If you’re missing being infuriated beyond belief with Captain Olimar and his little flower-power pals, then check out the best games like Pikmin in 2023!
That was a little harsh; Pikmin might be one of the main reasons why I’m bald now, but it was still a cracking little game.
Crash-landing on a planet, discovering the Pikmin for the first time and feeling the pressure of that time limit… that’s real tension that you just don’t get in games these days.
It’s continually referred to as one of the best GameCube games of all time, even by baldylocks here, and was the type of game that everyone could play around with no matter what their ability.
Still, you had to have the kind of patience and mind for strategy of the war generals of old to actually beat this game.
So, if that’s you and you want to fill the small, plant-shaped minion gap in your heart, then carry on reading to discover the best games like Pikmin that we’ve had the pleasure of playing.
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10. Stonefly (2021)
Stonefly kickstarts our list of the best games like Pikmin doing the rounds in 2023. This is a pretty new title that has the same kind of tranquil-world vibe that you’ll find in Pikmin games.
Until the enemies start eating your little friends and they all die, of course.
Stonefly sees players taking a strategic journey into a bug-filled world. Control a host of mechanical insects as you glide through forests and woodland, witnessing the wonders of nature first hand,
The level design is out of this world, with such great attention to detail in the bugs and characters you meet throughout the game. Invent on the fly and upgrade your robotic creations as you soar across marshes and into thickets of flowers.
It’s a whole different world out there; do you have what it takes to survive in it?
9. Tunic (2022)
Tunic dropped a couple of months ago at the time of writing, and it’s been a firm favourite at GamesLike HQ since we got our hands on it.
It boasts the same isometric style viewpoint as Pikmin, and the little fox you play is is probably as big as Captain Olimar too!
The gameplay feels incredibly similar in the sense that players must chose to either attack or hide from huge beasts, all while collecting special items and delving into a storyline awash with mystery.
One thing I love about this game is the cool mechanic of actually building the instruction manual for the game as you progress, a little nod to the games of yesteryear. Piece together the booklet to get maps and secrets that will help you on your quest.
Delve into mazes, ruined villages and dark woods as you boldly go where no small fox has gone before!
8. Kirby Mass Attack (2011)
Kirby Mass Attack remains one of the best Kirby games we’ve ever played, period. With a whole gang of Kirbys on the screen at once and lots of chaotic action to delve into, there’s no telling what madness could ensue!
Mass Attack is here because it reminds me of the next game in our list, a title that definitely helped to influence Pikmin and is certainly at the core of the games mechanics.
Using the DS stylus like The Legend of Zelda: The Spirit Tracks, players control tumbling pink perils, moving up to 10 at any given time.
They’re small, just like Pikmin, though they’re actually shattered pieces of a whole Kirby. Damn these evil villains in computer games, they get away with murder!
So why is this title one of the best games like Pikmin? Well, you have to get your Kirbys to work together to complete challenges, and they change colour when they’re about to die too.
Watch out for them as a whole unit and don’t take your eye off the ball.. or the Kirby, in this case.
7. Lemmings (1991)
Long before Olimar learnt how to pilot a spaceship, the Lemmings ruled the 90s impossibly-infuriating gaming scene. Inspired by the Fraggles digging tunnels in Fraggle Rock, they wander through underground worlds trying to find an exit without dying.
I reckon Mr Digger could learn a thing or two from these guys!
The question as to whether the Lemmings are dim or fearless is still going on in 2023. Are they mindless or just not afraid of death?
The way they keep jumping to their doom whenever I play certainly would make me think they’re dim and mindless; why can’t they just keep out of danger for 5 seconds?
Each Lemming had a different skill that helped the player. Sound familiar? That’s the exact premise of the different Pikmin, after all.
Ok, so it was as touch as a sandwich made of glue and nails, but it’s definitely one of the original best games like Pikmin that is 100% worth revisiting.
6. Advance Wars (2001)
From mindless Lemmings to the mind of an army general, Advance Wars is up next!
If you love your strategy games, then this is one of the best Gameboy Advance games that you need in your collection. It’s like a handheld version of the game Risk mixed with Strategeo, all with killer weaponry and massive vehicles.
Rather than having explorative gameplay where you find pieces of a smashed spaceship, Advance Wars mainly concentrates on combat. Those skills that you use when defeating impossibly-large enemies in Pikmin will sure come in handy here.
Take the Orange Star army on a mission to clear their name after being accused on declaring war with… well, everyone!
The thing is, armies tend to want to fight first and ask questions never. Show them force and make them back down!
With multiple terrain styles to work through and the need to adapt on the go, you’ll be on the edge of your seat from the moment the opening screen pops up!
5. Masters of Anima (2018)
Do you like to feel an initial spark when you first turn on a computer game? Well, Spark is the main setting for this next strategic battle game.
And the aim – building armies of Guardians to take part in tactics-have skirmishes where the outcome is anything but certain.
Take fledgeling apprentice Otto on a mission to become a Master of Anima as you seek to save your bride to be. Cue angry Golems and the vengeful Zahr.
The Guardians in your army all have different magical abilities for performing specific tasks as you move through Spark. See, this colour-coded Pikmin thing really caught on!
4. Space Station: Silicon Valley (1998)
Captain Olimar isn’t the only person to have crash-landed on a strange planet in the history of gaming. Dan Danger did it way before on the N64, sending the computer chip that controls his broken robot eco out into the Space Station: Silicon Valley!
Your mission is to take control of robotic animals in a bid to complete tasks and take down other rogue animals, moving from beast to beast as you progress through each stage.
Yes, it’s completely crazy, but then again, so is the idea of a little dude throwing red flowers that can pick up boulders.
Float through the air as a sheep, play as a fox with wheels for feet… the list goes on. Make sure Dan Danger gets the parts of his ship and gets back home safely in time for dinner!
3. Worms (1995)
Worms take the bronze medal in our list of the best games like Pikmin. Like Lemmings, it’s one of the earliest strategy games that took the world by storm.
Who would have thought a game where worms try to kill each other on a battlefield would have become such a massive hit. Get your opposing enemies down from 100 hit points to 0 to wipe them off the face off the map.
Call in air strikes use bazookas, and throw grenades. It’s explosive action from start to finish, just don’t fall from a great height or you’ll lose points.
While Worms might not look Pikmin on the surface, the strategy element of the gameplay is spot on. Like Advance Wars, it mostly resembles the combat elements of Pikmin and the need to think about every single move before you make it.
Not one for the faint of heart.
2. Unravel Two (2019)
The characters from Unravel Two closely resemble Pikmin. They’re even coloured the same, for crying out loud!
Players must build a Yarny and head out on a single or co-op adventure as you bring colour and life back to a desolate world.
When playing in co-op mode, Unravel Two has a strong ‘Brothers’ feel to it, mixed with the teamwork between Olimar and Louie in Pikmin 2.
As you might expect from the front cover, you’ve got to work together with other Yarnys to get the job done. Explore, build lasting friendships, and find out the true meaning of teamwork in this colourful and creative game.
1. Little King’s Story (2009)
The results are in, and Little King’s Story is officially the best game like Pikmin available in 2023!
From the get-go, this game is inherently like Pikmin; the cutesy vibe, the exciting characters, and the need to keep your eye on hundreds of things going on at the same time.
King Corobo is a little king with big ideas. After getting a magical crown, he must charm members of the kingdom of Alpoko into enhancing the land and building a paradise on earth.
It’s a strategy/RPG crossover. Explore caves to find items, slay bosses to protect your kingdom, build armies, create buildings… the list is endless.
Items aren’t infinite, so you’ll need to be careful when you’re ploughing through materials. Watch out for enemy kingdoms trying to take over your land too!
This entry in our best Wii games list is certainly one of the best games like Pikmin that we’ve ever played and long may the Little King reign!
