Palworld

Pocketpair's open-world survival game runs on Pals: creatures you catch, ride, breed and put to work. A Pal placed in a factory keeps working for as long as it is fed, which makes assignment the real progression — fire, electricity and mined ore all come out of who you put where. Breeding passes a parent's characteristics down, so the strongest team is bred rather than found. Food is scarce and poachers roam. Online co-op takes four players; a dedicated server takes thirty-two.