Do you want to transform into the ultimate Pokémon master on your best Android gaming phone? Outside of emulation, the main series is nowhere to be found on Android and iOS. Essentially all the addictive gameplay elements, filling up an entire index/compendium, befriending a diverse cast of creatures, and becoming the world’s best tamer/trainer, are all locked inside the Nintendo vault. But thankfully, Pokémon isn’t the only IP that shares similar themes by offering deep monster-catching mechanics. So we’ve rounded up the very best Android games often mistaken for Pokémon clones, so you can finally get a taste of “gotta catch ’em all” without investing in Nintendo hardware.

1 EvoCreo

EvoCreo is in the same vein as Pokémon for monster-collecting and battling; you’ll catch Creos in wild grass, form a party of five, and train them to become strong in battle. But what sets EvoCreo apart from Pokémon is the deep customization adding a new layer of strategy from the usual “gotta catch ’em all” collecting frenzy. In battle, your Creos use tiered and rechargeable moves to prevent you from spamming the same powerful move for cheap wins, giving you some semblance of a challenge.

And if you’re stuck, there’s more in the bag to get your team up and running, like the boons and traits system providing additional buffs and bonuses in combat. So if you’re coming into the Pokémon games looking for deeper gameplay, EvoCreo brings in those enriching customization tools you’ll find in the best RPGs on Android.

2 Monster Hunter Stories

Monster Hunter Stories is definitely a Pokémon knockoff in full capacity. It’s a port of a Nintendo 3DS title that actually works well on Android. The downside of Monster Hunter Stories is the regular pricing is a bit on the hefty side compared to most mobile games. Monster Hunter Stories does offer more of a focus on the breeding mechanic, where you’ll find and hatch eggs while venturing around monster dens. The game features a charming storyline that’ll surely draw in your love for adventuring.

3 Beastie Bay

Imagine a mashup between an old-school Pokémon game with Stardew Valley — that’s basically what Beastie Bay is. Unfortunately, the island doesn’t welcome you with open arms, leaving it in your hands how you want to approach island life. Will you turn your island experience into a wilderness survival trip or create an island of paradise?

Everything is determined by how hard you work, such as the resources you collect, the bases you build, and the farmlands you maintain. Of course, it wouldn’t feel like Pokémon without the ability to battle, capture, and trade critters with your friends. All in all, Beastie Bay does a decent job of including all our favorite core features from Pokémon.

4 Evertale

New players won’t think Evertale is a Pokémon clone. And this is partially true since Evertale 2.0 launched, giving the entire game a rehaul on the gacha system to include characters. However, the monster-catching gameplay is still a central feature while playing through the story campaign; catching rare monsters from the shaking grass, needing to knock down the monster’s health to increase the odds of captures, and some designs vary from cutesy to fierce, just like Pokémon.

Even if you’re here to collect monsters, you can ignore character collecting and focus on forming a team of monsters for a more authentic Pokémon-like experience. But Evertale isn’t afraid to persuade you to “catch ’em all” either, which is fantastic for motivated collectors like ourselves.

5 Monster Super League

It’s no secret that we are big fans of Pokémon’s vibrant and cutesy designs. Luckily, Monster Super League takes great inspiration by creating a game full of beautiful animations and charming creature designs. But Monster Super League isn’t just there to be eye candy. We are still getting all Pokémon classic goodies, like adventuring, Astromon (this game’s version of Pokémon) collecting, battling, and trying to become the best master in the world.

Monster Super League also brings in a sense of urgency (unlike most Pokémon games) where the balance restoration of the world is in your hands, so the actions you take, and the preparations you make, will ultimately decide the world’s impending fate.

6 Clash Royale

Maybe you’re a bit burnt out on the traditional monster-catching and collecting gameplay loop, and you prefer the other flavoring, Pokémon’s trading card game (TCG). Clash Royale resembles Pokémon’s TCG with how you collect monster cards, outsmart your opponents during real-time strategy duels, and upgrade your lineup to build the best deck possible.

Of course, this style of card playing isn’t out of the norm for some of the best card games we have on Android. But we chose Clash Royale due to the simplicity of how building out your deck and battling it out works, much like how’d you’d approach any standard match in Pokémon’s TCG.

7 Neo Monsters

Neo Monsters introduces a new spin on Pokémon battling. The game introduces 4v4 between two teams with 16 monster slots, which is a lot more to juggle than from the usual 6 or fewer Pokémon teams you form, where you’re sending out one Pokémon at a time (unless special circumstances in some Pokémon games) to duke it out.

Catching, training, and evolving your monsters will be important when maintaining your teams, and Neo Monsters certainly doesn’t shy away from its combat-heavy roots. So you’ll either appreciate what Neo Monsters brings to the table or decide it may not be for you.

8 Monster Masters

Monster Masters is another monster dueler-focused game, but it doesn’t take as much time to play through matches. Team management becomes limited around the monsters you collect, which can be both good or bad depending on the type of player you are. What separates this game is the even larger emphasis on multiplayer; this is where Monster Masters shines.

And if you’re not feeling up to snuff on joining leagues, you can always participate in private battles with your friends. So, if you’re looking for a quick monster dueler while on the go, we recommend trying out Monster Masters.

9 Dungeon Village 2

Being a Pokémon fan, you might’ve dabbled in Niantic’s AR game, Pokémon Go. The app uses real-world locations to feel like you’re getting a Pokémon experience in your house or on a walk. But maybe you’d prefer to throw away those real-life settings and connections within your games; here’s where Dungeon Village 2 shines the most as a Pokémon clone. Essentially you have to work on building your charming RPG town, which can be parked anywhere from alluring snowfields to luscious grasslands. And if you’d like, you can recreate the small-town vibe from Pallet Town or a bustling city like Lumiose City. But, of course, city management is only part of the experience; you still have to go out (in the app only) and befriend monsters and consider traveling to other regions to discover monsters native to those lands — sound familiar?

10 Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortys

Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortys clearly took great inspiration (maybe in a parodic way) from the mainline Pokémon games. The app’s premise is to collect Mortys, each Morty has its own variation, and your job is to catch them all and train them up, so you can build out a powerful team to battle against other Morty trainers. In addition, the game includes multiplayer, which is another fun incentive to catch and evolve only the best Mortys to win your matches confidently. And even if you’re not here to build a competitive roster, you can always just leisurely play through the campaign mode while uncovering all the quirky (not-so-secret) Rick and Morty references. If you’re a fan of both, this is undoubtedly the app to load up on your phone/tablet.

11 Volzerk

In early 2023, Volzerk had a full English patch surprise dropped on Steam and Android. Volzerk is more of a crossover between Monster Hunter and Pokémon; it has the action RPG gameplay that Monster Hunter adopts and the spunky personalities and colorful world-building that Pokémon offers.

You play as Fina, a young adventurer seeking legendary monsters. In the first 10 minutes of the game, she makes her monster-obsessive attitude extremely apparent, which leads to much concern expressed by her peers. It is duly noted that not all these creatures are friendly, but Fina believes the power of friendship will tame any monsters in the wild — and if 25 seasons of the Pokémon TV series with Ash Ketchum has taught us anything, this approach works wonders.

12 Peridot

Pokémon Go has been out since 2016; Niantic knows Pokémon Go has been their prodigy for success in its AR-app lineup. However, replicating this formula over the years has not panned out, from project cancellations to a lack of popularity with other gaming IPs. But since the release of Peridot, Niantic has marketed this AR pet simulator at full throttle.

Graphically, these new critters look adorable and lively in 1080p, showcasing that quite a bit of money was invested into this game. However, to gain full enjoyment of Peridot, you will have to factor in the cost of microtransactions. The Tamagotchi-Pokémon Go hybrid title may try to tempt your wallet on more than one occasion. Still, it doesn’t take away from the fact it’s one of the best-looking AR games inspired by its big brother, Pokémon Go.

Become a monster tamer on Android with a few of the best Pokémon clones

With how revolutionary the Pokémon franchise has become, it’s no wonder many games have adopted their own versions of monster-taming and card trading. But if you don’t know where to start looking, that’s what today’s roundup is all about. Hopefully, it entices you to “gotta catch ’em all” with our selection of the best Pokémon clones you can find on Android.