Pokemon is one of the best-selling franchise of all time. Look it up, it’s true. When you have something that popular, people will try and rip it off, as these games show. However, if you’re looking for something a bit different then you might find some enjoyment out of these games.
#11 Temtem
Let’s start with the one that is very clearly a ripoff. Temtem puts you in a world where you are destined to be a “monster tamer.” Get it? Because they don’t want them to be called “trainers”? It’s subtle, but it’s there.
Anyway, you’ll go out to a mysterious floating archipelago and attempt to capture, train, and battle a variety of monsters that you meet.
The game is everything Pokemon is; it’s just that this title is an MMORPG. That’s right; other players are roaming around the islands, which means you can battle people worldwide as you play the game. So if nothing else, it has that up on the OG series.
#10 Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy
Chocobo Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy is a very long name, but what would you expect from a JRPG title trying to show off cuteness as much as depth?
This game is more of a ripoff to the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon franchise than the main series. Here, you’ll explore never-ending dungeons and battle monsters along the way. The world shifts every time you take a step, move/use an item, or something else. That means you’ll have time to think about your next move or just blaze through to see what happens.
When you defeat monsters, you can make them allies! They’ll help you through your journey and attempt to make completing the dungeon easier.
#9 Monster Crown
For another direct Pokemon ripoff, we turn to Monster Crown. Although, to be fair, this game has some deeper mechanics than the series it steals from.
The game takes place on Crown Island, where many monsters roam, and many people have tried to seize power in the past. So when another future tyrant appears on the island, you must rise and stop her. To do so, you’ll make pacts with various monster species on the island and work with them to defeat other monsters.
A fun twist is that you can fuse monsters to create new species. Plus, the game’s ending will be determined by your choices.
#8 Ooblets
Ooblets put a twist on the Pokemon games by making it more about fun than it is about battling. Because the only “battles” you’ll do in this title are card-based dance-offs! Yeah, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds, though Star-Lord would likely participate in this.
Plus, like certain other titles in this generation, you’ll be given a farm to manage, renovate, and improve. So take it from the shack you start with to a massive farm full of crops from various worlds.
As you collect items and materials, you can set up a shop to sell them in! That’ll give you further variety in the game to enjoy.
In short, this game is perfect for those who want a relaxing, monster-catching time. Oh, and you can pet the Ooblets.
#7 Coromon
Do we have to say how big a ripoff Coromon is? It has “Mon” in its title! It’s not even trying to hide its ripoff form! Plus, it only gets worse from there!
In the title, you’ll be in the region known as Velua, where you’ll become a researcher for a global society. So basically, you’re helping a scientific individual with research on the world. That sounds familiar!
When things go wrong, you must go out into the world, collect the monsters known as Coromon, then raise them well to battle the threats of invaders and other Coromon!
With over 100 species to capture and a dynamic stamina-based battle system, you will find a lot to enjoy in this game.
#6 Nexomon Series
Oh, look! Here’s another one that has “mon” in the name! Seriously, can you guys not come up with anything cleverer than that? You’ve made a whole game, but you can’t stick the name?
Moving on, the Nexomon series is a set of titles that are very much Pokemon, just with a different skin. Case in point, you’ll travel across a set of regions and attempt to capture a bunch of monsters to save the world.
The original game alone has over 300 creatures, which is very impressive. Plus, it has vibrant graphics, multiple entries, and plenty to do with the monsters you get. So while it’s a ripoff, it’s a deep title nonetheless.
#5 World of Final Fantasy Maxima
No, this is not a sequel to World of Final Fantasy; this is the expanded/upgraded version of the original title.
World of Final Fantasy Maxima puts you in the shoes of Reynn and Lann, siblings who find themselves in the magical world of the RPG series.
As you work your way through the world, you’ll get to capture monsters known as Mirages and summon Final Fantasy characters to your side. Cloud, Sephiroth, Balthier, and more will be there for you when you need them.
So find out the truth about your past, and see where that guides your future!
#4 Slime Rancher Series
We’ll be fair on this title. The Slime Rancher games are less about catching monsters and more about collecting them for profit. No, you’re participating in selling animals to the highest bidder! Instead, you’re collecting slimes to grow and distribute them around the universe.
You play as Beatrix LeBeau. She just inherited a ranch far away from Earth and must use her special Vacpack to collect the slimes in this strange world.
As she does that, she’ll need to build up her ranch to handle as many slimes as possible, then feed the slimes to grow big and strong.
There’s more to this world, and these games, than meets the eye. So don’t be afraid to try them out.
#3 Digimon Survive
At last, we get to the original Pokemon ripoff. The Digimon franchise is still beloved to this day despite it never quite reaching the levels of its rival. But, it got farther than most, including multiple anime, movies, and video games.
The one we’ll talk about now is the newest title in the line, Digimon Survive. A title that goes much farther with its story, and its consequences, than Pokemon has ever dreamed of going.
You play as Takuma Momozuka. A young kid who ends up in the Digital World after a school trip goes wrong. Now, he and his new friends must survive this harsh world and make critical decisions affecting the story and who lives through it.
#2 Monster Hunter Stories Series
To be clear, the Monster Hunter franchise is NOT a Pokemon ripoff as a whole. The mainline games take a different approach to everything, including hunting monsters over capturing them. But with the Monster Hunter Stories Series, those two titles play a lot more like Pokemon titles, as you’ll raise monsters from that world to fight off threats.
The two games feature you as a young monster trainer who must save his tribe and world from growing dangers. Including your very own monster becoming the “Wings of Ruin.”
Travel the world, explore mini-dungeons to get new eggs to hatch monsters, and build up the perfect team to battle alongside!
#1 Yo-Kai Watch Series
The Yo-Kai Watch is, without a doubt, one of the more popular Pokemon ripoffs out there. It’s huge in Japan because of its ties back into their culture. Plus, it got an anime adaptation on Disney XD, and that’s a big deal.
The game focuses on your player character going through the world and finding Yo-Kai partners to battle against the evil Yo-Kai. Those Yo-Kai are trying to take over the world, so you must stop them! In turn-based battles, you’ll put your team against the enemy and even rotate the Yo-Kai you have to ensure you come out on top.
Plus, just like Pokemon, the games sometimes have “variant” versions where each is just a little different.
