembles games like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics more than Pokemon.
The player collects cards called Kartia, with which they can summon phantoms to assist in combat. The Kartia can be combined for various purposes - like new spells and phantoms. This is not the easiest game to track down, but worth a playthrough for any fan of the Fire Emblem games. The graphics in Kartia have held up well and could be mistaken for a more modern game.
15 Digimon World: Next Order
Gamers have been comparing the Digimon games to the Pokemon games since they both debuted in the 1990s – with the first Digimon game being released in 1999, three years after Pokemon Red and Blue. There have been many Digimon games over the years, with one of the most recent being Digimon World: Next Order for the PlayStation 4.
The player starts with a choice of two out of ten starting Digimon, but there are a total of 232 Digimon the player can collect. There is a Digimon game set to release in 2020 titled Digimon Survive which will blend survival and role-playing elements.
14 The Yo-Kai Watch Series
The Yo-Kai series of games definitely give the impression that they were inspired by the Pokemon games. The player collects spirits called Yo-Kai; for example, one of these Yo-Kai is the spirit of a cat (named Jibanyan) that hangs around the intersection where it was hit by a truck.
The player uses their captured Yo-Kai to fight the evil spirits attempting to conquer the world. The Yo-Kai use moves called “Soultimates” to fight each other, make friends with other Yo-Kai, and perform tasks for the player. There are currently four games in the Yo-Kai series, with the fourth being released in 2019.
13 Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved is a highly acclaimed creature collecting game. Though, for those wanting a Pokemon-like experience this game might not be what you’re looking for. Creature collecting in Ark: Survival Evolved is limited to dinosaurs, and they are not used as soldiers but rather they are primarily used as mounts. Over time, updates to the game have added mythical creatures - like griffins.
This game is available for most platforms. It was even given a release on the Stadia. However, the Nintendo Switch version was blasted by critics and players for being noticeably worse than the other versions. If you’re tired of the cuteness overload that comes with Pokemon titles, Ark: Survival Evolved might be what you’re looking for.
12 Dragon Quest Monsters
There are probably a lot of fans of the Pokemon games that wish they could catch one of the iconic blue slimes from the Dragon Quest games to add to their Pokédex and train. With the Dragon Quest Monster series, this wish has been granted! As a side-note, it is incredibly amusing to watch a little smiling blue slime defeat an entire group of enemies single-handedly.
There are six games in the main Dragon Quest Monsters series, with the recent games being exclusive for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. The games in this series are a little more casual than the Pokemon games, but they also require a lot of grinding.
11 Pocket Mortys
Based on the Rick and Morty television series, Pocket Mortys is a creature collecting game for mobile devices. The player takes on the role of a Rick who must catch various types of Mortys and train them to fight so he can stop the Council of Ricks’ plan. The game features many of the Morty types shown in the television series, including Reptile Morty and Voltamatron Morty.
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The game is fun but, as it is a mobile game, it is severely lacking in some areas. The biggest criticisms are the lack of a true game-world and little to no storyline. Had this been a full-fledged game, released for actual game consoles, this game could have been a major hit.
10 Shin Megami Tensei
You’ve never heard of the Shin Megami Tensei games? What about the Persona games? Well…the Persona games are actually a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei series. This franchise began in the late 1980s and never got North American releases - initially. The reason for this is the nature of the games. In the Shin Mgami Tensei games the player recruits demons to fight at their side. This was considered a little too adult-themed for the North American market.
Luckily, some of the Shin Megami Tensei games have been translated into English and given a North American release. The developer of the series, Atlus, is known for producing high-quality games, and they have always tried to limit changes when their games are released outside of Japan.
9 Monster Hunter Stories
Monster Hunter Stories plays somewhat similarly to the main Monster Hunter games, but there are some differences. Instead of a hunter, the player controls a rider that travels the game world stealing eggs from creatures, hatching them, and training these creatures to fight with them.
The creatures the player raises can also be used as mounts as well. Like many games on this list, Monster Hunter Stories uses a rock-paper-scissors set-up in regards to attacks and resistances/weaknesses. The game was praised by critics and players alike for its colorful graphics and kid-friendly story. Apart from Android and iOS devices, Monster Hunter Stories was only released for the Nintendo 3DS.
8 World Of Final Fantasy Maxima
This game’s release was intended to coincide with the thirty-year anniversary of the first Final Fantasy game. Because of this, World of Final Fantasy has the feel of an earlier Final Fantasy game – meaning a cuter, less serious presentation.
In World of Final Fantasy, the player controls two twins that catch creatures called mirages to fight for them. The player can stack the mirages to increase their effectiveness in battle. The game uses the chibi style for its character design, but the player can switch to a more realistic look if desired. The game also allows the player to collect items that unlock famous characters from previous Final Fantasy games to assist in battle.
7 Monster Crown
Monster Crown is an extremely fun creature collecting game for those gamers looking for a modern Pokemon-like game with a retro look and feel. This game resembles (really, really resembles) Earthbound - the game-world, with its overhead view, looks so close to Earthbound you’d swear the same assets were used for both games.
Monster Crown boast over one thousand creatures to collect and train. Battles are handled almost identically to those in the Pokemon games. This game is still in early access. Some of the reviews warn potential players that the game is clearly not finished. Though almost all of the reviews comment how this game is perfect for players looking for a Pokemon clone.
6 The Suikoden Series
The games in the Suikoden series are probably the least like the Pokemon games among the ones mentioned on this list, but they also share a lot of similarities. Instead of creatures, the player recruits characters to join their force. Most of the games in the series feature more than fifty characters who are usable in battle as part of a team of four or six, depending on the game.
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The last game in the main series was Suikoden V, which was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. These games were praised by critics and players, so it’s a little surprising the series hasn’t been rebooted for modern consoles.
5 Nexomon
For gamers who want a Pokemon clone for their mobile devices, there aren’t many choices better than Nexomon. This game could easily be mistaken for a game in the Pokemon series with its colorful graphics and characters. The original game had 302 creatures available for catching/training.
Nexomon was only available for Android, iOS, and PC. Its sequel, Nexomon: Extinction, has been confirmed for a release on the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2020. Nexomon was not advertised much and, consequently, is not a very well-known game. This is a shame because it is a very well-designed and enjoyable title that avoided many common shortcomings associated with mobile games.
4 The Ni No Kuni Series
Most people familiar with this series have probably only played Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and its sequel Revenant Kingdom. This series actually dates back to 2010 and has six titles in its library. In Wrath of the White Witch, the player can fight and catch Familiars, who can then be trained to fight alongside the player-character.
In Revenant Kingdom, the Familiars were replaced with Higgledies, which are similar but also quite a bit different. These two games also handle combat a little differently than most of the games on this list. Instead of a pure turn-based combat system, battles take place in small “arenas” and are a hybrid of turn-based and real-time systems.
3 Siralim
Like Monster Crown, Siralim is a retro-style game using graphics that look to be from the 16-bit era. Despite the simple graphics, this game has a lot of features that will keep players coming back again and again. First, this game has a randomly generated world; the in-game quests are also randomly generated. This gives Siralim phenomenal replay value, since no two play-throughs will be the same. Second, there are over three hundred creatures to catch in Siralim.
If you like Siralim, the good news is there are two sequels. These were available for all the last-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Switch), but not all of the current gen systems have gotten the Siralim games yet. The trilogy can be purchased as a bundle on Steam.
2 Temtem
Released in January 2020, Temtem is the most recent game on this list. This game is an open-world MMORPG for the PC, but will eventually be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch. There aren’t as many creatures to catch as most Pokemon games, but Temtem is a worthy alternative to Pokemon: Sword & Shield.
Temtem doesn’t feel the need to hold the player’s hand and presents a good challenge for the player from the very start. The creatures in Temtem look so much like Pokemon that gamers who have never played either franchise would probably not be able to tell which were which.
1 Ooblets
Ooblets is a new take on the creature collecting genre. It is similar to Pokemon in many ways. You collect creatures and train them as you travel to new and distant lands. The biggest departure from the Pokemon formula is how your creatures do battle with other creatures. Rather than almost all creature collecting games, creatures instead have dance battles instead of actual battles.
Ooblets also gives players their own farm to renovate and maintain - it will act as the base of operations to which you return after exploring new areas and collecting new creatures. The graphics in Ooblets are a bit minimalist, but the great animation and vivid colors make it incredibly visually appealing.
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