Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart is that weird little cousin of the main series—but in the best way possible. You start off leading a caravan (basically a traveling monster circus) through a world that feels like a mix between classic DQ and Monster Rancher. The first thing that hits you? The sprites are tiny but packed with personality, and the monster designs are just... goofy in that signature Dragon Quest way.

Instead of just recruiting monsters, you’ve got to feed them, manage their moods, and even deal with them straight-up leaving if they’re unhappy. At first, I kept losing my best guys because I didn’t realize they’d peace out if I ignored them too long. The caravan mechanic adds this whole layer of strategy—do you take the risk of moving at night for better rewards, or play it safe and camp? It’s janky in places (this is a GBA game), but there’s something oddly satisfying about building a ragtag team of slimes, dragons, and whatever else you stumble across.

If you’ve played other monster-taming RPGs, this one’s got its own weird rhythm that takes a minute to click, but once it does, it’s hard to put down. Just don’t get too attached to your first monster squad—they will betray you.