Summary
Pokemonmight be the most famous name in monster-taming games, maybe even one of the most famous names in all gaming. After all, the franchise includes dozens of games, a card game, many TV series, manga, and so much more. However, franchises likePokemonandDigimonaren’t the only ones where people can tame, collect, and team up with all sorts of creatures. People who have played video games for two or three decades will remember classic titles that originally launched on platforms as old as the SNES.
What makes a monster-taming game memorable? Is it the character design, the combat, an active or passive playstyle, or simply nostalgia over time? Luckily for fans, Metacritic took out the guesswork when it comes to rating the games.
Updated July 07, 2025 by Mark Sammut:While they do not come out often, when they do,monster-catching gamestend to be exciting. What are the sub-genre’s best-ever offerings?
Disclaimer: For games that are on multiple platforms and therefore have multiple Metacritic listings, we’ll only be using their highest score (regardless of platform) as a metric. Also, only the highest-rated game per franchise (so, not multiplePersonagames).
Those who enjoymonster-taming gamesare always on the lookout forexcellent JRPGs and Dungeon Crawlers as well, and the Persona games have always scratched that itch.Persona 5, not to be confused with itsStrikerscounterpart (which is still well-liked but not quite as universally), is perhaps the best entry in the long-standing series.
Persona 5is a great release for those who enjoy dungeon-crawling, monster-taming, and some of the catchiest tunes, all with some slice-of-life elements tossed into the mix. Personas can be caught, used in battle, and upgraded into more intense versions by fusing them with others, a mechanic similar to “evolving” in many other monster-taming titles.
Additionally, thePersonaseries has made a habit of releasing their game and then coming out with a more expansive release of the game somewhere down the road that adds more to the overall experience.Persona 4had this withPersona 4: Goldenand nowPersona 5hasPersona 5: Royal.Royalis justPersona 5but better in just about every single way, which includes new additions to the story that somehowmake it even darker and more mature. Lots of quality-of-life changes, new characters, tons of new story elements, and even new mechanics easily explain whyRoyalranks slightly above the base game.
Curiously, though this game originally came out on the Nintendo DS in 2009, the iOS version of the game has the higher score on Metacritic with a whopping 90 overall.
This RPG title is the second of the Zenithian Trilogy that was originally released on the SNES in 1992. Though it features a basic JRPG setup, gameplay includes decking out a wagon full of unique monsters, which is different frommost of the otherDragon Questgameswhere players have a party of human or human-like companions to deck out instead.
Players will enjoy classic turn-based combat, an orchestrated soundtrack, beautiful 16-bit graphics, and a whole host oficonicDragon Questmonsters and beloved mascotsto befriend.
In recent years, theMonster Hunterfranchise has absolutely returned to where it rightfully belongs at the forefront of gaming. Despite theincredible Metacritic score of 90forMonster Hunter Worldand the equallyimpressive score of 90for itsIceborneexpansion, another game in the series that actually better fits the monster-taming criteria isMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin,with a Metascore of 81. This sequel game, along with its predecessor, allows players to collect and hatch eggs, create teams, raise monsters, chain combo attacks, and even ride their pets around. The game also features a historic “rock, paper, scissors” combat system.
Not only that but even their most recent release (at the time of writing this)Monster Hunter Risetakes what they learned fromMHWandmakes the gameplay a bit more snappy overall. Not only that, but players have all kinds of classic and brand-new monsters to hunt in this game as well.Risehas a score of 88on the Nintendo Switch, landing it right in the middle betweenMonster Hunter Stories(both 1 and 2) andMonster Hunter World.
Monster Hunter Worldis not a conventional monster-catching game, but a variant of the mechanic is included.
Pokemonis the definitive monster-catching franchise, and it is not even close. While the series has produced a few underwhelming releases over its decades-long run, most of the entries are good-to-great, especially the older ones.
As the first few generations debuted before Metacritic was a thing, they don’t have a presence on the aggregate site; however, most of the latter projects land somewhere in the 80s.Pokemon X and Ycan be slightly divisive since they brought a few changes to the formula, but they are overall considered as representing the license at its peak.
Monster Rancherembraced technology in a unique way in that the actual ‘lore’ of the games said that every CD has a monster inside it. Also calledMonster Farmin Japan, the franchise includes many games and an anime TV series. But the original game was released for the PS1 in 1997.
It bridged the digital and the real worlds in a unique, visceral way. Monster designs were original and compelling and players could breed them, too. Players could raise monsters for tournament fighting but needed support to perform at their best. It also had players combing through their library of Playstation games, trying all of them to see what monsters were unique to each one.
The first game in the seriesmaintains a Metascore of 86, and it is the highest-regarded entry. However, theMonster Rancher 1 & 2 DXcompilation is a good modern pick for mobile, PC, and Switch users.
Level-5 developed this game for the PS3 to be released in 2011 in Japan and in 2013 in Western regions. The remaster was released for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Windows PCs in 2019. And, surprisingly, many fans have called it the best way to experience the game.
The game owes itsfantastic Metacritic score of 86to its beautiful and nostalgic animation style thanks to the hands of the masters in the industry as Studio Ghibli. TheNi No Kuniseries as a whole delivers a relaxing, traditional RPG experience sure to bring a smile to the faces of new playersandPokemonveterans alike.
The second game,Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, somehow manages to improve upon the already mind-blowing visuals of the first game, and it also adds to the gameplay systems as well. While fans of both games do say that the first title excels in combat difficulty and story while the second game excels in visuals and mechanics, both are absolutely deserving of theirscores of 86 and 84respectively.
Out of everything on this list,Humanityis probably the weirdest inclusion and the one that most loosely fits the definition of a ‘creature collecting’ game. In this game, instead of collecting monsters or creatures, players are collecting and guiding humans as a small ethereal Shiba Inu.
And, instead of obtaining new creatures with new abilities, players slowly obtain more commands to give their humans that help solve the expertly crafted puzzles each level (whether developer or fan-made) possesses. This is a game that absolutely works as a recommendation for that niche group of people who love both puzzle games and monster-taming games, and the critics seem to agree asthey gave it a respectable Metascore of 85
Viva Pinatamerges monster-taming, resource management, and a sim game all into one intuitive and fun experience. Though it was released in 2006 for the Xbox 360, itstill maintains a Metascore of 84.
The game was a bit ahead of its time with hundreds of customizable elements. Players needed to foster a garden ecosystem in real time to attract other pinata species. The game included more than 60 species with infinite ways for players to design their gardens and bring in new pinatas.
Not only that, but almost no one is aware that there are multipleViva Pinatagames, and three of them have equally favorable scores to the original. The ‘sequel’ of sorts that introduces co-op play,Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise,has a score of 82while the handheld game,Pocket Paradise, is at exactly the same level,also with a score of 82.
Atlus' mainlineMegami Tenseiseries has not quite managed to reach the same critical heights asPersona, although the games have a hardcore fanbase who hold them in very high esteem. An argument could be made thatNocturneorApocalypserepresents the dark urban fantasy series at its best, butSMT 5is also fantastic.
Hard-as-nails combat and a finely-tuned demon-negotiation system serve asSMT’s cornerstones, and the fifth entry has perfected them. The story and exploration can leave something to be desired, though.
Cassette Beastsis one of those games that, from the outset, know that everyone playing it is going to be constantly comparing the game to something likePokemon. And, instead of constantly biting back on that comparison or trying to ‘fight it’,Casette Beastsis fine with the comparisons as it constantly surprises the player with all the ways the game separates or improves upon the tried-and-true Pokemon mechanics.
Things like the way the Partner characters are written, the creepier and foreboding story with actual consequences, or even the Fusion mechanic are all huge divergences from typical monster-taming game staples, and they all work well. Plus, as with any creature collect-a-thon game, the designs of the creatures are a huge part of the appeal. Thankfully, with over 120+ designs for theseCassette Beasts(not including all the meticulously designed Fusions), most of them are amazing designs, leading to this being one of the best recommendations on here for fans of the monster-taming genrewith a Metascore of 84.Additionally, this isalso a game on Xbox Game Pass' ever-expanding lineup, making it even more accessible than a lot of other titles on here.
