Since Pokemon debuted in 1996, game companies have strived to make their own creature-collecting game. But, while some have failed to succeed, many have prevailed to capture the essence Pokemon brings to the gaming industry. And that's because those who have established their own name in the creature-collecting genre have added unique features not present in Pokemon. Digimon is an excellent example of copying some aspects of Pokemon but adding their own twist, like centering the Digimon world virtually instead of "the real world" like in Pokemon.
Another prime example of a well-made creature-collecting game is that of Temtem. In this Indie game, players can do almost everything they can in Pokemon games, except it's all on an MMO platform, meaning players can interact and battle with other players. Furthermore, Temtem has various unique Temtem types (Crystal, Neutral, Digital, etc.) that players need to progress through the game. And out of all the elemental types, the Earth-type Temtem seems to be the most effective, but with so many to pick from, players will need to understand which ones are worth investing in.
6 Bunbun
Bunbun is perhaps one of the easiest Temtem players can obtain in the early game since it can be found in the Mines of Mictlan and Gardens of Aztlan on the island of Tucma and has an encounter rate of 75%. But, what makes this Earth-type Temtem so helpful in the early stages is that it has one the highest base HP for an unevolved Temtem in the entire game, an astonishing 72.
Aside from its tanky build, Bunbun has two valuable Traits that will make most battles a walk in the park. Its first Trait is "Caffeinated," which prevents Bunbun from getting the Sleep status effect (useful against Nature-type Temtems). And the secondary Trait (Resilient) prevents it from getting knocked out due to overexertion (when a Temtem's Stamina reaches 0) once during a battle. Once evolved into Mudrid, it learns a new Trait (Receptive) which increases its turn by 1 for each positive status effect it receives.
5 Zizare
Boasting over 90 base Attack and Defense, Zizare is among the hardest-hitting non-evolvable Earth Temtems in the game. And that's not to mention that it has 75 Stamina, more than enough to survive a player battle. On top of that, its primary Trait (Rested) boosts its Attack for the first two turns of a Temtem battle while its secondary Trait (Electric Custodian) causes all Electric-type attacks to target it instead of its ally.
But, due to its strength, obtaining a Zizare is no easy task, especially considering it has a 30% encounter rate. Fortunately, there are numerous areas where players can find Zizare, all located within the island of Kisiwa. Here are the most common locations: Juu Tunnel, Jino Gap, Kwea Upland, Chini Grotto, Kilima Peaks, and Barafu Glacier.
4 Droply
Even though Droply has the lowest base Speed among all unevolved Earth Temtem, it makes up for it by having the highest Stamina (60) for an unevolved Temtem. The good news is that players can "fix" its low Speed by exploiting its secondary Trait (Amphibian), which increases its Speed and Attack every time a Water-type attack strikes it. And since it's a dual-type Temtem (Water and Earth), Water attacks deal much less damage.
While Droply loses this Trait once it evolves into Garyo, it gains Marathonist, which causes all of its Techniques to cost 50% less at the expense of Speed. Players can encounter Droply at Tucma island (Gardens of Aztlan) or Mawingu Islets, Juu Tunnel, Moyo Lake, and Matope Road in Kisiwa island.
3 Turoc
Players may find many similarities between Tuwai and Eevee from the Pokemon franchise, mainly since both have several type-specific evolutions. But, unlike Eevee, Tuwai is an extremely rare Temtem to encounter (only 5%) in Temtem, despite being found on various routes (Sons of Crystal, Dabmis' Rest, Aisha's Hearth, Digital Kami Shrine, Altar of the Inner Flame, and Chieftain's Barrow).
But, players that manage to catch Tuwai will be able to evolve it into Turoc by taking it to Aisha's Hearth. And Turoc is among the tankiest Earth-type Temtems in the game having over 100 base HP. Furthermore, its primary Trait (Escapist) prevents the Trapped status effect, which stops a player from swapping Temtems during a battle.
2 Vulffy
Most Temtem players disregard Vulffy as soon as they see its base Attack (39), but in reality, Vulffy has a unique set of Traits that can cripple a rival player's Temtem team. And that's because its primary Trait (Burglar) can disable a rival Temtems gear as long as it's asleep or exhausted. And while that may seem like much, some Gear items can boost a Temtems power tenfold, like the Lightning Rod or Sensei Robe.
Moreover, its Team Elusive Trait prevents AOE Techniques, which are common among Wind-type Temtems. But, of course, due to its low Attack, players should pair Vulffy with a Temtem that can dish out sufficient damage all the while Vulffy disables their Gear and AOE attacks. Players can find Vulffy at the Jino Gap or Tasa Desert on Kisiwa island.
1 Seismunch
Smazee is among the best starter Temtems in the game, but once it reaches its final evolution (Seismunch) it gains another elemental type (Earth), making it even deadlier. Seismunch boasts an incredible 85 base Speed and 89 base Attack, something the other two starters don't have. Its primary Trait (Self-Esteem) is a PVP fan favorite since it removes all negative status effects if the target Temtem gets knocked out.
Moreover, its secondary Trait (Earthbound) causes Seismunch to gain Defense each time it uses an Earth-type attack. So to take full advantage of that Trait, players do well in teaching their Seismunch Earth-type attacks only. Initially, the only way players can obtain Smazee is at the start of the game, but later on, they can encounter a wild one at Greenglen Forest on Arbury island.
Temtem is available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.