Defeat and collect Wib Wobs
Yo-kai Watch: PuniPuni is a free puzzle mobile video game wherein you can collect various cool round monsters by defeating them. Developed by Level-5 Inc., this cute 2D role-playing game is an official mobile game of the popular Yo-kai Watch mixed-media franchise.
Similar to LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum, Yo-kai Watch: PuniPuni’s gameplay involves chaining similar character blobs inside a circle to build up points and trigger an ability attack for that character. However, take note that this is the Japanese version connected to the Japanese server, as the official English version had been permanently shut down in 2018.
A bit of a language barrier
Yo-kai Watch is a Japanese mixed-media franchise of role-playing video games and toys, created and developed by Level-5—which is well-known for its Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Ni no Kuni series. Its games first started with Nintendo 3DS in 2013 and eventually branched off to the mobile platforms with a main series and various spin-offs. It typically involves you befriending cute Yo-kai monsters that are haunting the city.
One of these spin-off games had been Yo-kai Watch: Wibble Wobble, which was the English version. It had seen some success but due to the declining foreign interest in the franchise, it had eventually been shut down and now only Yo-kai Watch: PuniPuni remains. Thus, there’s no option to change the in-game language. To access the game itself, you’ll need to make a brand new Apple Account specifically for Japan.
Gameplay-wise, however, you can still play without understanding the text—and the main advantage with an active server is that its contents are much more updated compared to when Wibble Wobble was still up. As mentioned, you play by tapping and chaining Yo-kai Wib Wobs to erase them from the battle while simultaneously charging them up for attacks. This is also a gacha game so you can collect various Yo-kai.
Playable enough for fans
All in all, Yo-kai Watch: PuniPuni is a great game to try out if you like token-chaining gameplay, collecting cute characters, or the Yo-kai Watch franchise in general. While it’s not really meant for the English players, it’s free and can easily be understood with its images. Just make sure to follow online guides on how to access this Japanese game.
