Published Feb 18, 2026, 7:00 PM EST
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If you're a Steam user and are a fan of the monster-hunting/gathering genre, odds are you've seen the knockout legal battle in the past few years between Pocketpair and Nintendo over Palworld.
But there are plenty of alternatives if you aren't interested in the latter. For instance, over on Steam now, you can try out a Pokémon meets Starfield creation for free.
Pokémon Fans Shouldn't Miss This New Sci-Fi RPG
It Looks Intriguing
In Voidling Bound, you'll attempt to wrangle up the titular "Voidlings," to the tune of a third-person shooter. These Voidlings will in turn evolve (through branching paths) and gain power, all in a bid to stop a force known as corruption from taking over planets. It's an interesting concept, especially given the sci-fi angle, and I can see how evolutionary methods could spawn from various scientific elements in the game.
Here's the full rundown from developer and publisher, Hatchery Games: "Hatch, evolve, and upgrade powerful space creatures in this action-packed sci-fi 3rd person shooter that reinvents the monster taming genre. Become a Space Wrangler and take direct control of creatures called "Voidlings." Shape them through branching evolution paths and upgrade their abilities to overcome bubonic swarms, pestilent bosses, and reclaim lush planets overrun by corruption."
Much of the gameplay centers on "crafting the right Voidling for the challenge," which will likely require catching multiple creatures to explore all branching paths and bonuses. You can also level up individual Voidlings and customize their attributes and skills via a traditional RPG tree.
All of this seems to have a point, too, with the narrative structure centered on saving planets. It's a lot more involved than your average Pokémon-inspired game. Naturally, there's also a "gotta catch 'em all" element to the game, with an emphasis on completing the collection of Voidlings through rescuing and hatching eggs.
Voidling Bound Is Free To Check Out Now
There's A Demo Ahead Of Launch
Right now, Voidling Bound is targeting a "Q1 2026" launch, but you can play the game's demo immediately on Steam. As of this past week, progress from the demo will now carry over to the full game. The team added this functionality, and it's included in the current demo build, along with a new animated narrative intro, support for nine languages, and a new enemy faction.
As the team continues to optimize and add content to the game, the demo build will likely be updated as well. Now is a great time to try it, given the enhancements to the demo.
If you're a fan of monster management games, you might want to wishlist Voidling Bound on Steam. I'll definitely be checking it out to see if the evolutionary elements reach their full potential.
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