Games like Pokemon

Pokemon started in 1996 and is made by Game Freak with Nintendo, Creatures and The Pokemon Company. You catch creatures, train a team and battle. These games keep the catching and team building, some on phones and some on PC and consoles.

Monster catching games like Pokemon

Temtem. Crema's 2022 creature collector with online play and 2v2 battles. The closest to a Pokemon MMO.
Coromon. TRAGsoft's 2022 game with a classic Pokemon structure, harder battles and pixel art. On PC, Switch and phones.
Cassette Beasts. Bytten Studio's 2023 RPG where you record monsters on tapes and fuse two of them into one during battle.
Monster Sanctuary. Moi Rai Games' 2020 mix of platforming and monster teams, with skill trees for each creature.
Palworld. Pocketpair's survival game, in early access from 2024 and fully released in July 2026. You catch Pals, but also build a base, craft guns and put creatures to work.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Square Enix's 2023 game about recruiting and breeding Dragon Quest monsters. Out on Switch first, then on PC and phones in 2024.

Pokemon you can play on your phone

Nintendo does not put the main series on phones, but there are official mobile games. Pokemon GO (2016) lets you catch Pokemon in the real world as you walk. Pokemon TCG Pocket (2024) is the card game, built for quick sessions. Pokemon Unite (2021) is a 5v5 team battle game. All three are free to start.

What to look for in a Pokemon-like

Ask what you liked most. If it was the journey and gyms, Coromon and Temtem keep that shape. If it was team building, Cassette Beasts and Monster Sanctuary go deeper. If you want an open world with something new to do, Palworld is the wild card.

Or put the idea in your own world: your street as the region, your pets as starters, your friends as gym leaders.

Play it on Roam

Make your own monster catching game with Roam

Describe the region, the starter and the creatures, and Roam builds a playable adventure on your iPhone. Add a rival by saying so.

Try: "monster catching adventure on my street, my dog is the starter, weaken wild creatures and throw a ball, 8 gyms run by my friends"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

What is the most similar game to Pokemon?

Temtem and Coromon are the closest in structure: a region, a team of creatures and turn-based battles.

Are there free games like Pokemon on mobile?

Pokemon GO, Pokemon TCG Pocket and Pokemon Unite are official and free to start. Coromon is also on phones.

Is Palworld like Pokemon?

It has creature catching, but it is mainly an open-world survival game with crafting, base building and guns.