Free-to-play, next-gen creature-catcher Aniimo arrives on Steam, needs a Proton

17 Sep 2026 at 9:42 am UTC | Last updated: 17 Sep 2026 at 10:39 am UTC
By Liam Squires-Hand

Aniimo from Pawprint Studio has arrived on Steam as a new free-to-play, next-gen creature-catcher and it can work on SteamOS / Linux.

Firstly to note - it has ant-cheat, which is not actually disclosed on the Steam page which appears to be NetEase Yidun. This appears to be enabled for Linux systems though, since you can actually play it. This is now noted on our dedicated anti-cheat page.

The problem with it though, is that the latest versions of Proton will cause it to crash and be unplayable. You'll need to manually swap the version of Proton used down to Proton 10. A quick and easy fix in this case thankfully. You might also need to use the default launch option (not DirectX 12). It has been reported on the Proton GitHub, and Valve do seem to be aware of the issue now.

Testing with Proton 10 on Fedora KDE 44, and it appears to be running very smoothly.

More about it:

Discover New Companions

• At launch, players will be able to discover, meet, and collect more than 200 Aniimo, including different rarities and forms waiting to be found depending on systems including varying weather and biomes.
  • Among the newest additions are Squarrel and its evolution, Squashel. This energetic squirrel-like Aniimo rolls down hillsides while clutching its tail, and attacks using fast-paced combo mechanics centered around its powerful tail abilities. Another Aniimo addition is the lively and enthusiastic Sparkelf.
• The merging of players and their Aniimo, known as Twining, allows players to take control of any Aniimo on their roster, gaining access to new abilities for combat, traversal, puzzle solving, and more, unlocking new ways to play as they see and explore Idyll through the unique lens of each Aniimo.

Explore Idyll

• The interactive and expansive open-world of Idyll is inhabited by the Aniimo, providing multiple areas and ecosystems for Aniimo to grow and evolve. Players will find quests, activities, puzzles, mysteries, and much more on their journeys.
• Meanwhile, the Homeland system offers each Pathfinder their own slice of Idyll where they can design and decorate their home to their preferences, farm and harvest with their Aniimo, and treat Aniimo to fun activities while working together to achieve their goals.

Multiplayer

• Co-Op minded players will have access to features including the Horn to call for help from friends and strangers in the open world, the Flute to invite others to a location or discover players nearby, and the Come to Me ability which instantly calls one’s allies to their location. Additionally, players can choose to follow another player who leads them around Idyll.
• Pathfinders can also play PvP modes like Egg Heist, where teams of players are pitted against one another to earn and escape with valuable resources.

So far it has been pulling in a lot of players (127,914 peak in the last 24 hours), which isn't particularly surprising given that it's free to play and monster catching with an Anime-styled theme. Like a blending between Palworld, Pokemon and Infinity Nikki, which of course comes with all sorts of gacha monetization issues which players are giving negative reviews for on the Steam page. I got some serious Pokemon vibes from it, they pretty clearly pinched a bit from it, right down to the big magical mystery creature flying over near the end of the intro like the early episode of the Pokemon TV series (if my memory is correct on that…).

From the press release: "The Aniimo team has worked diligently to finally bring the dreams of ourselves and our players to reality," said Janson Zhang, Lead Game Designer, Pawprint Studio. "Through their efforts and immense support from Pathfinders around the globe, the world of Aniimo is now ready for you to discover with us, and we can't wait to go on this journey together!"

Release Date: 📅 16th September 2026Platform: ⚛ Proton / Wine (Windows)Devs:Pawprint StudioOfficial links:Steam 🌐 External Sources: GitHub - Proton Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com. Tags: Anti-Cheat, Proton, Anime, Free Game, Gacha, Monster Catching, New Release, Open World, RPG, Steam, Unity | Apps: Aniimo 3 Likes Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:Debian Linux developers vote to allow "Responsible Use of Generative AI"Proton Experimental gets fixes for Far Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto III and moreBazzite 44 getting a hotfix for various issues after the recent big releaseGhostship - the Super Mario 64 PC port from Harbour Masters gets Vulkan, post-processing, a web player and more All posts need to follow our rules. Please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Readers can also email us for any issues or concerns.