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Despite flying extremely close to the plagiarism sun, Palworld remains one of the biggest and best creature collecting games on PC. A viral sensation when it launched, its blending of a Rust-style survival game with the core Pokemon fantasy remains incredibly popular. Now, turn-based RPG Portal Fantasy attempts to introduce its own cast of monsters into a top-down, pixel art experience that not only resembles the vibes of the early Pokémon games, but gives major Stardew Valley energy too.
Freshly launched onto Steam today after a short delay, Portal Fantasy whisks you away to the kingdom of Pyli. This pixel world may seem pleasant and vibrant on the surface, with its quaint towns and wilderness filled with collectible monsters called Porbles. However, there is a sinister underworld to uncover that revolves around “corrupted Porbles, secret organizations, and an ancient enemy.” You’ll also have to navigate environmental puzzles and obstacles along the way – this is no stroll in the park.
But what do you do with your Porbles? Of course, the main thing is to battle them. While this RPG’s overworld exploration is all top-down like the first few generations of Pokémon games, its battle scenes take on a fixed, side-on perspective. Combat is turn-based, unlike the real-time experience you get in Palworld and some of the more modern Pokémon titles.
There are 70 Porbles to collect at launch (with more coming in future updates) but even two of the same Porble could end up being very different from each other. Using the Fuse mechanic, which requires certain amounts of ingredients earned and found throughout the game, you can create new variants of your creatures, “unlocking new skills, stat boosts, and even visual transformations.”
Portal Fantasy is out right now on Steam. Until Wednesday, April 23, you can also get it with 10% off, making it just $17.99 / £14.39. Head to its Steam page if you want to add it to your library or learn more about it.
Also be sure to check out our list of the best turn-based RPGs for more tactical action. If you love Portal Fantasy’s aesthetic, you may find our guide to the best games like Stardew Valley quite useful too.
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