Pokémon may be one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, but that doesn't mean that it's the only one with a similar concept. Quite the opposite, in fact, as there are plenty of games that also encourage the collection of creatures to use for various purposes.
So after the Pokédex is full and the league is won, these other games can fill the creature collection void left behind by those eight hundred and counting creatures finally sitting pretty in Pokémon Home.
10 Deity Quest Is Just As Lighthearted
Deity Quest markets itself as a lighthearted Pokémon-inspired RPG, and that's definitely the best way to describe it. The player is a young god who's trying to build up a following, increase his power, and become the strongest of them all, and does so by collecting a wide range of monsters within a vibrant 2D world.
It's a game that bears many similarities to both its primary inspiration and many other nostalgic RPGs, making for a good time. There are also massive battles, unlike in most other monster collection games, using a 6x6 grid that gives combat an interesting twist and offers lots of good potential for strategy.
9 Enchanted Arms Includes A Wide Array Of Golems
Enchanted Arms follows a hero with a possessed arm as he tries to rescue his friends from a frosty maniac. Throughout various events, puzzles, minigames, and dungeons, the party collects a wide range of golems to aid in their quest, each with varying levels of sentience and different abilities.
This game blends a lot of the feeling behind franchises like Final Fantasy vein with that of Pokémon, adding in an intense story full of danger and exploration for good measure.
8 Golden Sun Has A Lot Of Puzzles To Solve With Collected Djinn
During explorations in each of the Golden Sun games, the player collects a bunch of monsters known as Djinn, all with their own unique personalities and skills. These creatures are found all over the map, sometimes provided by the story, sometimes just hanging out, and sometimes hiding in really obscure locations.
Their skills are more effective against certain creatures while weak to others, as in Pokémon and some are there to help the player get through overworld puzzles and features.
7 In Monster Hunter Stories, Players Fight With Monsters Instead Of Killing Them
Unlike other Monster Hunter titles, the point of Stories isn't simply going around to massacre every one of the vibrant creatures prowling the world. Instead, the player gets to fight alongside them Princess Mononoke-style in a fun twist that still explores the same well-loved world and features tons of beloved creatures that the player can tame, ride, fight with, and collect.
Stories is a perfect addition to the series, allowing players who are particularly fond of the monsters a chance to play with them in a different way.
6 Monster Sanctuary Is A 2D Platformer With Solid Monster-Collecting Mechanics
In exchange for an in-depth story, Monster Sanctuary gained amazing battle mechanics and a beautiful platformer-style experience. As is typical with monster collection games like Pokémon, the player can find, tame, and battle with their monsters to protect their little living spaces.
Monster Sanctuary is also very reminiscent of games like Terraria as far as gameplay goes, blending the best of both games into one stunning creation.
5 Nexomon: Extinction Features Extremely Similar Gameplay
As a creature collection game that also includes many familiar battle-focused gameplay loops, Nexomon: Extinction is a really close comparison to Pokémon. There are over 300 creatures to collect and battle with, and the game's stamina system forces the player to really rotate through their teams instead of sticking with one core strategy.
It's also a game full of humor and actually has a lot of good dialogue, something that certain generations of Pokémon lack.
4 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Is A Monster-Capturing RPG
Ni no Kuni was originally released for the Nintendo DS in 2010 but didn't get an English release until 2013. At that point, it was renamed Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The game features an expansive world with an amazing RPG-style story and tons of monsters to collect.
Instead of only pitting creatures against each other, this game allows the player to fight alongside them to make it through the story. The creatures also level up, gain new skills, evolve, and develop in exciting ways — and the player can even feed them treats.
3 Ooblets Combines Farming Sims With Creature Collection
Ooblets is a cute little early access game set in a colorful world full of things to do. Currently, there are 35 Ooblets to collect and raise while the player also works on their farm and explores the local village.
The best part about Ooblets is it's a game that's still being worked on with a lot of love, getting better with every update. The art style even resembles more modern Pokémon games, and all of the little Ooblets look like they belong in the world right along with everything else.
2 Temtem Is A More Mature Pokémon
Another early access game with a ton of potential is Temtem. It's a multiplayer game that incorporates a lot of creature collection and battling aspects, just like in Pokémon, but at the same time, it has some more mature themes and is a little less family-friendly than Pokémon will ever be.
It's a perfect game for those who grew up with Pokémon and just wish that it was a little bit more intense at points with some more mature problems for the protagonist to work through.
1 Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles Lets The Player Raise Creatures From Around The World
In Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles, an old kingdom suffered a massive tragedy that the player eventually uncovers while following the highly engaging story.
During their travels, the player crosses paths with a large swath of creatures all over the place. Each one has different sorts of treats that the player can feed them to befriend them and then lead them back to a farm where they can stay. After that, the creatures help the player by producing unique resources, a mechanic that's further expanded by finding differently-colored ones in new areas.
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