Game: Pokémon Pokopia
Genre: Simulation, Crafting, Co-op, Creative
System: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer|Publisher: Game Freak, Omega Force | Nintendo
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price: US $69.99 | UK £58.99 | EU € 69,99
Release Date: March 5th, 2026
Review code used, with many thanks to Nintendo Europe
What do you get when you take the huge lore of the world of Pokémon, a sip of the cuteness of Animal Crossing, the sandbox feeling and building blocks like in Dragon Quest Builders and finally, habitat building like in Viva Piñata? Well, you get Pokémon Pokopia. A spin-off from the Pokémon series that is intent to steal all of our gaming time for weeks to come!
The Gameplay of Pokémon Pokopia
This time, you are not the trainer or even the human in the game; you are a Ditto. One that can take any shape, but it is particularly good at looking like a human. And one that can copy special moves of the other Pokémon it meets.
Professor Tangrowth, a lonely Pokémon in a desolate wasteland, is the first Pokémon you see. The Withered Wasteland is a place that once looked more pleasant, where humans and Pokémon coexisted in the Kanto region, as we know from the earliest Pokémon games. But now they have all left, and Tangrowth doesn’t know why or where.
Suddenly, a Squirtle appears, in dire need of some water, and you find that you can attract other Pokémon too by making the wasteland green and lush. Each type of Pokémon has a preference for a certain type of habitat, for which you find clues at sparkling little rainbow points. Some of them teach you special moves that are essential, like water gun, rototiller and rock smash.
Professor Tangrowth walks you through the early mechanics in Pokémon Pokopia, from building houses to boosting the Environment Level of the area. As more Pokémon settle in, the biome grows livelier, you get a workbench, unlocking new crafting options and a way eventually to build housing for yourself and other Pokémon. You level the area up by making the Pokémon happy, giving them food, a special item they crave or taking them with you on your adventure.
One of the first milestones in Pokémon Pokopia is when you rebuild the Pokémon Centre that is in ruins in the Withered Wasteland. To build or rebuild something, you need to gather materials and assign certain Pokémon to the task. Each Pokémon has special abilities, like being able to build things, bulldoze rubble, make fire or gather items for you. When you’ve gathered everything, they get busy for you.
There is so much to do that it sometimes can seem overwhelming, until you remember that there is no rush: take your time and enjoy your life as a Ditto in Pokémon Pokopia! And don’t worry if you can’t give all the resident Pokémon all the attention you want: they have a good time together too, chatting and playing.
Several Biomes to Explore and More
There are vast open biomes to explore and rejuvenate, some tantalising in the distance that can’t be reached yet. You need to raise your environment level of the biome you’re working on high enough to enter the gates to new areas.
The biomes are the major regions that make up the island of Pokémon Pokopia. Each one is a distinct zone where you can explore, build homes in, create habitats, and welcome new Pokémon. As you repair a biome and raise its Environment Level, more Pokémon begin to appear, and the once‑ruined landscape gradually transforms into a lively, flourishing ecosystem.
It’s a good idea to make a base in every biome, allowing you to fast travel between them. You can decorate your house with all the furniture you find or buy on the computer in front of the Pokémon Centre. That PC also shows challenges you can complete for coins, and it houses the gateway to playing online with friends.
Pokémon Pokopia works on a real-time day-and-night cycle, and building a structure takes until the next day to finish. This might be annoying to some, but at least there is so much to do that you’ll never be bored.
The Magic Of Pokémon Pokopia
Pokémon Pokopia is a feel-good game. The critters are a cheerful bunch and always happy to see you. Some come running up to get your attention, and with little gifts, others are eager to help you with special abilities without any complaints. Gone are the grunts and yells that Pokémon normally emit; instead, you can have a real chat with them. The things they ask for to make their comfort level higher fit with what we expect from them: Squirtle wants to live in a habitat that has a higher humidity, Hitmonchan appears when you put the right exercise equipment out, and Mareep only appears when there’s a little knitting basket on the table. In that way, Pokémon Pokopia really reminds me of Viva Piñata, but they don’t eat each other!
Sitting down to write my review, I’m mulling over all the special ways in which this game keeps your attention that are quite special. You can set up security cameras around a biome so you’ll get alerted when a new Pokémon shows up. You can influence the weather using a Castform weather charm. You can use your special moves to influence the landscape, and you can craft building blocks to make streets, tiles and much more. You can fly with certain Pokémon or swim with them through waterfalls. Use the Sandbox area to your liking in Palette Town, and go to a Dream Island by showing a Pokédoll to Drifloon.
Scattered across the biomes, you’ll come across little treasures from the Kanto that once was. Notes tucked away in corners, old newspapers, journals, even interviews with familiar faces. Inklings of what happened to the humans that have all vanished. For Pokémon fans who have been with the series from the start with Red and Blue, this might evoke some nostalgia. Usually, we play a storyline in a Pokémon game, but now you get a “behind the scenes” look that is very enticing. And of course, you also see with your own eyes what the Kanto region came to and get a deeper look at Pokémon lore.
Dream Islands and Multiplayer
In case you don’t have enough to do in your own game in Pokémon Pokopia, or if you’re trying to find materials you lack, you can go to a Dream Island. Drifloon takes you to one island a day, much like Kapp’n ferries you over to a special mystery island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You’re free to wander around and take everything you can back home with you.
In multiplayer, you can play online (if you have a Switch Online membership) or locally with up to four players, and there are several different ways to visit each other’s islands or build together. Of course, that’s great if you want to admire others’ layouts or if you want to share tips and work on small tasks together. And you also walk the long bridge together from your shore or your friends’ shore to Palette Town and play in the sandbox together with friends.
Working together on Cloud Islands works like Slumber Islands in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You are all on a unique multiplayer hub in Pokémon Pokopia that doesn’t require the host to be online (if you have bought the special Goggles in your game). It requires an 8‑digit alphanumeric code you share with friends. You can build together, terraform and work on long-term projects together.
Graphics, Soundtrack and Controls
All I can say is Pokémon Pokopia is exactly as it should be. Graphically, the game looks cute, colourful and generally lovely. There’s dialogue with the Pokémon that can be witty and endearing. I can’t wait to get the soundtrack on the Nintendo Music app to put it on while I’m working at my real-life job.
The controls work like a dream; everything is intuitive to you, meaning you don’t have to think about what buttons to press, it just happens. Shortcuts to inventory items are made when you buy the Handy Bag in the PC shop. When you make sure the storage boxes are next to your workbench, the crafting menu accesses them automatically. The only thing I’m missing is access to storage from everywhere.
Conclusion for Pokémon Pokopia
If you’ve read my review so far, you won’t be surprised that I’m giving Pokémon Pokopia our highest rating. The developers took the best of several other ace games and added them to the world of Pokémon, making a game that will prove to be a real time-sink.
You don’t even have to be a real Pokémon fan to enjoy Pokémon Pokopia. Even if the critters are all new to you, you won’t have any trouble connecting to them and their endearing ways. Remember the feeling of finding new territories in Dragon Quest Builders? You’ll feel the same here. There’s a storyline to follow, but I think the real draw will be the way you can create any island you wish. Like in Animal Crossing, your imagination can flow freely.
At first, though, just enjoy the small ways you can bring the biomes back to life and not look too much at the wonderful creations others have made. Take your time and enjoy!
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
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