Temtem
Temtem is a massively multiplayer online creature-collection adventure game developed by the Spanish indie studio Crema and published by Humble Games.[1][2] Released in early access on January 21, 2020, for Microsoft Windows via Steam, it achieved full release on September 6, 2022, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.[3][4] In the game, players assume the role of a novice tamer in the Airborne Archipelago, a fictional world comprising six vibrant islands inspired by real-world cultures, such as the Mediterranean for the starting island of Deniz.[1] The core gameplay revolves around capturing, training, and battling 165 unique creatures called Temtem, each with distinct types, traits, and evolutions, in a system reminiscent of traditional monster-taming mechanics but emphasizing online multiplayer elements.[4] Players can engage in turn-based battles against wild Temtem to add them to their squad of up to six, participate in co-operative story progression, trade creatures with others, and compete in ranked PvP arenas or tackle challenging endgame content like mythical Lairs.[1][2] The narrative follows the protagonist's journey to become a master tamer by defeating eight Dojo Leaders and thwarting the antagonistic Clan Belsoto, whose plot threatens the archipelago's harmony, all within a persistent online world that supports seamless player interactions.[1] Additional features include extensive character customization, player housing for decoration and socialization, and a competitive scene with seasonal updates that introduce new Temtem variants and balance changes.[1][5] By November 2025, Temtem has fostered a dedicated community, with major support for the base game having concluded in 2024 and now in maintenance mode, alongside the 2024 spin-off Temtem: Swarm, a co-op horde shooter that continues to receive updates.[6]Overview
Setting and plot
Temtem is set in the Airborne Archipelago, a vibrant chain of six floating islands where humans and the creature-like Temtem coexist peacefully in a diverse, wonder-filled world.[2] Each island boasts unique biomes that shape its culture and environment, providing a rich backdrop for exploration. For instance, Omninesia features lush, verdant floating islands teeming with tropical flora, while Deniz is characterized by sun-drenched sandy beaches and coastal expanses, and Tucma presents harsh, volcanic landscapes covered in ash fields.[2] These distinct ecosystems highlight the Archipelago's ecological variety, with the islands connected by airships and ferries that facilitate travel across the skies.[1] The core plot centers on the protagonist, a young Tamer embarking on a coming-of-age journey across the Airborne Archipelago to master the art of taming Temtem and thwart a looming threat. The narrative revolves around combating the Clan Belsoto, an enigmatic antagonistic organization plotting to seize control of the entire Archipelago through subversive schemes and widespread influence.[1] As the story unfolds, the protagonist uncovers ancient secrets intertwined with the origins and mysteries of the Temtem themselves, revealing deeper lore about the world's history and the creatures' role within it.[5] Key antagonists include prominent Clan Belsoto leaders, who serve as formidable bosses in climactic confrontations that advance the overarching conflict.[7] Progression in the narrative is tied to the Dojo system, a structured network of eight Dojos scattered across the islands, each led by a master Tamer whose defeat marks a milestone in the protagonist's growth and unlocks further regions of the Archipelago. This journey emphasizes themes of friendship, discovery, and heroism, with the protagonist allying with fellow Tamers to challenge the Clan Belsoto's ambitions and restore balance to the islands. A notable lore element involves Luma Temtem, rare variants of standard Temtem characterized by altered colorations, glowing effects, and enhanced traits, akin to mythical mutations that add wonder to encounters throughout the world.[8]Core gameplay mechanics
Temtem's core gameplay revolves around a creature-collection adventure where players tame and train Temtem to engage in strategic battles and explore a vibrant world. The primary loop combines single-player progression through story-driven quests with optional cooperative elements, allowing players to team up with a friend for shared battles and exploration. Central to the experience is building a squad of up to six Temtem, capturing new species, and utilizing them in turn-based combat to overcome challenges like wild encounters and dojo trials.[4] Creature CollectionPlayers capture wild Temtem using Temcards, consumable items analogous to capture devices in similar games, which are thrown during or after battles to add the creature to their squad. There are 165 Temtem species across 12 types, each with unique traits and evolutions, encouraging comprehensive collection to cover type weaknesses. Capture success depends on the target's health—lowering it increases rates—and additional techniques like chaining, where consecutive encounters with the same species boost odds, or applying status effects such as sleep to immobilize the target. Breeding further enhances collection by allowing players to pair compatible Temtem at the game's hatchery, inheriting traits like speed or special attack from parents to produce offspring with optimized stats, though fertility limits the number of eggs per session.[4][9][10] Turn-Based Combat System
Battles form the strategic heart of Temtem, employing a turn-based system in a 2v2 format where players pit pairs of Temtem against opponents, whether wild creatures, NPCs, or co-op allies' foes. Each Temtem executes techniques—offensive, defensive, or supportive moves—categorized by 12 elemental types including Mental, Fire, Water, Nature, Electric, Earth, Neutral, Wind, Crystal, Digital, Melee, and Toxic, with a type chart dictating super-effective (1.5x damage), resisted (0.5x), or immune matchups to promote team composition planning. Techniques consume stamina, and overexertion when stamina depletes leads to the exhausted status, preventing further actions until healed; other statuses like asleep, poisoned, or paralyzed add layers of tactics, such as prioritizing cures or exploiting vulnerabilities. Synergies between paired Temtem allow combo moves, like a follow-up strike after a setup technique, enhancing cooperative depth in single-player routes or duo play.[11][12] Progression Mechanics
Temtem advance through leveling, gaining experience points (XP) primarily from victorious battles, with shared XP distribution among the active squad to balance growth. Upon reaching species-specific thresholds—typically between levels 8 and 25—a Temtem evolves into a more powerful form, boosting base stats like HP, attack, defense, special attack, special defense, and speed, often altering type affinities or unlocking new techniques. Gear items, equippable to individual Temtem, provide stat modifiers such as increased evasion or stamina recovery, and can be crafted or purchased to tailor builds for specific roles like tanking or sweeping. Training values (TVs), accumulated passively from battles against certain enemies, fine-tune individual stats over time, allowing for specialized progression without excessive grinding.[10][13][14] Exploration Elements
The Airborne Archipelago spans six islands—Arbury, Cipanku, Deniz, Kisiwa, Omninesia, and Tucma—connected by airships accessed at docks throughout the islands. Players unlock fast travel via the Matter-Transfer Drone to access new regions and story content. Exploration emphasizes traversing linear routes filled with wild Temtem encounters, environmental puzzles like platforming or switch-based barriers, and dojo challenges where players battle leaders using type-themed teams to earn badges and advance the narrative. Saunas serve as facilities for trait swapping, enabling players to transfer beneficial traits between compatible Temtem of the same species via incubation, adding a layer of customization during downtime between adventures. This interconnected world encourages repeated visits to islands for rare spawns or side quests, blending collection and combat seamlessly.[2][15]