Aerthlings is a new connected toy-to-life mobile game. The toys, known as Figs, come in mystery boxes and are NFC-enabled. Once you unbox your Fig, you can scan your Fig with a compatible device to bring it to life in the free-to-play mobile game. The team behind Aerthlings, Modern Games, hopes to see players collect, play, trade, and explore the world as a single player or with friends in multiplayer mode.

The trading part is what’s really interesting to me. The in-game trading mechanic makes it so trades are a good thing, not a sad goodbye. It’s tough to give up a toy you love, but when you trade a Fig, you keep the digital character permanently, and every trade links you to a growing chain of players through a shared LINEAGE. The more it trades hands, the more everyone in that chain benefits. There’s some nice built-in incentives there to getting your friends playing and spreading the skills of your Aerthlings as much as you can.

Upon starting the game, you’re tasked with exploring what exactly happened with Aerth. As you explore Chonks, which are unmapped areas of land, you quickly find Moonlings, who crashed the moon into the Aerth and started all this mess. Each Aerthling has an attack and special ability, and the combat is easy to pick up. After taking care of your first Moonlings, you’ll find a familiar loop if you’re a seasoned player of survival crafting games. Gaining resources to build new buildings offers you new companions as well as opportunities to earn Hearts to explore more Chonks.

Aerthlings quickly establishes a game loop that I find satisfying, as someone who loves the task-based pattern of this genre. It runs well on mobile, with occasional slight hiccups in frame rate on my iPhone 17 Pro. I love the feel of the physical figures, and the art style of their presence in-game is great as well. It’s fun seeing them come to life, and they really do seem like something that will catch on with kids should enough of them give this a shot. Blind boxes are huge right now in the figure community, from Popmart to even Disney and Sanrio IP.

As of now, the Aerthlings mobile game is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A global game release will follow in 2026. To get started, you can purchase the Figs on the Modern Games website, with savings benefits for opting for the bundles offered. An animated series and webtoon comic are also available online to help flesh out the story you’ll experience in-game. Both are wonderful ways to help add some charm to the world of Aerth.

It will likely be a matter of how many people join in on the fun as to whether or not Aerthlings becomes the next great toys-to-life success. With the marketplace a little less crowded with titles in this genre in 2026, there’s space for it without a doubt. However, with a clear audience catered more toward younger folks, it’s tough to pull that demographic away from the games they already know and love. I think the blind box figures do a lot to help Aerthlings, and we’ll see if they become something kids are collecting and swapping as more people join in on the fun.

If you long for the days of Skylanders or Disney Infinity, I think Aerthlings is well worth a look. The game plays well in my time with it so far, and who doesn’t need an excuse to collect more items for their desk or bookshelf? Maybe that’s just me as a full-blown Amiibo fanatic. Still, kids and adults alike who are itching for a new crafting mobile game can enjoy the world of Aerthlings in select regions now, with more to follow.

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