The Best Palworld Alternatives You Can Play Right Now
Bugsnax Mayor
Palworld has taken the world by storm by combining traditional survival gameplay mechanics with its Pokemon-inspired “Pals”. Palworld excels in combining various gameplay systems, not all of which may be up your alley. It’s not the first Pokemon-inspired game with a monster collection at its heart, as there are plenty of other games that have a similar mechanic.
Be it turn-based RPGs or first-person shooters, there are plenty of Palworld-like games that you can play if survival and base-building mechanics are not your cups of tea. Here are the best Palworld alternatives that you can play today.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
What better game to play that’s like Palworld than the franchise that inspired it? Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an open-world collect-a-thon where you battle and collect various Pokémon through the Hisui region. With faster turn-based battles than ever before and a focus on putting you directly in the heat of the action, Arceus is a very different type of game compared to traditional Pokémon releases. Its open world may look a little too similar to Hyrule from the Zelda games, but the pace at which it challenges you to switch between its various systems is where Arceus shines.
Nintendo
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available on Nintendo Switch.
Cassette Beasts
Want to get into monster-collecting without having to deal with survival mechanics? Cassette Beasts has you covered. Cassette Beasts may look like a traditional turn-based RPG, but its fusion system can turn the tide of any battle provided you play it smart. You can explore its vibrant open world alone or with a friend thanks to online co-op.
Bytten Studio / Raw Fury
Cassette Beasts is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles. The game is also available to download from Xbox Game Pass, just like Palworld.
Temtem
Temtem may be a massively multiplayer game, but it also contains a story campaign where you adventure through its six floating islands becoming Temtem tamer. Like Palworld, Temtem also has some light base-building mechanics, but the real highlight here is the level design. Each island offers a unique biome, brimming with a strong color palette that adds a lot of personality to each encounter. With Temtem soon to be removing its microtransactions, now’s the perfect time to jump in.
Crema
Temtem is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch consoles.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2 puts a new twist on the world-renowned series by turning you from being a predator to a rider. With deep customisation mechanics, traditional turn-based combat, a bonding mechanic with monsters and a vast amount of side-quests to keep you busy, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a more lighthearted affair than its elder siblings. Similar to other monster-collecting games like Pokemon or Palworld, Monster Hunter Stories 2 has its own take on the Pokedex, featuring a familiar party system.
Capcom
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Bugsnax
Bugsnax is a weird game which makes sense considering its developers worked on the equally zany Octodad. The island of Snaktooth features many food-based entities, which you can collect and feast upon. Don’t worry, the bugsnax don’t mind it. At its core, Bugsnax is an adventure/puzzle game where figuring out how to catch the bugsnax is part of the fun. It’s a cosy adventure hiding a dark secret with plenty of twists and turns.
Young Horses
Bugsnax is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and iOS devices.
Slime Rancher 2
Slime Rancher 2, as the name suggests, will have you collect various types of sentient slime-type creatures and use them as ammo. The game also contains some light sim mechanics, with a base hub where you can upgrade your weapons, build new gadgets and yes, breed new slimes. The game is currently in Early Access on Steam, so expect some quality-of-life updates coming with time.
Monomi Park
If you don’t have the patience for it then there’s always the first Slime Rancher, available on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch consoles. Slime Rancher 2 is also available on Xbox Game Pass.
Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved combines dinosaurs with guns and survival mechanics. That itself is a great combination to start with, and Ark excels in rewarding your investment. It may rely a little too much on grinding, and its story is almost non-existent, but where it shines is its more realistic graphics and overall grittiness. There’s also a modern remake of the game with Ark: Survival Ascended, but it’s in early access with mixed reviews so you might want to wait for its issues to be fixed.
Studio Wildcard
Ark: Survival Evolved is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
