The success of Palworld has already shown that Pokémon is no longer the sole market leader in the monster collecting genre. A new competitor has now presented a trailer that not only looks stunning but also shows what the gameplay has to offer.
What kind of game is this? Aniimo is a monster collector like Palworld or Pokémon and is currently still in development. While the exact release date is not yet known, it is already clear that the open-world RPG will be free to play on Steam and mobile.
As is common in monster collectors, it’s all about catching different creatures and adding them to your team. You can see how cute the little monsters look in the new trailer:
More than just collecting
What does the trailer show? In Aniimo, it is about more than just collecting Aniimos. The trailer already shows that the companions can also be used for crafting products, similar to Palworld. The Aniimos operate machines or take care of farming.
Instead of just watching the battles, players can transform into any collected Aniimo to overcome puzzles, challenges, and even battles, including boss fights, using the monster’s abilities.
During battles, it’s always possible to switch between different monsters to apply and attack enemies with various elements. The combat system is reminiscent of Genshin Impact and is based on the combined attacks of your Aniimos.
The focus in the trailer is clearly on the graphics. These are impressive even in the in-game scenes and look more high-quality and colorful compared to Palworld and especially in comparison to Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Aniimos really seem to shine. Even the fur textures of the monsters look much more realistic than those of the competition.
When can players play? Soon there will be an opportunity to take a look at the new monster collector. The developers have opened registrations for the second closed beta on the website Aniimo.com, where an unknown number of participants will be able to check out the game.
The applications for the closed beta will remain open until January 20, 2026. On January 21, it will be announced who gets to participate in the game. The beta is set to start on January 23.
With Aniimo, a new serious competitor is entering the market against Pokémon and Palworld. However, it is still unclear how the game intends to earn money, especially since it will be released for free. So far, only costumes are known that are likely to be purchasable for real money. Although Palworld is deeply embroiled in a legal dispute with Nintendo, the developers are celebrating a successful year: “Not bad for a dead game” – Palworld developers counter their haters while celebrating a successful year
