10 Pokémon-Likes to Play If You’re Bored of the Series

Hi, I’m a life-long Pokémon fan who has seen plenty of these recommendation lists in my time. I’m pretty sure you have, too, on your journey to either find a new game to play or to see if lists like these truly understand Pokémon. Believe me, I get you. I’m usually in the latter category, rolling my eyes at the mention of the same three games that get praised for pretending to be something they’re not.

I understand that a lot of us are getting a bit fatigued with Pokémon. It’s really evolved into something far bigger than we all expected back in Generation 1, and there are so many aspects of the franchise that just don’t feel the same anymore. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was the most divisive game yet, scalpers are keeping tons of us out of the TCG, and Pokémon GO is a shadow of what it used to be.

And yet, there are hardly any other monster games that feel even remotely similar to the feelings Pokémon gives me, no matter how many times I’m told to try this-or-that out. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to finally hone those feelings and make a list of Pokémon-likes I’m sure fans like me will actually appreciate. I hope you find the new favorite creature-catching game you’ve been searching for.

10

Creature Keeper

Live Your Heroic Fantasies with Pets

Let’s start with one that’s a bit hit or miss. Creature Keeper came out last year, and it wasn’t met with the best reception. It’s been shaping up nicely since then, and I highly recommend it for people who wish exploration was a bit more open in Pokémon. It’s also great for those who want to bond a bit more with Pokémon’s NPCs.

In Creature Keeper, there’s still a rock-paper-scissors battle style and special abilities for each creature that you have to keep in mind while exploring that should feel familiar to Pokémon fans. If you like the bonding aspect of Pokémon, you’ll enjoy how you catch these monsters by petting and feeding them instead of battles. You also fight alongside your creatures with weapons, and grow stronger through the Bestiary you get. The Bestiary reminds me of the Pokédex in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, so if you enjoyed that mechanic, this game will have you covered.

Creature Keeper might be a bit rough around the edges, but if it strikes a cord with you, it’s a very underrated gem.

9

Aleef: Desktop Pet Collector

For the Daycare Regulars

The idler genre has practically exploded in recent years following the success of prominent entries like Cookie Clicker and the more recent Task Bar Hero. Aleef: Desktop Pet Collector sits between those two games. It takes up the corner of your screen, registering inputs to slowly hatch an egg. When it hatches, you’ll have a new creature to battle with. You also have the option of fusing any duplicates.

There are a few catches with this game that I should take the time to talk about, though. First off, Aleef isn’t out in full yet, but there is a free-to-play demo available. Secondly, it’s an idler first and foremost, so don’t go into it aiming to spend all your time on it. It’s a nice game to get critters in while going about your daily life. For me, it pairs well with my work. I love typing articles and hatching eggs!

It’s a great way to enjoy creature collecting while doing other things. Hopefully the full game delivers on expanding what’s already there.

8

Dokimon: Quest

Wow, So Retro

When it comes to the wide variety of indie games out there, there are two approaches that studios take when it comes to creating unofficial spiritual successors to a favorite IP. Some aim to be more of an homage, and others try to be as close as a shameless recreation as they can. With all due respect to Yanako RPGs, they don’t hide their Pokémon inspirations with Dokimon: Quest at all.

Personally, Dokimon: Quest didn’t stick with me like other games did on this list, but I feel like Generation 2 and 3 enthusiasts will love its stubborn approach to replicating the old Game Boy experience all the way through. While it might not have grabbed me as a whole, I adore the designs for the Dokimon. They have their own style and flair that captures the same feeling as Pokémon without being carbon copies. The game also starts out with built-in nuzlocke features, so Dokimon: Quest is definitely aiming to cater to die-hard fans.

7

Aethermancer

A Must-Play For Pokémon Experts

I know that the first entries of this list are probably not super one-to-one with Pokémon. Just hear me out on these, okay? Especially on Aethermancer. Aethermancer is a massive game that feels like a love-child between a few Pokémon spin-offs and Hades, offering its own complexity that I feel like anyone who comes to Pokémon for the battles will enjoy immensely.

As Siriux the Aethermancer, you will traverse through Terastae, a realm that’s being slowly taken over by the void. Your job is to traverse the realm to stop the corruption alongside teams of three monsters. These fights are very complex, using five types instead of three, and requiring that monsters generate Aether to use their moves. Pokémon TCG and Magic the Gathering players should feel at home with this system.

Aethermancer truly ties your bond with your monsters with its gameplay. Creatures that bond with you can be available on other runs. The monsters themselves gain the boons and upgrades you find on every run, too. If you enjoy building with IVs or just general roguelike builds, you’ll be in heaven with unique upgrades to each monster that plays an important role with deeper team synergies. There’s a lot for Pokémon scholars to dig into with this game, even with Aethermancer currently being in early access.

6

TCG Card Shop Simulator

It Has Everything But the Scalpers

What? Oh, come on. The situation regarding the Pokémon Trading Card game is really sad for casual fans. So many people have hopped on it for investment purposes that, now and then, I still run into a story of someone either buying up all the product or being unable to get cards for themselves. Hopefully, someday, the situation won’t have any extreme negatives.

For now, anyone who wants to experience a local card game store and everything that comes with it can get it at home with TCG Card Shop Simulator. They can sell booster packs, boxes, and even a bit of merch to customers. (Who might even come in with a bit of B.O.) You can also open the packs of the cards you sell, which are clearly meant to be legally distinct Pokémon cards. TetraMon has plenty of thought into the designs, though. Even if they’re a lot like fan-made Pokémon, they’re charming in their own right and worth collecting.

You can even sell your stock above market price if you want! But if you want that, maybe you should just go to GameStop.

5

Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX

Pokémon Stadium Has Been Reborn

If you’re as old as I am, I probably just unlocked memories for you by bringing up Monster Rancher. It was one of the alternatives to Pokémon during the franchise’s humble beginnings, much like Duel Masters was to Yu-Gi-Oh. In the last few years, two PS1 games for Monster Rancher were re-released for modern consoles in a collection together, breathing new life into them.

Playing Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX feels a lot like opening a time capsule. They just don’t make games like these anymore, especially not the Pokémon titles that resemble Monster Rancher 1 and 2 the most. These games feel so much like Pokémon Stadium that picking them up after missing their original runs feels like I have stepped into an alternate timeline with more Stadium games. What a world that’d be to live in.

4

Kabuto Park

Experience the Inspiration That Started it All

In the heat of summer, you head out with your trusty bug net and cage. You look around and find two cool new bugs to add to your growing collection. Ash is waiting for you to challenge him, so you’ve got to make sure that your bugs can stand up to his! That’s the only way you’ll get badges and find more bugs!

Alright, so Kabuto Park might not be too much like Pokémon, but it’s so adorable and relaxing that I felt it was worth suggesting. After all, Pokémon’s creator Satoshi Tajiri came up with the concept thanks to his love of insect collecting as a kid. I feel like Kabuto Park is a great way to understand his passion short of going out and catching bugs for yourself.

3

LumenTale: Memories of Trey

The JRPG Pokémon Fans Wish it Could Be

LumenTale: Memories of Trey may be a newer release, but after so many games have tried and failed to replicate what made Pokémon so special, it’s refreshing to see a game nail what’s important to them so well. LumenTale: Memories of Trey feels like Pokémon Black and White made modern with the worldbuilding of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. It even has a bit of Pokémon Ranger thrown in there for good measure.

On top of that, it’s a fully realized JRPG in its own right. You have an overarching plot that actually goes somewhere with smaller stories and problems coming up every step of the way. There’s a lot of LumenTale: Memories of Trey that might overwhelm you, but if you stick with it, I think it will meet any hopes and dreams you have for future Pokémon games just fine on its own.

2

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

The Grass May Truly Be Greener Here

This is the last time I push a game at you that’s possibly not Pokémon enough or might be a recommendation you’ve heard a million times. I swear. Hear me out, though. The Monster Hunter Stories spin-offs have always been trying to bring people in with more of a creature-befriending approach. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection refines what makes these games great while also making it a great gateway into Monster Hunter for Pokémon fans.

The Monster Hunter Stories games have always been turn-based with a rock-paper-scissors approach to battles. This time, though, the third game takes a more mature slant compared to the first two games, which works great for fans who want more of a story out of Pokémon games. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection improves on the formula so much that it’s easily the best in the series and the most worthwhile to play. Like LumenTale, it serves as a great example of what Pokémon could strive to improve on.

1

Coromon

Those Madmen Actually Did It

I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a number of games in your time that shamelessly try to be the next Pokémon that fall into obscurity every single time. Games like Nexomon have been sitting on store shelves, teasing to be like Pokémon, but never measuring up. You know the ones I’m talking about. Coromon seems like it’s one of those games, but if anything, it’s the only one to fully succeed.

Coromon, to me, feels like Generation 3 all over again. It throws me into a whole new world to explore that’s in the same style as Pokémon Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire. The critters don’t rely on capturing the spirit of Pokémon to stand out while the battle structure and world are very obviously made as an homage. It takes plenty of elements of Pokémon’s formula and puts its own spin on it while remembering what made them great beyond the surface level.

If you miss the Pokémon games you grew up with, or enjoyed experiencing Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen when they rereleased on Switch, Coromon will feel like reuniting with an old friend. I can’t recommend it enough.