Monster-catching games are a type of RPG where you explore magical worlds, collecting and capturing your own monsters to fight alongside you. While handheld systems like the Switch and previous Nintendo consoles like the 3DS and DS are home to most of the famous monster-catching games, the PC landscape has quite a few heavy hitters for your consideration.

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If you're looking for a new creature collector with new monsters to tame, train, and battle, you've come to the right place. Below, we'll take a look at several of the absolute best monster-catching games that are available on PC.

Updated December 11, 2024: We've updated this list with even more monster-catching games to play on PC.

10 Monster Sanctuary

Monster Sanctuary

Action-Adventure 4.0/5 Released August 28, 2019 ESRB t Publisher(s) Team17 Engine unity Developer Moi Rai Games Genre(s) Action-Adventure Platform(s) PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One How Long To Beat 30 Hours OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

Monster Sanctuary is a side-scrolling Metroidvania creature collector with some of the best build diversity of any monster-catching game on this list. Every monster in Monster Sanctuary has its own skill tree, and unlocking new abilities in this tree creates synergies between your different monsters in tons of unique ways.

The exploration in Monster Sanctuary is also top-notch, as you'd expect from a Metroidvania, offering a rewarding experience with new monsters and secrets around every corner. If you're looking for a strategic creature collector that lets you theory craft the perfect monster team, Monster Sanctuary is one of the best.

9 Coromon

Coromon

RPG Indie Games Adventure Strategy Released March 31, 2022 ESRB e Engine Solar2D Developer TRAGsoft Genre(s) RPG, Indie Games, Adventure, Strategy Platform(s) Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS Publisher Freedom Games How Long To Beat 51 hours OpenCritic Rating Fair Powered by Expand Collapse

Coromon is a reimagining of classic monster-catching games like Pokemon. What sets Coromon apart from other creature collectors is its dedication to perfecting this genre. From its stylish pixel art and amazing monster designs to modern improvements like built-in randomizer and Nuzlocke modes, Coromon is a must-play for fans of this genre.

There are also tons of customization options in this game. You can completely customize your character's look with outfits and hairstyles, and your Coromon can get similar treatment with different skins that change their color palettes. Once your team is looking the best it can be, you can challenge your friends in online battles.

8 Cassette Beasts

Cassette Beasts

RPG 3.5/5 Released April 26, 2023 ESRB E10+ For Everybody 10+ due to Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Bytten Studio Publisher(s) Raw Fury Engine Godot Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Genre(s) RPG Platform(s) PC, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One How Long To Beat 18 Hours File Size Xbox Series 1 GB (November 2023) Metascore 84 X|S Optimized No OpenCritic Rating Mighty Powered by Expand Collapse

Cassette Beasts is an Isekai monster-catching game that is centered around its Fusion mechanic. After capturing your creatures in cassette tapes, you then transform into your monster to battle, and all battles take place in a 2v2 format, as you work together with various characters that have also been transported to this strange new world.

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What makes Cassette Beasts special is that you can fuse with your partner in combat to create an entirely new beast, with its own unique design. There are over 14,000 Fusion combinations to discover, so enter the New Wirral and get exploring!

7 Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

RPG JRPG Exploration Creature Collector Released July 9, 2021 ESRB Everyone 10+ / Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact Developer(s) Capcom, Marvelous Publisher(s) Capcom Engine MT Framework Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op Franchise Monster Hunter Genre(s) RPG, JRPG, Exploration, Creature Collector Platform(s) PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC How Long To Beat 41 Hours OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a sequel to the original Monster Hunter Stories, itself a spin-off from the main Monster Hunter games. While you will definitely still be hunting monsters with oversized weapons, in Monster Hunter Stories, you'll be doing so alongside your very own Monsties, or tameable versions of the normal monsters.

At first appearance, the combat system of Monster Hunter Stories 2 may seem overly simple, following a rock-paper-scissors format. However, the fun comes in learning each monster's patterns and personalities, and then countering them. Special moves, team attacks, and different weapon mechanics all combine to make the combat very satisfying, even for MH veterans.

6 Nexomon

Nexomon

RPG Released July 10, 2020 ESRB e Developer(s) VEWO Interactive Inc. Publisher(s) VEWO Interactive Inc. Genre(s) RPG Platform(s) PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

Nexomon is a beautiful monster-catching game with colorful locations to explore and fully animated monster sprites, and with over 300 monsters to catch, this is no small feat. Nexomon also features a charming story that doesn't take itself too seriously, with plenty of humor and fourth wall breaks throughout.

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What sets Nexomon apart is its wealth of quality-of-life features thanks to the Custom Mode option when starting a new game. Using these settings, you can do things like turning off or randomizing encounters, boosting EXP gain, disabling the level cap, and much more to customize your experience.

5 Siralim Ultimate

Siralim

RPG Adventure Indie Games Strategy Released March 12, 2021 ESRB t Engine Game Maker Studio 2 Developer Thylacine Studios Genre(s) RPG, Adventure, Indie Games, Strategy Platform(s) iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Linux Publisher hylacine Studios How Long To Beat 30 hours Powered by Expand Collapse

Siralim Ultimate is a monster-catching game for players who want to dive deep into building planning. There are over a thousand monsters to tame, creating synergies with each other in new and unexpected ways. You can spend hours planning out your party before diving into the endlessly generated dungeons to get resources and loot.

If you like your games with meat on them, Siralim Ultimate is one of the meatiest. If you like grinding, build planning, interconnected systems, and strategic turn-based combat, Siralim Ultimate will leave you satisfied for many hours to come.

4 Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition

JRPG 4.0/5 Released October 17, 2019 ESRB e Developer(s) h.a.n.d. Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Games Franchise Digimon Genre(s) JRPG Platform(s) Switch, PC How Long To Beat 100+ Hours OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

The complete edition of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth includes both games in the series: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory, allowing you to catch and battle over 300 Digimon across two massive JRPGs. The stories are also linked together, so you'll definitely want to play Cyber Sleuth first to completely understand how the games connect.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth follows a hacker exploring the Digiverse, investigating mysterious Digimon-related incidents in the digital world. If you're looking to get immersed in the Digiverse, training up a team of your favorite monsters, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth won't disappoint.

3 Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

JRPG 3.5/5 Released December 1, 2023 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Language Developer(s) Tose, Armor Project Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Unity Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer Franchise Dragon Quest Platform(s) Nintendo Switch Genre(s) JRPG How Long To Beat 34 Hours OpenCritic Rating Fair Powered by Expand Collapse

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is the latest entry in this monster-catching spin-off series of Dragon Quest, but only the third game in the series to be released outside of Japan. The Dark Prince has everything you'd expect from a Dragon Quest game, including classic character designs from Akira Toriyama and a magical world to explore.

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There are over 500 monsters to recruit and battle, and the game's robust synthesis system allows you to combine the monsters you recruit into entirely new creatures. As you might expect from a Dragon Quest game, The Dark Prince has a great turn-based battle system, charming characters, and lots to do.

2 World Of Final Fantasy

World Of Final Fantasy

JRPG Released October 25, 2016 ESRB e Developer(s) Tose Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Orochi 3 Franchise Final Fantasy Platform(s) PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Switch, PC Genre(s) JRPG OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

Speaking of classic JRPG series that have monster-catching spin-offs, next up is World of Final Fantasy. If you've ever wanted to battle alongside a Chocobo, Cactuar, or Moogle, or any of the series' powerful summons like Shiva or Odin, you will love World of Final Fantasy.

The game has an incredibly charming art style, and its battle system is quite unique as far as turn-based games go. Each monster has a different size, and you will have to stack your monsters up to channel their abilities during battle. There are tons of references, easter eggs, and returning characters, making this the perfect monster-catching game for long-time Final Fantasy fans.

1 Moonstone Island

Moonstone Island

Digital Card Game Life Simulation Farming Released September 20, 2023 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Mild Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol Developer(s) Studio Supersoft Publisher(s) Raw Fury Engine Construct Platform(s) PC, Switch Genre(s) Digital Card Game, Life Simulation, Farming How Long To Beat 30 Hours OpenCritic Rating Strong Powered by Expand Collapse

Moonstone Island is a mashup of several genres, including creature-collecting, farming, deckbuilding, and lif-sim. If any of these appeal to you, you can't go wrong with Moonstone Island. There are 100 procedurally generated islands to explore, dozens of recipes to craft, and of course, creatures to collect.

Moonstone Island manages to blend its multitude of genres together in a way that makes the whole experience feel cohesive. For example, to tame new Spirits, you'll need different crops, which you'll need to gather the seeds for by exploring more islands, which in turn will require you to get stronger Spirits. This gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying, and will keep you coming back for more.

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