Monster-taming game
A role-playing subgenre focused on capturing and training creatures.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
A monster-taming game—also called a monster-catching, creature collector, or simply a "mon"—is a subgenre of role-playing video games. While the Pokémon series stands as the most recognizable example worldwide, the genre’s roots stretch back decades. Early titles like *Cosmic Soldier* (1985), *Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei* (1987), and *Dragon Quest V* (1992) introduced core mechanics: players acquire creatures, train them, and deploy them in battles or other situations. Some games let the player support their monsters with items, while others, such as the *Megami Tensei* series and its *Persona* spin-offs, have the player character fight alongside them.
In *Cosmic Soldier*, players could recruit enemies by speaking to them, choosing to kill or spare them, and engaging in conversation—though these mechanics actually debuted in *Cosmic Soldier 2* or other later titles. The *Megami Tensei* series, starting in 1987, used a dialogue system where players convinced demons to join their party. Due to commercial concerns about occult themes, this series stayed exclusive to Japan for years, entering Western markets slowly. *Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna* (1987) allowed players to summon monsters, though this involved summoning rather than recruiting or taming in the monster-taming subgenre sense. *Dragon Quest V* introduced monster recruiting and training, later spawning the *Dragon Quest Monsters* spin-off series in 1998. *Robotrek* (1994) let players build up to three robots, send them into battle, and store them in capsules outside of fights—possibly inspiring the *Robopon* games.
The Pokémon series, launching with *Red* and *Blue* in 1996, popularized the genre, focusing on monster fighting and creature raising. For many players, it was their first taste of monster-taming, and it remains the most successful franchise in the genre. The contemporaneous *Digimon* series (1997) featured similar mechanics. Another fantasy-themed entry, *Jade Cocoon* (1998), received a cult-classic sequel in 2001. In 2011, Level-5 released *Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch*, heavily inspired by Studio Ghibli. They later developed *Yo-Kai Watch* as a Pokémon competitor; its popularity exploded in 2014, making it a cultural phenomenon, but declined significantly by 2018. In the United States, Studio Wildcard’s *Ark: Survival Evolved* (2015) offered an open-world monster-ta
- field
- Video game subgenre (role-playing)
- known_for
- Acquiring, training, and using creatures in battles
- most_famous_example
- Pokémon series
- early_examples
- Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (1987), Cosmic Soldier (1985), Dragon Quest V (1992)
Lore & Background
Monster-taming games share core mechanics such as being able to acquire creatures, train them, and use them to aid the player character in battles and other situations. Some games have the player character support the creatures with items, while others have the player partake in the fighting as well, such as Megami Tensei and its spinoff titles including Persona. Early examples include Cosmic Soldier (1985), where players could recruit enemies by speaking to them—though these mechanics actually belong to *Cosmic Soldier 2* or other titles. Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (1987) features a dialogue system to convince demons to join the party. Due to commercial concerns about occult themes, the Megami Tensei series remained exclusive to Japan for many years. Dragon Quest V (1992) introduced monster recruiting and training mechanics, later spawning the *Dragon Quest Monsters* spin-off series. Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna (1987) allowed players to summon monsters, but this is summoning rather than recruiting or taming in the monster-taming subgenre sense.
Reader's Guide
The monster-taming game genre, while most famously represented by Pokémon, has deep roots in earlier titles like Cosmic Soldier and Megami Tensei, which established core mechanics of recruiting and battling with creatures. Pokémon's 1996 debut popularized the 'monster fighting' and 'creature raising' aspects, making it a global phenomenon and the most successful franchise in the genre. The genre's influence extends to major series like Digimon, Dragon Quest Monsters, and Final Fantasy spin-offs, as well as indie titles that have found niche success. However, developers note that Pokémon's huge cultural impact has made it difficult for any indie monster-taming game to achieve a mega-hit comparable to Stardew Valley in the farming sim genre. Terms like 'Pokémon clone' are seen as derogatory by developers, implying a lack of originality. The genre continues to evolve, with Palworld's 2024 early access release drawing massive attention and a subsequent lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company over patent rights.
Did You Know?
- Cosmic Soldier (1985) allowed players to recruit enemies by speaking to them and choosing whether to kill or spare them.
- The Megami Tensei series remained exclusive to Japan for many years due to the Satanic panic of the 1980s.
- Robotrek (1994) may have been the partial inspiration for the Robopon games.
- Palworld was nicknamed 'Pokémon with guns' and became the second most-played game on Steam after its January 2024 early access release.
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