Aniimo Is a Mix of Pokemon and Infinity Nikki, & I’m Not Sure How to Feel About It Yet

The latest closed beta for Aniimo has officially come to an end. From July 9th to 25th, invited players got to check out the latest build for the upcoming free-to-play creature-collecting RPG. I was lucky enough to be among them. As one of ComicBook’s resident creature collector and free-to-play game enthusiasts, I’ve had my eye on Aniimo since it was announced. In fact, I previewed an earlier build of the game back in January. So I was pretty eager to return to Idyll and see what’s changed.

Though the opening story beats and gameplay remained largely the same, I could immediately feel how far Aniimo has come from my last experience. With more voice lines and a more well-developed story, the world of Idyll certainly felt more alive this time around. I also got to spend more time there, journeying further into the world and story. After this latest Closed Beta, I came away with the impression that Aniimo is a sort of hybrid between Pokemon and Infinity Nikki. And I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Idyll is Starting to Take Shape in the Latest Aniimo Closed Beta

When I first played Aniimo back in January, the beauty of the anime-inspired world was one of the highlights. At the time, though, it was still held back by some technical issues that caused some lag and stuttering for me. The optimization has definitely improved since then, making for a smoother overall experience. This let me really sink into the world of Idyll. It’s still stunning, even on the lowest graphics setting that let my aging PC run the thing. But it also feels a bit empty.

Working your way through the story of Aniimo will bring you to various areas across its open world. You can fast travel right from the start, which is great for speeding through the story. But it does mean you aren’t really encouraged to linger or roam. And that could well be by design, as the world still feels a bit empty at this stage of the game. Sure, there are puzzles and hidden chests to encounter. But aside from roaming Aniimo, there aren’t many NPCs or points of interest to encounter. That makes it all too tempting to just fast-travel your way from goal to goal, which I did admittedly find myself doing.

That said, the world does feel like it’s coming together. I love that you can understand the Aniimo when you Twine with one of the same species. This adds a delightful layer to the worldbuilding, along with the overarching story from your quests. Those quests are starting to take shape too, with new voice lines and lore that builds out the world of Idyll. Best of all, the charm of twining with your Aniimo to navigate the story and battle remains one of the key components of the game. It’s just plain fun compared to other creature collectors, and it really lets you get in on the action.

Now that I’ve spent more time with Aniimo, I think my initial Palworld comparison falls flat. Yes, there are still Palworld-like elements here, especially once you unlock your RV and start putting your Aniimo to work on the farm. But as I progressed through the story, I couldn’t help but think of another game entirely: Infinity Nikki.

Aniimo Has Free-to-Play Written All Over It, Even Before You Can Buy Anything

As I said earlier, I love a free-to-play game. They tend to come with layers of in-game rewards to earn, and I love the dopamine hit of grinding for free currency. Naturally, that means I’ve got some hours in games like Infinity Nikki. And the Closed Beta for Aniimo took me back to my time there, in both good ways and bad. Once you get through the early tutorial and begin your journey in earnest, Aniimo hits you with the in-game reward notifications.

During the beta, there were several achievements to unlock, with countless notifications to clear as you did. Despite knowing my progress wouldn’t carry over, I couldn’t let those notifications linger. I had to claim them all. And that’s what made me think of Infinity Nikki. Though it’s not a gacha, Aniimo‘s use of in-game menus, events, and stamps makes it hard to forget you’re in a free-to-play game. I love the competionist vibes and having a daily goal, but I did start to feel a smidge overwhelmed by just how often I had to clear those notifications to stay focused on the game itself.

Because it was a beta, the actual monetization wasn’t in place quite yet. So I can’t really tell you what that structure will look like yet, except to say that there are plenty of ways to earn in-game items the old-fashioned, free-to-play grind way. If you like that kind of grind, you’re probably going to like Aniimo. But I do hope they tone down the notifications just a smidge as we head towards full release. I want to be able to settle in and focus on the story and world a bit more, rather than endlessly claiming rewards from the different event banners.

After spending several more hours with Aniimo, I think it’s got big potential both as a competitor to Pokemon and to other free-to-play heavy hitters. Being able to actually battle as your Aniimo remains a big plus, and the world is really starting to take shape. But I think it’s going to have the same challenges as any free RPG, where striking the right balance for monetization will be a make-or-break element. We’ll find out how they do later this year, as Aniimo is set for a Q3 2026 release for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and mobile.

Did you get a chance to play Aniimo during the latest Closed Beta? What do you think of what you’ve seen so far? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!