Creature collector RPG EvoCreo brings its turn-based monster battling to Steam, a decade on from mobile

I found the opening 15 minutes of EvoCreo’s demo to be a laugh riot, mostly because I accidentally named my character “Help”, not “Helen”. This lent a certain urgency to all the routine scene-setting and tutorial dialogue. Help, Farmer Whatshisname is looking for you! Help, I’m adding a map feature to your tablet! Help, there are over 170 Creos to discover! Given that RPGs can be sluggish at first, I think I’m going to adopt this as standard practice going forward. Nothing gets you over the opening hump like the impression that everybody you speak to has just escaped from a burning house.

Already fed to the Maw, and available on Steam today, EvoCreo is a PC port of a popular creature collecting mobile game from 10 years ago. Based on the little time I’ve spent as a budding Pokémon Trainer Creo Evoker it feels like derivative but entertaining genre fare, transplanted to desktops with minimal ceremony.

According to developer rioneye, posting on the Steam forums, the new PC version won’t feature an in-game shop, and will include some of the mobile version’s separately sold DLC and premium items, though I’m not clear on final pricing. The demo’s 2D anime visuals and big-buttoned interface feel like a straight lift from the mobile game, but the presentation and controls have apparently been improved for the full Steam release. I think if you’re really into this kind of thing, the sense of playing an emulated version won’t bother you much, but this isn’t exactly a posh remaster project.

It hits many of the beats you’re likely expecting. Taming monsters during open exploration. Arena fights. Evolutionary paths. Scraps with elite tamers. The devs seem especially proud of the combat system, which they say is about “more than matching types”, in a gentle jab at older instalments of Nintendo’s monster-taming series. “Manage move cooldowns, status effects, and powerful passive traits in deep, turn-based battles that reward smart team building and tactical thinking,” the Steam page explains. There’s a longer primordial account of the differences on the original 2013 Kickstarter.

You can expect online PvP at some point after release. Maybe give the demo a shot, while it’s live? And let me know if you think of any amusing character names. I guess “Argh” or “Achoo!” would kindle a similar mood.