Monster Tamer

Monster Tamer is a turn-based monster RPG about making friends. Thirty original creatures in six types live around a cartoon island, from a mossy bunny and a candle with a flickering flame to a castle-shelled snail and a thundercloud cat. Go for a walk in the Sunny Meadow, Pebble Cave, Lily Pond, Apple Orchard, the Lighthouse or the Star Festival and three wild monsters hop out for a three-on-three battle. When one is worn out, offer it a treat: the lower its energy, the better the odds, and if it says no it simply hops away for now. Nobody ever gets hurt; a monster that runs out of energy is just tired out and takes a nap.

It is a brain game more than a button masher. Types sit in a ring where each one beats the next (splash beats flame, flame beats leaf, leaf beats stone, stone beats spark, spark beats breeze and breeze beats splash), every move shows its power and accuracy, a strip at the top shows the turn order, and when you pick a target the game shows the damage to expect. Build a team of six, swap pals in and out, level them up and watch them evolve through as many as three stages, while the monster book fills in with everyone you meet and befriend.

Eight clubs wait around the island, each led by a friendly leader with a themed team, and every badge opens a new place to explore. Your story saves after every turn, even in the middle of a battle, so you can close the tab and carry on later. For a quick game, the Tamer Cup is an endless ladder of tougher and tougher teams with a high score kept in your browser, and the Daily Walk is a new wild trio every day, the same for everyone.