With new Pokémon there comes considerable hand wringing. Last week’s announcement was capped off with a reminder that a more traditional, focused title would be released for the Nintendo Switch some time in 2019. Nonetheless, many have remarked their distaste for Let’s Go and the current trajectory of the franchise. For fans that might be feeling a little uneasy there are other options out there: enter Temtem, a Pokémon inspired MMO.

Crema, a small outfit based out of Madrid, has successfully secured funding for their monster collect and battle game Temtem. In roughly one week, the project has already clawed together $145,000 USD, more than double the originally requested amount of cash. Last year Crema released Immortal Redneck, a well-received FPS rogue-lite title.

The promotional videos and concept art featured on the studio’s Kickstarter page look robust. Already reached via fundraising goals is a built in “Nuzlocke mode:” a fan-crafted set of hardcore rules for Pokémon games requiring that players, among other things, release any Pokémon that faints into the wild, and only catch the very first Pokémon they meet in any named area. One of the final stretch goals, should it be reached, proclaims that Temtem will be made available on the Nintendo Switch which seems… ambitious, to say the least. It would be quite exciting to see Nintendo allow such a polished looking popular franchise clone onto their hottest new platform, especially Crema hoping to go gold by September 2019 (the same year Nintendo and Game Freak will be launching a core Pokémon title).

The one thing that Temtem seems to have going for it over Pokémon is the MMO aspect. Something that Pokémon has only sort of half-assed (the core titles have always had strangely limited functionality), Temtem is touting a playspace where users will be able to interact, trade, and battle with other Temtem tamers.

If Crema has coaxed you in, or if you want to check out the pitch for yourself, there’s still plenty of time to support the scene via Kickstarter here.

Image Source: Crema Games