Open-world Creature Collector Aniimo Hits The Right Notes

If Pokémon and Genshin Impact had a baby, it would look like Aniimo. That’s not to say that the free-to-play creature-collecting MMO from developer Pawprint Studio 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 scratches that specific set of itches.

You begin the game as a beginner student for the Polaris Institute. After making it through the initial story and tutorial, you’ll be set loose in the world of Idyll to make your mark as a Pathfinder, catching and training Aniimo while exploring the world and discovering it secrets.

Out in the open world, you’re free to explore a vast area full of treasures, challenges, and other Aniimo to catch. In fine tradition, this is accomplished via throwing a tiny item at them – in this case, a cube called an Aniipod – and hoping to score the capture. You can sneak up behind an Aniimo, catch it while it’s sleeping, or weaken it in battle to increase your capture chance.

Fine twining

You always have an Aniimo at your side as you explore. You can direct it to use its attack on a target or “twine” with it to merge your forms and take control directly. I found that, in battle, it’s best to be untwined so your Aniimo could attack while you used special skills or attacked on your own, while puzzle-solving typically required the precision of twining to make sure you hit your mark. There are both basic Aniimo to fight and capture along with “alphas” that are more akin to boss battles that take time and skill to defeat.

Throughout the world, you’ll find various challenges that you’ll need your Aniimo to overcome. Each Aniimo has a special ability based on its element that you can use while twined to overcome obstacles. These can be as simple as a treasure chest covered in vines that you need to burn away with a flame attack, or places you have to burrow underground or float through the sky to reach. You can activate the abilities manually, though some, like gliding and swimming, are automatically enabled when you need them, which is a convenient touch.

There are also sanctums, closed-off “dungeons” where you have to use your Aniimo’s special abilities to reach the end. At least in the early part of the game that I experience, they’re pretty simple – mostly “burn this to progress” – but I can see the potential for working in more complex puzzles using a wide variety of Aniimo as the game progresses.

Creature comforts

I’m impressed with the level of detail that went into creating the game’s 88 Aniimos, or at least the ones I encountered. They’re all distinctive and show personality in their idle animations to the point 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’ll probably be able to pick out 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. There’s enough to do even in this small of an area that I was entertained, and the addictive nature of battling and capturing and leveling up your little creatures is as strong as ever, so good job by the devs in nailing that aspect of the game. Later gameplay elements include an RV for socializing and travel and a “homeland” where you can set up crops and an amusement park for your Aniimo.

Aniimo plays less like an MMORPG and more like an RPG with optional multiplayer. You’ll only discover new players in outposts or if you take someone with you out into the world. This is probably for the best, as you likely don’t want other players stomping around when you’re trying to capture a particular Aniimo, but don’t go into the game expecting to see lots of players wandering the world. Even if you treat it as a single-player RPG with no multiplayer elements, it’s enjoyable enough.

Aniimo brings with it several of what I feel are the downsides of the new wave of gacha-inspired games, though I’ll admit to having something of an antiquated opinion regarding that sort of thing. You’ll get achievements galore that will flood you with plenty of currencies that you’ll likely have no idea what to do with early in the game. It’s not as bad as others in the genre, but it can still be a little overwhelming.

Speaking of currencies, the cash shop doesn’t seem to be implemented yet, so I can’t give any impression of how that will go. I have to believe that it won’t be egregious in making it so you can buy rare Aniimo rather than catching them in the field, since that’s the entire purpose for the game’s existence. The currencies I did accumulate let me buy various cosmetics for my Pathfinder or Aniimo, so I’m hopeful that will be the limit when the game finally launches, though I could see the rarer, more powerful, Aniipods being offered.

While Aniimo does have many elements copied from other games, there’s also enough charm and originality to make it stand out. I’m always skeptical of perceived “copycat” games, and while Aniimo certainly borrows from other titles, I think it’s got enough to stand on its own furry four legs. I didn’t expect much when I booted it up, but it was unexpectedly pleasant enough to make me want to check it out later when it launches for real.

That will be later in 2026 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and mobile devices. For now, you can sign up for the closed beta at aniimo.com.