After Palworld, Similar to Pokémon, Pickmon Emerges as a Clone of Both Games

Key Takeaways

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The release of Pickmon, a new game with similarities to both Pokémon and Palworld, has ignited debates about the boundary between inspiration and imitation in the gaming industry.
Nintendo is currently involved in a lawsuit against Pocketpair over alleged plagiarism in Palworld, and the case remains unresolved due to difficulties in proving plagiarism based solely on visual resemblance.
Pickmon uses magic cards instead of balls for capturing creatures, which seems to be an attempt to bypass the legal issues that arose from Palworlds capture mechanism.
The card-based collection system in Pickmon has sparked controversy and debate about originality and intellectual property within the gaming world, with some players accusing the game of copying fan-made Pokémon designs.

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As Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair for alleged Pokémon plagiarism in Palworld continues, the Chinese studio Pocketgame has released Pickmon, a game with clear similarities to both Pokémon and Palworld. The release of Palworld in 2024 ignited debate about the boundary between inspiration and imitation, especially its concept of “Pokémon with weapons.” Nintendo responded by suing Pocketpair, seeking recognition of Palworld as plagiarism, its removal from sale, and financial compensation. This case remains unresolved, and proving plagiarism has proven difficult. Pickmon, developed by Pocketgame and published by NETWORKGO, is a survival game featuring base building, farming, automation, and multiplayer. Players capture creatures using specialized cards. Pickmon is currently available on Steam (app ID 4358270). Following the game’s announcement, NintendoLife highlighted resemblances between Pickmon and other titles. The main character strongly resembles Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and one creature evokes Pikachu. The trailer features a creature similar to Rayquaza, alongside others familiar to Pokémon and Palworld players. Unlike Pokémon, where creatures are caught with balls, Pickmon summons them using magic cards.

Social media users have also noted the game’s derivative designs, with many pointing out the similarities to existing franchises. Some joked that Pickmon’s designs are closer to Pokémon’s original inspirations, while others quipped about already having “Pikachu at home.” Artists such as el.psy.fake on Instagram and pokejaykay on Twitter have accused Pickmon of copying their fan-made Pokémon designs for its characters, sparking controversy and drawing some players to the game. Pocketgame, based in China where intellectual property enforcement is often lax, describes Pickmon as an open-world survival game where players capture, breed, battle, and utilize creatures to build bases. The game features visual similarities to creatures like Charizard (Pokémon) and Anubis (Palworld). The Nintendo lawsuit against Pocketpair underscores the difficulty of proving plagiarism based solely on visual resemblance. Patents, such as the Poké Ball’s capture mechanism, provide stronger legal ground, leading Palworld to avoid this mechanic. Pickmon appears to bypass this issue by using cards instead of balls. A release date has not been announced, and the game is expected to launch on PC unless Nintendo or Pocketpair intervene.

Pickmon’s Card-Based Collection System Fueling Debate on Originality and Intellectual Property in Gaming World

Featuring familiar elements and a card-based collection system, Pickmon adds to the ongoing discussion about originality and intellectual property within the gaming world.

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