Aniimo is an upcoming creature-collecting ARPG just revealed at Xbox Games Showcase
Gotta... acquire them all?
- Aniimo is a newly-unveiled creature-collecting ARPG from Pawprint Studios
- Collect creatures known as Aniimo and magically merge with them
- Use each creature's abilities to navigate and explore the magical world of Idyll
With the weekend just wrapping up, you'd think we'd be hard-pressed for stuff to cover on a Monday morning. But the past two days have been chock-full of new announcements at various showcases, not least the upcoming creature-collecting ARPG Aniimo from Pawprint Studios, which was unveiled with a gorgeous trailer.
Unveiled during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 and published by the new FunPlus label Kingsglory, Aniimo sees you entering the magical world of Idyll, populated by the titular creatures. You'll not only collect them, but actually merge with and play as them, using each of the Aniimo's unusual abilities to navigate the landscape and uncover hidden areas.
Aniimo is slated for a 2026 release date, with news of a closed beta set to take place later this summer. Fans wanting to keep in touch with news on Aniimo and that aforementioned beta can sign up over on the official Aniimo site.
Animated
The ability to merge with your Aniimo, known as Twining, is core to the gameplay shown during the trailer. And it presents an interesting twist on the creature collection genre, one which has seen a huge number of entries over the past few years. But Aniimo has not just huge backing but also some rather impressive-looking graphics to boot.Aniimo certainly isn't lacking in either big-name backing or features, and while it is coming to a genre that isn't short on options, it looks as if it's going to be a real contender. So keep an eye out in 2026, or sign up for a chance to get into that closed beta!
Maybe it'll be a contender for next year's Pocket Gamer People's Choice Awards? It'll most likely face stiff competition, though, considering all the great releases this year that we've already ranked in our list of the best mobile games of 2025 (so far).
