Creatures of Ava looks like a sweet alternative to Palworld, with stuffed animals instead of guns

Anyone who has played Pokémon long enough may become a little cynical about the creature collecting aspects of the game. You’re catching, breeding, and battling these adorable, and in the case of the Pokémon-inspired, creatures Palworld, and even employ them for forced labor. A new creature collecting game, Creatures of Avachooses a different approach: what if you were Nice to the animals?

Developers Inverge and Chibig revealed Creatures of Ava on Wednesday, which shows players taking on the role of young adult adventurer Vic on a mission to tame and collect wild fantastical beasts. But instead of trapping them in a spherical prison, Vic uses a flute (and hugs and belly rubs) to lure the game’s creatures home with her. The mission is to cure them of a widespread infection that the monsters are made from Creatures of Ava aggressive.

Publisher 11 bit Studios describes Creatures of Ava as an action-adventure game with a story full of ‘wonder, mystery and discovery’. The game’s story was co-created by writer Rhianna Pratchett (Tomb Raider, Thief) and promises to challenge players “to step outside the human-centric viewpoint and learn about the real toll it takes to preserve the primal beauty at Ava’s roots.”

Creatures of Ava doesn’t seem to have the spawning and evolution mechanics of Pokémon games, at least based on the game’s debut trailer. But it does let players traverse the planet and solve environmental challenges with the help of tamed creatures. Moreover, you can take pictures of it.

If gathering nonviolent creatures and playing the flute sounds like your speed, Creatures of Ava will launch on Windows PC and Xbox Series X sometime this year – and will be available on Game Pass day one.