The best games like Pokémon on PC (2025)

The best games like Pokémon on PC (1)

Searching for the best games like Pokémon on PC is a journey most creature collecting fanatics will embark on at some point. But it's a wisp of a dream that Nintendo will ever release a mainline Pokémon game on anything but their own system. Thankfully, that doesn't mean you can't replicate the experience through a multitude of other games, you just have to know where to look.

Developers have been testing the creature collecting waters over the years and there are now a wealth of awesome games like Pokémon on PC that recreate the classic Game Boy experience, or turn the formula of Pokémon into an MMO or life sim.

The list below includes all kinds of games influenced by Nintendo's creature-catching goliath. Some are directly inspired and closely follow the Pokémon formula, others only share a few features, but all of them are worth checking out.

Palworld

The best games like Pokémon on PC (2)

Release date:2024 |Steam

Early on, Palworld got written off as an "edgy Pokemon with guns," which yeah, it kind of is. But it's also just a pretty good crafting and survival game where you collect creatures to live at your base, breed, and battle with. The real-time battling is hectic and fun but you can spend just as much time doting on your Pals and experimenting with Palworld breeding combos. If you've ever dreamed of just designing a grand house as a Pokemon sanctuary, Palworld is the way to do it.

And if you want to engage as little as possible with all the grinding and all the weird incentives to abuse your pals with terrible working conditions, tweak your custom Palworld settings to make it a cozier world.

Cassette Beasts

The best games like Pokémon on PC (3)

Release date:2023 |Steam

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Cassette Beasts isn't actually about catching monsters, it's about recording them on cassette tapes so you can transform into them and do battle yourself to escape the weird world of New Wirral. Its monster type system has a lot of elemental interactions such as fire skills creating a healing mist around water types or poison damage to metal types coating them so they can return poison damage back. be prepared to really strategize and change monsters often in each battle. No surprise, Cassette Beasts has a pretty rockin' soundtrack too.

Moonstone Island

The best games like Pokémon on PC (4)

Release date: 2023 | Steam

Among the creature-collecting games, Moonstone Island is more a mashup with a life and farm sim. Each world is procedurally generated and it's up to you to stake out your own home and cultivating space on one of its sky islands. Personally I found the card-based battle system to be a little on the slow side, so this may not be the winner for battling purists. But Moonstone Island is super cute and the variety of creatures is great. If you're a Stardew fan who also has fond memories of the Chao Garden, this is where I'd point you.

Monster Hunter Stories 2

Release date: 2021 | Steam

The spinoff from Capcom's big monster battling series is actually all about taming and befriending creatures called monsties. You become a monster Rider, protecting a special Rathalos egg while taming your monstie pals and guiding them through turn-based battles. "It's definitely got a touch of Pokémon to it—you can have a squad of up to six Monsties that you can switch out depending on how a battle is going," says our 80% Monster Hunter Stories 2 review. It's a more approachable spin on the classic Monster Hunter series combat. You can also create new monsties by splicing their genes into powerful new combinations.

Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX

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Release date: 2021| Steam

Koei Tecmo's PlayStation-era cult classic monster taming game is back with a remaster of Monster Rancher 1 & 2. As in the originals, you raise, train, and battle your monsters. You can also download monsters trained by other players to battle against. The original games generated new monsters when you inserted random CDs into your PlayStation, a system which KT has brought back by allowing you to search a music database for music titles that will generate monsters.

Temtem

The best games like Pokémon on PC (7)

Release date:2022 (left early access) |Steam

The truest to the Pokémon formula on this list is Temtem. You have teams of creatures who fight each other, different regions to explore, and an evil band of hooligans to take down. You can't get much more Pokémon than that. Battles are bombastic due to Temtem's 3D animations, and NPCs and gym leaders (known as Dojo masters in the Temtem universe) are actually pretty tough to beat—there's no way you can easily breeze through battles in Temtem. And the best part is that it's an MMO, letting you fight and adventure with friends and strangers.

Ooblets

The best games like Pokémon on PC (8)

Release date:2022 (left early access) | Epic Games Store

If you want a Pokémon game that's also a farming and life sim, then Ooblets is for you. It's a creature collector where your little buddies don't fight each other, but compete in dance battles—a friendly alternative. Building a team of different ooblets who all have different abilities will appeal to Pokémon players, and each and every oob is as cute as a button. If you get worn out by all the dance battles, the life-sim elements of the game are also a treat.

You can build a farming empire, make friends with the locals, and decorate your home with funky furniture, all things I have sunk many many hours into. Ooblets is still in Early Access but there's plenty to do, and the majority of its story is ready to play.

If you're still not sold on Ooblets, look no further than Gloopy Longlegs. Convinced?

Monster Crown

The best games like Pokémon on PC (9)

Release date:2020 |Steam

Usually in creature collecting games you need to battle and then capture the beasts that cross your path. But in Monster Crown, you don't just battle monsters—you can make pacts with them to join your crew, which is pretty cool. It's also different from other games on this list in that the scope of its story is much bigger, and instead of battling groups of meddling baddies, it has a much darker tone dealing with heroes, legacies, and evil rulers. There's also a much bigger emphasis on breeding your creatures, creating powerful new species—there are more than 1000 to mad science into existence.

Nexomon

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Release date:2020 | Steam

Nexomon is also one of the most polished Pokémon games out there. The character animations are fun, the world is vibrant, and the creatures, 300 total, are a well-designed bunch. It's a lot easier than some of the other suggestions on this list—like Temtem or Siralim Ultimate—so it's definitely for players looking for a more casual time. The most difficult part of the game is choosing between the three starter Nexomon which include an adorable baby beaver, yellow tiger cub, and a lizard with a pink flower.

Siralim Ultimate

The best games like Pokémon on PC (11)

Release date:2021 |Steam

If you're after a game with a little more depth, Siralim Ultimate will give you just that. It's both a monster catcher and dungeon crawler where you travel through procedurally generated "realms" to get resources and loot. The thing that sticks out the most about Siralim Ultimate is just how big it is. Players can pick from 30 different character specializations, equip different spell gems (of which there are 700), visit 30 realms, choose a guild to work with, partake in minigames, unlock relics—there's a lot to get stuck into.

If you love the create collecting aspect of Pokémon, have fun collecting the 1200+ creatures in Siralim Ultimate.

Monster Sanctuary

The best games like Pokémon on PC (12)

Release date:2020 |Steam

Creature collecting meets metroidvania in Monster Sanctuary. It has the same monster battles as the other games on this list but with the twist of having everything play out in Final Fantasy-like team battles. The creatures you've collected follow behind you and can be used to fly, swim and climb the landscape, so there's plenty of platforming to do. The pixel graphics are polished and the creatures' animations are a lovely touch. Don't let Monster Sanctuary fly under your radar.

Coromon

The best games like Pokémon on PC (13)

Release date:2022 |Steam

Another Pokémon-inspired game with gorgeous pixel art. Coromon's story has you play an aspiring technology researcher who has set out to investigate a group of six titans with your team in tow. After playing the demo I'd say the battles in Coromon are some of the most dynamic out of the games on this list, from both the vibrant background to the creature and attack animations. You can check out the demo yourself over on the game's Steam page, especially now that it has a release date for spring 2022.

The best games like Pokémon on PC (14)

Lauren Morton

Associate Editor

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.

With contributions from

  • Kara PhillipsEvergreen Writer
  • Rachel Watts

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The best games like Pokémon on PC (2025)

FAQs

Is there any Pokémon game for PC? ›

The official games of Pokémon can be played on PC using emulators. I would suggest you gen 4 and 5 games as they have good graphics. They include Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, platinum, heartgold,soul silver, black, white, black2, white2.

What game is most like Pokémon? ›

7 Games to Play If You Love Pokemon
  • Cassette Beasts. ...
  • Monster Sanctuary. ...
  • Digimon World: Next Order. ...
  • Monster Rancher. ...
  • Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. ...
  • Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. ...
  • Palworld.
Feb 2, 2024

Are there any Pokémon-like games on Steam? ›

Coromon. When it comes to games like Pokemon on Steam, this one stays true to the essence of the older entries in the immensely popular series. As a member of Lux Solis, your mission is to collect numerous Coromons and save the entire world.

Will there ever be a Pokemon PC game? ›

Nintendo loves its exclusives, and so for those Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Pokemon fans, you'll be waiting a very long time if they ever come to other platforms at all. If that doesn't satisfy your creature-collecting urges, we're sadly not expecting Pokemon on Steam any time soon.

Can I get Pokémon on PC? ›

You can do so using ROMs and emulators. ROMs are digital duplicates of game cartridges, while emulators are applications that simulate game consoles. You'll need to download a separate emulator for each game console you want to simulate on your PC.

Can you Pokemon go on PC? ›

You can use an Android or iOS emulator to play Pokemon GO on PC. Since Pokemon GO also requires a GPS signal to work, you need to use a GPS spoofer. The use of a GPS spoofer is how you can make your character teleprort.

What is the 1 best Pokemon game? ›

1. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Simply put, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are as good as it gets. After all, the original Pokémon Gold and Silver were near perfect sequels.

What is the Pokemon knockoff game? ›

In other words, Palworld is a Pokémon rip-off where you can shoot poor, defenseless creatures. This is another contrast to the Nintendo property: Pokémon never die, they simply fall into a state of unconsciousness before they're revived by their goodly owner.

Is there a real Pokémon game? ›

Pokémon GO is free to play, with loads of fun things to do and Pokémon to discover at every turn. For players who want to enhance their Pokémon GO experience even more, certain items and features can be accessed via in-app purchases. Players can spend real money on PokéCoins, the in-game currency of Pokémon GO.

What game inspired Pokémon? ›

Its creation was influenced by Magic: The Gathering, the first CCG in history. Indeed, the Pokemon Trading Card Game can be considered a simplified version of Magic. First released in the United States in 1993, Magic had gained popularity not just in North America and Europe, but also in Asia.

Is there any good Pokémon games on PC? ›

There's a good variety of Pokemon games you can download as ROMs on PC, they include: Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions: These are remade versions of the original Red and Green games, featuring enhanced graphics and a more detailed storyline.

What Pokémon game is coming in 2024? ›

Developed in collaboration with Creatures Inc., the creators of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co. Ltd., partners in the development of Pokémon Masters EX, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will launch in 2024 as a free-to-start app for iOS and Android.

Why are Pokémon games not made for PC? ›

Pokémon is the only thing keeping Nintendo alive in the sale of games and consoles, but Pokémon is not made by Nintendo. Nintendo owns 32% of the shares to The Pokémon Company. With Nintendo's 32% shares, they are able to keep Pokémon exclusive to their hardware. That's basically it.

Is Pokémon available on Steam? ›

The latest free game on Steam is essentially Pokémon on PC and it's available now. We all love free video games, don't we? Well, if so and if you're a fan of Pokémon, then you're in luck. As we all know, the likelihood of Pokémon being released in any other format other than on Nintendo consoles is incredibly unlikely.

Is there a Pokémon card game on PC? ›

Log in to the game with your free Pokémon Trainer Club account from Pokemon.com to maintain your online card collection and progress across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, iPad and Android tablets, and mobile devices.

Is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on PC? ›

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet are games for the Nintendo Switch, meaning they cannot be played natively on PC. However, you can use an emulator like Yuzu in order to play the game on PC.

Can I play Pokemon Sword and Shield on PC? ›

Sword and Shield require control sticks. And Nintendo controllers. So unless you're using a computer as a bigger screen for your Switch with a copy of either Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield, you can't play it on a computer.

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