Summary
Mythical creatures and supernatural monstershave become part and parcel of almost any game’s bestiary, especially in RPGs where players have to fight them to earn experience and make progress. While the likes ofPokémonandDigimonallow players to own and train these powerful beasts, it’s not often that players get the opportunity to actually create beasts of their own design.
Interestingly enough, certain games provide players with the tools needed to create their own versions of Frankenstein’s Monster, or amazing beasts straight out of their imagination. While a fantasy-oriented monster maker remains to be seen in gaming, some titles that stretch back decades do give players the ability to create their own creatures.
Introduced as more of an evolutionary simulator than a creature creator,The Saplingchallenges players to create their own lifeforms that interact in custom ecosystems. Beingan evolutionary sim, the focus of the game isn’t solely on creatures but rather on both plants and animals with unique traits. The game is touted as slowly teaching players how to adjust to various world conditions and traits before taking on the challenge of surviving on a sandbox planet.
Unlike other creature creators,The Saplingprovides options for players to rely on random generation for many of the game’s properties. Aside from getting a randomized planet, players may activate random mutations to see how their lifeforms would fare when left on their own. While creatures generated inThe Saplingare not based on fantasy, the in-depth science behind its gameplay may help players reinterpret mythical creatures from a technical standpoint.
Platforms
PC, Mac, PS4, Linux, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
At first glance,Nichelooks similar to other life sims with its emphasis on mutation and genetics. However,Nicheattempts to spice things up with the integration ofroguelike gameplay and turn-based strategywhere a hex board becomes the playing ground of survival for different species. Moreover, the game’s different biomes contain different plants, animals, and even predators that force the player’s creatures to evolve over time, especially when the game’s weather and climate features start affecting them.
The game’s simulation elements are based on real-life genetics, whereNichebreeds are affected by dominant/recessive genes, natural selection, mutation, genetic flow, and other scientific principles. The title’s combination of strategy and creature creation adds a deeper, more intentional layer to animals and even monsters players create in the life sim.
Perhaps the epitome of creature creation games, Will Wright’sSporerevolutionized the “life sim” genre by quite literally simulating life on a planet. Despite the game’s cartoonish graphics,Sporehas complex gameplay. Each playthrough in the Maxis game begins with players customizing a microscopic organism, grabbing parts before they “evolve” into creatures with player-selected traits that develop tribes, create societies, and eventually become space-faring civilizations.
Much of the creature-creatinginSporetakes place in its Cell and Creature Stages. Thanks to DNA Points, players can not only determine the base characteristics of their creatures, but their choice of shapes and appearances will also determine the abilities their species will end up having. While races inSporeare more humanoid than the traditional “mythical” creatures in fantasy literature, its in-depth creation is one of the earliest and most complex in the creature-creation subgenre.
Set in the jungle world of Qud,Caves of Qudis aroguelike with a heavy emphasis on retrofuturism and biopunkthat is centered around exploration. While players can explore the world as a species from one of the few eco-domes on the planet,Caves of Qudshines as a creature creator through its character creation system. When players create a character inCaves of Qud, the unique appearances of their head, arms, hands, back, and feet may all be modified by a variety of means.
On top of Morphotypes that affect a character’s appearance, players can become the creature of their wildest dreams through Physical Mutations and Cybernetics that provide both appearance and features. Afterward, the sandbox ofCaves of Qudbecomes the player’s oyster, where exploration eventually leads them to interact with the game’s vast ecosystem, ally with over 60 factions, and even die given the game’s rather brutal difficulty.
PC, Mac, Linux
Set in what appears to be a microscopic ecosystem,Siphoas a creature simulatortakes the Cell Stage ofSpore’sgameplayand sends it into overdrive. WhereasSporeprioritizes survival,Siphoencourages players to aim for total domination. On top of creating a custom organism through different parts,Siphooffers various functionalities with every chosen limb, appendage, and body part.
The world’s endless sandbox means players can endlessly explore their current environments without any limitations, with the game even offering ways of creating environments to play in. Bosses also litter the land to challenge a player’s creation, allowing them to steal parts of defeated foes to further mutate their creature into the ultimate creation.
PC, MacOS, Linux, Android
WhereasSiphoseems inspired bySpore’s Cell Stage, gameplay inCreature Creatortakes cues fromSpore’s Creature Stage. This time around, players construct creatures based on their interactions with the game’s vast open world, fighting for survival and collecting body parts that allow their monsters to survive various environments. As players stay inCreature Creatorto accomplish quests, they can further customize their monster to slowly see a faster-paced evolutionary cycle.
Meanwhile, players can also focus on creating creatures instead. Starting from the spine, players can attach various limbs and appendages that offer various features. Following a similar vibrant appearance asSpore, creatures inCreature Creatormay not immediately strike players as mythical. However, creative players may work their way towards traditional fantasy creatures with the appropriate body parts and coloration.
PC
Inspired by “The Island of Doctor Moreau” by H.G. Wells,Impossible Creaturesputs players in control of Rex Chance, a war reporter,whose late father, Dr. Eric Chanikov, caused the Tunguska Eventwhile creating the animal-fusing Sigma Technology. Unlike other creature creation titles,Impossible Creaturesis half life sim and half RTS, with players deploying their Sigma Technology creations to fight large-scale battles.
Despite only allowing two animals to be combined at a time, players can select which parts of the animals they want the creation to possess. In turn,Impossible Creaturespaves the way for hundreds of thousands of combinations. While the familiar nature of Earth-based animals leaves little room for entirely “new” species, horses and alligators with wings to form pseudo-pegasi and pseudo-dragons are certainly possible.
PC, Nintendo Switch
Among the entries in theMonster Rancherfranchise, the barest “essentials” of the series may be re-explored inMonster Rancher 1 & 2 DX.Intended as re-releases of the first two games, both titles maintain the same premise of players becoming a Trainer and raising monsters to become the Legend Cup Champion. Becoming more akin to a life sim,Monster Rancherexpects players to alsodevelop relationships with their monstersthrough different training methods.
Not only that, players can unlock various creatures by breeding them through a process called Combining, where a Primary Breed establishes a basic appearance and powerset while a Sub Breed modifies stats, color scheme, and aspects of their design. Breeds could be unlocked in the classic games by swapping out theMonster Ranchergamediscs with CDs, DVDs, and other games, giving a unique level of immersion to creature creation.
