How does Temtem evolution work?

Temtem evolution - Tems fighting each other
(Image credit: Crima Games)

Temtem evolution is a vital part of the creature-collecting game. By upgrading your beloved Tem into their strongest possible form you can create a peak squad and win ever-harder battles. But with so many different Temtem and not all that much info in game about specific evolution requirements, the whole process is a bit of a mystery if you're just starting out.

There are a few surefire ways to evolve your Temtem, and luckily you don't have to go too far out of your way in order to achieve most of them. In this Temtem evolution guide, I'll explain the various methods, as well as the evolution requirements for the three starting Temtem you can get from Professor Konstantinos.

How to evolve your Temtem 

There are two main ways to evolve Temtem in the game: 

  • Levelling: Every species of Temtem has a specific number of levels it needs to earn to evolve, so by using them in battles, they will naturally evolve over time. It's worth noting that you can cancel evolutions if you don't want your Temtem to change state at that moment, and they'll start earning an increased amount of XP. From then on you can evolve them whenever you choose.
  • Minimonoliths: These special items immediately evolve a Temtem when used, but they are quite hard to come by. You can find one in The Highbelow and another in the Gardens of Aztlan areas. They are also a potential reward for throwing coins into the Wishing Well, completing the daily Postal Service quests, or the Koish of the Week fishing competition.

That said, there are some outlying Temtem with special evolutionary conditions. Anahir only evolves once you gain a total of 1,000 training values, Azuroc evolves after being traded, and Tuwai evolves differently depending on which place of power you take it to. 

Starting Temtem is Konstantinos Lab

(Image credit: Crima Games)

Starting Temtem evolutions 

Similar to Pokémon, when you start the game you'll be prompted to head to Professor Konstantinos' lab, where he'll offer you a choice of three Temtem. Since all three of these evolve through levelling, here are their evolution requirements: 

  • Crystle: 30 levels to evolve into Sherald, then another 21 levels to become Tortenite
  • Smazee: 29 levels to evolve into Baboong, then another 23 levels to become Seismunch
  • Houchic: 29 levels to evolve into Tental, then 24 levels to become Nagaise

Sadly, there's no convenient way to see level up conditions for Temtem right at the start of the game, but if you keep levelling your favorites by using them in battle, they will inevitably evolve if they aren't any of the mentioned outliers. The Temtem wiki also has a great list of Temtem species where you can check the evolution requirements for each. 

Sean Martin
Senior Guides Writer

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.