If Pokémon and Genshin Impact had a baby, it would look like Aniimo. That’s not to say developer Pawprint Studio’s free-to-play creature-collecting MMO will ever be as big as either of those two franchises, but if you’re looking for something that combines creature-collecting with open-world exploration and puzzle-solving, Aniimo is for you.

You start the game as a beginner student at the Polaris Institute. After completing the initial story and tutorial, you will be transported into the world of Idyll to make your mark as a Pathfinder, capturing and training Aniimo as you explore the world and discover its secrets.

Out in the open world, you can explore a vast area full of treasures, challenges, and other Aniimo to catch. In good tradition, this is achieved by throwing a tiny object at them – in this case a cube called an aniipod – and hoping to score the catch. You can sneak up behind an Aniimo, catch it while it sleeps, or weaken it in battle to increase your chance of catching it.

Fine twist

You will always have an Aniimo by your side on your exploration tours. You can direct it to unleash its attack on a target, ou “link” it to them to merge your forms and take control directly. I’ve found that in combat it’s best to unbind so your Aniimo can attack while you use special abilities or attack solo, while solving puzzles usually requires the precision of the bind to ensure you hit your target. There are both simple Aniimo for fighting and conquering, as well as “Alphas”, which are more like boss fights that require time and skill to defeat.

There are various challenges around the world that your Aniimo must overcome. Each Aniimo has a special ability based on its element that you can use to overcome obstacles. This can be as simple as a treasure chest covered in vines that you have to burn with a flame attack, or places that you have to dig underground or float through the sky to reach. You can activate the skills manually, some such as: Cependant, features such as gliding and swimming are automatically activated when you need them, which is handy.

There are also Sanctuaries, self-contained “dungeons” where you must use your Aniimo’s special abilities to reach the end. At least in the early part of the game I experience, they’re pretty simple – mostly “burn this to progress” – but I see the potential to work on more complex puzzles with a variety of Aniimo as the game progresses.

Comfort for the creature

I’m impressed by the level of detail put into creating the game’s 88 Aniimos, or at least the ones I’ve encountered. They’re all distinctive and show so much personality in their idle animations that I found myself saying “Awww” more than a few times. It’s probably too late for them to become household names like Pokémon, but if you’re not picky about brands, you can probably pick a favorite or two.

I spent my time in the game’s first zone, Nimbus Fields, and even this low-level area was enough to show promise. Even in this small area I’ve been chatting in, there’s plenty to do, and the addictive nature of fighting, catching, and leveling up small creatures is as strong as ever, so the developers have done a good job of nailing that aspect of the game. Later gameplay elements include an RV for socializing and traveling, as well as a “homeland” where you can grow crops and an amusement park for your Aniimo.

Aniimo plays less like an MMORPG and more like a role-playing game with optional multiplayer. You only discover new players in outposts or when you take someone with you into the world. This is probably for the best, as you probably don’t want other players stomping around when you’re trying to catch a particular Aniimo, but don’t go into the game expecting a lot of players wandering around the world. Even if you look at it as a single-player role-playing game without any multiplayer elements, it’s still quite fun.

In my opinion, Aniimo brings with it some downsides to the new wave of gacha-inspired games, although I have to admit that I have a somewhat antiquated opinion on such things. You get tons of achievements that flood you with a ton of currency that you probably have no idea what to do with when you start the game. It’s not as bad as others in the genre, but can still be a little overwhelming.

Speaking of currencies, the cash shop doesn’t seem to be implemented yet, so I can’t give an idea of ​​how that will work. I am convinced that it will not be excessive to make it so that you can buy rare Aniimo instead of catching them on the field, since this is the sole purpose of the game’s existence. With the currencies I accumulated, I was able to purchase various cosmetics for my Pathfinder or Aniimo. So I’m hoping that this will be the limit when the game finally comes out, although I can imagine the rarer, more powerful Aniipods being offered.

Although Aniimo copied many elements from other games, it also has enough charm and originality to make it stand out. I’m always skeptical of supposed “copycat” jeux, and while Aniimo certainly borrows from other titles, I think it has enough to stand on its own. I wasn’t expecting much when I booted it up, but it was unexpectedly enjoyable enough to make me want to watch it again later when it actually comes out.

This will happen later in 2026 sur PC, Xbox Série X|S and mobile devices. Pour l'instant, you can register for the closed beta at the following address: aniimo.com.