Palworld fever consumed the gaming community in 2024, but all good things eventually come to an end. If your interest in Palworld is starting to wane, here are some alternatives you need to try.
At first, it was touch and go whether Palworld would succeed. But it’s safe to say Palworld exceeded everyone’s expectations after four million copies sold in three days and sales climbed to an astonishing seven million in five days. The RPG was a huge dub for developer Pocketpair, so if you’re looking for something else to scratch that itch, keep reading.
The 8 best games like Palworld to play
While not every entry on this list replicates every aspect of Palworld down to a tee, my recommendations should fulfil your desires to battle otherwordly creatures, recruit minions to your ever-growing army, or venture across a gorgeous, expansive world.
Pokémon
Oh look, it’s Palworld without guns. The creature-catching genre wouldn’t be the same without the franchise that started it all. Pokémon isn’t just the birthplace of creature-catching, battling, and leveling up your companions, it’s easily one of the most profitable franchises in history. If you somehow still haven’t played a Pokémon game, I implore you to pick up a copy of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet or Pokémon Legends Arceus—the latter of which feels closer to Palworld.
Temtem
Temtem’s biggest selling point is that it’s an MMO. After a couple of years in early access, Temtem had its full release and sold well over a million copies, garnering a ton of praise for its fun-but-faithful approach to the genre. It’s available on multiple platforms and embraces creature-catching as well as any other game on the market.
Ni No Kuni
Level-5 is the genius behind legendary series like Dark Cloud, Professor Layton, and Ni No Kuni. This game has typical JRPG gameplay elements and aesthetics, but also includes some of the best aspects of Palworld that you know and love. It has a large, fresh open world, tons of weird and wonderful monsters to fight, and magical elements. The best part is that there are multiple games in the franchise.
Enshrouded
Releasing not long after Palworld’s early access period began, Enshrouded was in real danger of being overshadowed by Palworld’s lingering goliath-like presence. As another game that chose the early-access route, Enshrouded’s survival-focused world demands you find gear, craft items, and do what you can to stay alive. Why? Because murderous monsters lurk around every corner, and only your dedication and ability to systematically micromanage all aspects of your character’s life will ensure you don’t become a creature’s chew toy.
Ark
If any game relies upon crafting and resource-gathering more than the Ark franchise, I’ve yet to see it. While it isn’t for everyone, Ark: Survival Evolved and its remake Ark: Survival Ascended proudly exclaim their purpose in the title. Dinosaurs surround you, so it’s only natural you’ll need to become efficient and productive to manufacture the means to terrorize creatures ten times the size of you—and bigger. What makes Ark so cool, though? Taming Dinosaurs, of course.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Unless you’ve been living under a secret Korok-disguised rock, there’s little I need to say about 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Even in one of the most competitive years in gaming history, Tears of the Kingdom scooped countless awards and is already regarded as an all-time great, perhaps even ranking as the best Zelda game ever.
The Kingdom of Hyrule is mind-blowingly expansive and crammed full of detail and quests. Its subtle touches, from finding new locations to opening chests, will make you raise a questionable eyebrow at Palworld and wonder where it got much of its inspiration from.
Monster Hunter
Conceptually, Monster Hunter falls into the same bracket as a few other entries on this list. Capcom’s larger-than-life beast-hunting game foregoes the ensnaring of enemy creatures and instead offers a wealth of titanic battles against high-HP hostiles, as well as a litany of RPG elements. Improving your gear to become stronger, and crafting items to help you live (and monsters not so much) is all part and parcel of a franchise 20-years-deep and counting.
Minecraft
You might consider this entry a cop-out, as most people have either played Minecraft at some point in their lives or complained about it. Minecraft is a ubiquitous entity that will likely transcend generations and continue puzzling newcomers as to how such a rudimentary-looking sim could be so critically acclaimed.
But Minecraft’s 300 million copies sold and 100 million monthly active players tells you all you need to know about why Palworld incorporates many principles from Minecraft, and it will probably outlive all of us.
