You’d be forgiven if you haven’t heard of Aniimo, Pawprint Studio’s open-world free-to-play creature-catching RPG, which officially launched on 16th September for PC and consoles, and a week later on mobile.
But don’t let the lack of press coverage around its release fool you. CCUs on Steam peaked at 168K shortly after launch, and it’s had a strong opening week on mobile and console. The game’s official Discord server jumped from 50K members to 220K in just eight months, with over 277K player messages posted in the last 14 days alone, according to our analysis.
Aniimo is already a massively popular game with a thriving community around it, and it’s surprising to not see this reflected in media coverage. As a free-to-play live-service game, Pawprint Studio will be looking to address player feedback from launch in the weeks and months ahead to position the game as a genuine contender to rivals such as Wuthering Waves, Pokemon and Genshin Impact (we’ve seen a lot of comparisons with Palworld but Aniimo has more in common with the aforementioned titles due to its combination of creature-collecting, gacha and ARPG elements).
But in the absence of media write-ups, the big question now is: what do players actually think of Aniimo?
What does it do well? How did the 1.0 launch go? And which areas of the game should Pawprint Studios focus on and address as it builds momentum from here?
To find out, we’ve analysed over 100K player messages from the Aniimo Discord server to see if this creature-collector sleeper could be the next big hit. We hope this also provides an important overview of how valuable player feedback can be when it comes to determining the future success (or failure!) of new game releases.
Aniimo: 1.0 Launch Performance
We recently made some changes to Accord’s ‘Study’ tool, including an updated version of player sentiment tracking that lists the biggest positive and negative drivers according to urgency and message volume from unique users.
Studios can use this to analyse performance for specific game launches or updates (Early Access periods, demo trials, patch notes, etc.). In this case, we analysed the first six days of Aniimo’s 1.0 launch, with our filters ensuring that we only captured messages relating to the 1.0 launch (the 51k messages isn’t indicative of total messages posted in the Discord during this period).
The biggest positive driver for the game is the design of the Aniimo creatures you capture – an incredibly important aspect of the game given Aniimo’s creature-capture mechanics.
The biggest negative driver relates to hardware performance issues. But as we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, nearly all new game releases are going to encounter some sort of performance issue at launch, which players are always going to be vocal about, especially if these issues mean they can’t enjoy the game as they intended.
Typically, these performance issues are ironed out in patches a few weeks after launch. While analysis such as this provides studios with fantastic insight into specific performance-related issues, they aren’t indicative of the general sentiment surrounding the game. We can see this in the image below, where positive messages drop from 77% to 34% due to the heavy weighting of performance-related messages.
Comparisons with similar games: Aniimo and evolving the creature-capture genre
While this wasn’t the biggest driver of positive sentiment, it’s worth looking at the comparisons with other games first as they provide important context on the game and how it might grow by tapping into its competitors playerbases.
Players largely view Aniimo as a modern and improved evolution of the creature-collecting genre, often surpassing Pokémon in design, combat, and gameplay. While some people unfamiliar with the game might make immediate comparisons with Palworld due to its capture mechanics and base management, a significant portion of player messages focus on differentiating it from Palworld, consistently focussing on the fact it lacks the survival aspects of Palworld.
They highlight Aniimo’s focus on adventure, exploration, and ARPG combat, contrasting it with Palworld’s base-building, crafting, and more open-ended survival loop. Many see Aniimo as a more polished and unique experience, often expressing relief that it avoids the perceived controversies or gameplay styles of Palworld.
Common comparisons with other games include Pokémon, Genshin Impact, Breath of the Wild, and even Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley for its homeland/RV management. This fusion of genres is often seen as a strength, appealing to a broad audience looking for a fresh take on familiar mechanics without being a direct copy.
The Pokémon game that players have always wanted?
Pokémon players are still waiting for a mainline entry in the franchise that offers the technical depth and scale of today’s open-world RPGs, and there’s a significant number of players in the Aniimo community who love Pokémon and praise Aniimo for delivering on the potential that they feel Pokémon is yet to achieve.
The game is seen as a refreshing take on the genre, offering what many wished Pokémon could be, particularly for an adult audience. Some players strongly assert that Aniimo has made Pokémon a “bad memory” or that “pokemon is dead,” with “knockoffs” like Aniimo being superior.
Some other important common points of comparison and relevance with other titles include:
Players express optimism that the success of Aniimo will significantly impact and revitalise the creature-collecting genre.
Players frequently compare Aniimo’s story quality to other games, particularly Pokémon and Genshin Impact, but share the sentiment that the game’s age rating means it can’t reach the narrative depth seen in titles like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves by leaning into slightly mature themes.
Players frequenly acknowledge gacha-like elements in the game’s progression, such as grinding for specific Aniimo or equipment to level up faster, comparing it to the “grinding gears equipment grinding” found in gacha games.
Players frequently discuss Aniimo’s multiplayer and co-op structure, drawing comparisons to Genshin Impact. While the game features a solo story mode, it allows players to invite others to their world for co-op activities, similar to Genshin.
Hardware performance issues and server stability
Messages from 1.2K unique players expressed concerns about system requirements and encountered various technical issues like crashes, graphical glitches, and lag. That siad, a notable portion of the community found the game to be surprisingly well-optimised, even on older or lower-spec hardware. The most significant issues revolved around Steam Deck and Linux compatibility, along with widespread reports of crashes and visual bugs across platforms, particularly on consoles and with AMD GPUs.
A new and pervasive issue has emerged with the mobile version of Aniimo 1.0, where a large number of players are encountering a “device not compatible” error, preventing them from playing. This is happening even for users with high-end or mid-range phones that meet or exceed the stated minimum system requirements, including devices with 8GB or 12GB RAM and modern processors like Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 or Dimensity 7400 Ultra.
The Aniimo 1.0 launch was significantly marred by widespread server instability, mentioned in over 2500 player messages. The most frequently discussed issue (500 messages) was the inability to log into the game or maintain a stable connection. Players encountered a variety of error messages such as “account login failed,” “server not responding,” “failed to get server list,” and getting stuck in “auto-reconnecting” loops.
Over 300 messages mentioned frequent game crashes, often occurring during loading screens, specific in-game actions like entering the RV home, or randomly during gameplay. This issue affected PC (both Steam and official launcher versions), PlayStation 5, and Xbox,
50 unique players inquired about or attempted to play Aniimo on Steam Deck and Linux. While some reported success with specific Proton versions (e.g., Proton 10.0-4 or GE-Proton10-34) and fiddling, official support was lacking, leading to frequent crashes, login issues, and problems with in-game purchases
Beyond crashes and graphical issues, there were 400 messages from players reporting various in-game bugs affecting gameplay. These included characters getting stuck in walls or under the map, melee attacks not registering, UI elements disappearing or freezing, and issues with specific quests or Aniimo abilities. These bugs, while not always performance-related, often hindered the gameplay experience and prompted calls for quick fixes.
Launch rewards
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the game’s launch related to launch rewards, which included a free rare Prismana Form creature, multiple free outfits, and global pre-registration milestone bonuses. Over 9000 player messages mentioned launch rewards, but a significant number of these revolved around issues preventing them from accessing their promised items.
Over 500 unique players reported issues with not receiving their pre-order, pre-registration, beta, or web event rewards. This was the most discussed topic, with many expressing frustration over missing items despite following instructions, and some even considering contacting support for refunds.
Many players were confused about how to claim pre-order rewards, especially when purchasing on one platform (e.g., Xbox) but planning to play on another (e.g., Steam or PlayStation).
Several PC and Steam players expressed disappointment and confusion over the absence of dedicated pre-order options for their platforms. 100 unique players mentioned feeling excluded from exclusive rewards available on consoles, leading to discussions about workarounds or hopes for future PC-specific offerings.
Current points of friction that need addressing
Player messages in Discord are incredibly valuable because this data can be used to identify player painpoints which can be actioned in future patches and updates.
According to our analysis, here are the biggest points of friction in Aniimo that Pawprint Studio should address next:
Over 400 messages focussed on frustration that Umbral Aniimos lose their special appearance upon evolution. Because the rare cosmetic effect disappears, members feel discouraged from using these creatures in combat and relegate them to storage. Allowing evolved forms to retain the Umbral status would preserve their value as rare collectibles.
Players (200) finds the Real-Time Weather System frustrating because it requires waiting real-life days for specific conditions. This blocks progress on quests like Warrior and prevents them from catching Aniimo like Scorchhowl.
Mentioned in over 200 messages, some players finds matchmaking frustrating because random teammates steal loot, refuse to revive others, and abandon Egg Heist runs early. This toxic behavior discourages cooperative play and pushes members to avoid the matchmaking queue entirely.
A small group (100) of mobile players report seeing multiple duplicate Aniimo apps on the Google Play Store. They worry these fake listings will confuse users or steal their data.
50 players feel console UI navigation is poorly suited for controllers. They feel the interface was designed primarily for mouse or touch inputs, making basic tasks like customizing characters frustrating. Improving controller support for the Console UI would reduce friction and improve accessibility.
Just under 100 players note that the PS5 restricts server selection to the region of the connected PSN account. This prevents members from joining other regions or accessing Cross-Save rewards redeemed elsewhere.
Feature requests
In addition to the pain points mentioned above, Discord can also be useful for gathering specific requests from players. Here are some of the most common requests from players in the Aniimo Discord server, according to message frequency.
Shared story progression (150 messages) - Currently, only the host can advance their questline, leaving joining friends without progress. Implementing shared progression would allow friends to play the entire campaign together seamlessly.
New competitive PvP Modes are needed (150 messages) - Players request dedicated competitive multiplayer formats, such as ranked matchmaking, tournaments, and team-based arenas. They argue that without high-stakes player-versus-player content, the endgame will quickly become boring. Adding these modes could improve long-term retention for competitive players while keeping the core experience optional for casual fans.
Cosmetics and accessories should not be gender-locked (50 messages) - They specifically want access to items like the Samurai Outfit, Emberpup Backpack, and Fuzzy Ears on any character model. Removing these restrictions would improve player expression and prevent frustration over locked premium items.
The game needs Italian, Arabic, and Turkish localization (50 messages) - They feel excluded seeing other languages supported while theirs are omitted, with some calling the exclusion disrespectful. Adding these languages would allow these communities to fully understand the game and potentially bring in a highly supportive player base.
Predicting the future outlook of Aniimo based on player messages
Based on player feedback, Aniimo has the potential to be a major, long-lasting hit, but its future success is highly dependent on how the developers address current launch hurdles.
The core gameplay loop is deeply satisfying, meaning players are likely to return for seasonal updates and events. And as the game is designed as a live-service title, players are highly optimistic about future map expansions, new regions, and additional Aniimo releases.
Perhaps most importantly, players appreciate that Aniimo carves out its own identity rather than acting as a mere clone. While it shares the creature-collecting appeal of Pokémon and the open-world exploration of Genshin, players note that its unique mechanics, such as “twining” (controlling the creatures directly), give it a distinct charm that sets it apart from other games. And in most cases, when direct comparisons with other games are made, Aniimo always comes out shining.
That said, launch-day bugs, account-linking issues, and crashes have resulted in “Mixed” reviews on Steam, which players fear could deter newcomers and choke off the revenue needed to fund future development. We don’t think this will be the case given the surrounding wider sentiment of the game.
The biggest potential roadblock that lies ahead is player churn; if the developers don’t release challenging endgame content (such as PvP, raids, or advanced dungeons) quickly, the highly active player base may lose interest and migrate to other games.
But from everything we’ve seen so far, we’re expecting big things to come from Aniimo and we suspect to see this reflected in wider coverage as the game expands.
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