Summary
Pokemonis a cultural juggernaut with its adorable critters and addiction-inducing slogan: ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All.’ Capturing a loyal worldwide fanbase,Pokemonis the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, beating out the likes ofStar WarsandMickey Mouse.
With all that lucrative merchandising opportunity, it’s bound to spawn a clone or two, and with the mobile gaming market being a wild west of mechanic-copying bedlam, it’s no surprise to find more than a few there.
As a slight disclaimer, this list will ignore any games that deliberately infringe on copyright with the use of licensed images.
One of the most recognizable games on this list,Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortysis based on thepopular animated series, and fans should already know what to expect — satire with a healthy dose of fourth wall breaking.
Players take control of a Rick collecting Mortys from across the multiverse and battling them with other Ricks. It’s amusing for a while, and fans of the show will surely get a kick out of it, but as a parody by design, the joke eventually wears thin, and the mechanics are ultimately left lacking.
8Monster Masters
Stadium Battles
Monster Mastersemphasizes battling similar to thePokemon Stadiumseriesas opposed to the wider collecting and raising of monsters elements. Players have access to a collection of monsters they can form into pre-set teams to do battle with other players.
Stats and move sets can be altered in-between battles as monsters level up, with a whole range of cosmetics, unlockables, and loot boxes to keep players engaged. Battles essentially work on the cooldown system popular with mobile games, with more powerful attacks taking longer to charge. It’s a neat and addictive system that’s great for short bursts of gameplay.
7EvoCreo
Stacked Roster
One of the earlier examples of a mobilePokemon-style game,EvoCreodoes show its age a little compared to the other offerings in the app store. The format sticks closely tothe olderPokemongames, and it can become repetitive, lacking the signature charm of its inspiration.
WhereEvoCreodoes stand out is in the battle system, particularly when equipping moves. There’s an impressive pool of moves broken into normal, elite, and healing, with each Creo having a combination of all three. There’s also a large roster of Creo to capture, producing a high ceiling for players looking to max out their teams with the best synergies.
Coromonpays homage to the original look and feel of those classicPokemongames. For fans looking to recapture that nostalgia without simply doing another run-through ofPokemon HeartGoldorSoulSilver,Coromonis a great option.
The main difference is the difficulty, which has been notably scaled up fromPokemon’smore accessible brand. Gyms are replaced with boss fights that offer a real challenge in the form of overpowered team-wiping monsters more akin to otherJRPGs likeFinal Fantasy. The hardest difficulty setting is alsoessentially a Nuzlocke runfor seasoned veterans seeking even more challenge.
5Beastie Bay
Trailblazer
What many would consider the original mobile clone, it’s a testament to the quality ofBeastie Baythat it is still being discussed over a decade later. Few mobile games enjoy that longevity, with deluxe editions being subsequently ported to home consoles.
It’s distinct among its peers as it blends elements of city building and resource management.As players explore to expand their city, they encounter monsters in turn-based battles that can later be added to their party and leveled up in a continuous loop.
Nexomonand its subsequent sequelNexomon: Extinctionsuccessfully modernized the classicPokemonformula in a way even the mainline games struggled to before making the leap into full 3D home console releases. The art style is stunning, and the world is full of color and life.
Adopting the top-down format but allowing players free exploration beyond a few mission-critical locations, the game successfully scales the challenge to match the player’s current level, allowing them to forge their own path to collect and raise their favorite Nexmon.
Siralim Ultimatetakes a decidedly more mature approach than most to the gameplay and character design, using elements from traditional fantasy dungeon crawlers. That will immediately endear it to certain fans, but underneath that is an incredibly robust and well-written adventure.
For starters, players belong to a certain class that grants them access to certain abilities and buffs — as well as deciding their starting monster. Each monster also has a class and race, dispensing with the traditional elemental-based advantages in favor of equipable items that allow for greater variety in builds fora player’s favorite monsters.
Cassette Beastswas originally released on consoles and PC, with a mobile port launched at the start of 2025, meaning it took a different route than most to this list. The developers took full advantage of the additional scope afforded to craft a critically acclaimed indie hit.
Cassette Beastshas a lot of heart and character, offering its own clear identity with an emphasis on music — and that theme is littered throughout, with move sets represented by stickers on tapes and remasters instead of evolutions. Players record monsters throughout the world and transform into them in battle alongside their companion.
It may not be the optimal way to experienceMonster Hunter Stories,but the originally 3DS exclusive is now available on Android and IOS. What is there to say? It’s afullMonster Hunter titlewith a revamped combat scheme that features raising and training the iconic monsters from across the series.
It does come with a hefty price tag for a mobile game, but there are literally 50 hours of story gameplay and dozens more hours of exploration, so it does justify it. It’s a really novel take on the Monster Hunter games, and it combines some of the series’ signature crafting to level up the player character alongside companion monsters.
