If you’re new to Cassette Beasts, one of the first major mechanics to wrap your head around is the game’s unique capture system. Unlike traditional monster-taming RPGs, capturing (or rather, recording) a monster in Cassette Beasts comes with its own twists and tricks. This guide breaks down exactly how it works and offers tips to ensure your recordings are successful every time.

Recording Explained

In Cassette Beasts, instead of capturing monsters outright, you record their data onto blank cassette tapes. To initiate this process, you must have tapes in your inventory and select the Record option during battle.

Once recording starts:

• Your character transforms back into their human form.
• You become immobilized and vulnerable to damage for a full turn.
• The monster you’re recording cannot be knocked out during this turn.

The chance of successfully recording a monster is influenced by several factors:

• Enemy health: Lower health increases your capture percentage.
• Monster rarity: Rarer beasts are harder to record.
• Incoming damage: If you take damage during recording, your odds decrease.
• Damage to the enemy during recording increases your success rate.

At the end of the turn, RNG kicks in. If you’re successful, you’ll gain the monster on a new tape, complete with its current move stickers.

Best Practices for Recording

To boost your success:

• Use Elemental Wall before recording. This defensive move costs 20% of your max HP but provides a barrier that can absorb incoming hits, helping preserve your capture odds.
• Avoid spread damage. Some enemies use multi-hit attacks that can bypass your setup. Try to scout and memorize monster move tendencies.
• Damage the enemy during the capture turn. Coordinate your partner’s moves to attack while you record.

Where to Get More Tapes

To stock up on tapes:

• Visit the cafe in Harbor Town. The vendor sells tapes in exchange for plastic—a key resource.
• You can collect plastic and other resources from:
  • Winning battles
  • Opening chests
  • Recycling items or old tapes
  • Fighting plastic-themed monsters near the game’s starting areas

Advanced: Upgrade Your Capture Gear

Later in the game, you’ll collect Fused Materials from:

• Rogue Fusion encounters
• Completing quests

These materials can be brought to the Rangers Guild to upgrade your cassette player’s microphone, permanently improving your capture success rate. This is an essential upgrade path for completionists and shiny hunters alike.

Final Thoughts

The capture mechanic in Cassette Beasts is more interactive and strategic than in many of its peers. You’ll need to juggle damage control, status effects, and enemy health while avoiding harm yourself. But once you master the rhythm, recording becomes one of the most rewarding parts of the game.

So gear up, stock your tapes, and start building your perfect monster playlist—one recording at a time.