Pokémon Pokopia – Review

The best Pokémon title and probably the most addictive game of 2026

I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard the name Pokémon. And if there were someone who said no, they certainly know what a Pokémon looks like, but probably don't know that's the official name. Just like with Disney and Super Mario Bros., thanks to its popularity, which doesn't seem to fade – quite the opposite, it continues to grow and spread from one generation to the next – almost any physical or digital product bearing the Pokémon label, or if you will, the Pokémon logo, very quickly becomes a subject of interest. The greatest superpower of this franchise is called "taking your money". It's a combo of Jigglypuff's ability to gently lull you and Hypno's ability to, you guessed it, hypnotise you.

Back in the '90s, when I was a kid, Pokémon was the Dallas of my generation. When the animated series aired on PRO TV, there wasn't a single child outside kicking a ball. We all savoured the adventures of Ash from Pallet Town and his electric mouse Pikachu. After the episode ended, I couldn't wait to go outside and recap it with my gang of friends. Speaking of the gang, the most annoying, but also the funniest, were Jessie, James, and Meowth, the trio that formed Team Rocket. It wasn't uncommon to hear a kid yelling in front of the block: "Team Rocket is blasting off again!"

We're talking about a time when there were no influencers, and trends among kids were set by the kiosk on the ground floor of the block and by promotions from Mr. Snaki, Chipicao, and other E-number-filled wonders of that era. How many tonnes of croissants and snacks were consumed just for the sake of cards and stickers?

Those were the times, guys. We had less, but it felt like we enjoyed it more. That's why I love Pokémon so much, because it's a living part of my childhood. Of course, there were several stages, depending on what else appeared on TV: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beyblade, Dragon Ball Z, etc. But these little monsters and the red and white balls seem to have stuck in my memory the best.

March's Surprise

Pokémon Pokopia was first announced during a Nintendo Direct event last September. I can't say it was "love at first sight" for me. I misjudged it, thinking it was just a title for a very young audience, a Minecraft clone, but with some Pokémon thrown in to save the day after they realised it would have been too boring otherwise. Apparently, I was completely wrong. It's not Minecraft, and it's not just a game for kids.

Behind Pokopia lie many lines of code written by Game Freak, the daddies of the main games in the franchise, in collaboration with a Koei Tecmo division called Omega Force. If the name doesn't ring a bell, then maybe the Dynasty Warriors series does. However, it wasn't this series that convinced the Japanese at Game Freak to shake hands with Omega Force, but another successful project of theirs, a little game called Dragon Quest Builders 2.

Now the story starts to make more sense, doesn't it? Basically, Pokopia has the DNA of Builders and the charm of Pokémon. It was hard for anything to go wrong with this combination. Whoever had the idea for this collaboration was clearly inspired. The creativity of Builders, combined with the popularity of Pokémon, materialised into a game so good that, for now, Pokopia is considered the best title in the franchise. Keep in mind that we're talking about a spin-off, not a main title that enjoys huge budgets and pumped-up advertising everywhere. Ultimately, it's another clear proof that a good product beats any convention.

Fallout x Pokémon, a creative wasteland

You've probably seen in the trailers, and especially in the screenshots carefully sprinkled among the review paragraphs, that, at least at first glance, Pokopia is a colourful and optimistic title, exactly what you'd expect from a Pokémon game. Well, on the surface, that's true, but there's a dark secret. The cheerful world we know no longer exists. Due to drastic climate changes, to survive, humans were forced to leave the planet and move into space. For unknown reasons, there was no room for their Pokémon friends, or at least not for all of them. The solution was to create a system to store all the creatures left on Earth, probably hoping that things would improve or that they would find a remedy and return. Who would have thought that such an optimistic story could also venture into a post-apocalyptic, sad zone? But it seems to work. It's an interesting switch that brings a new twist to the classic formula. You know, sometimes life needs a touch of drama to be lived more intensely.

In this context, the story of Pokopia begins. You wake up in a seemingly empty world, literally and figuratively dry. The biggest surprise is that there are no humans here. Even the main character, who can be a boy or a girl, depending on your choice, is actually a Ditto, meaning another Pokémon that has taken the form of its former trainer. If in other games, and especially in the animated series, the goal was to catch 'em all and become the best Pokémon trainer, here it's all about these adorable creatures. In essence, it's a game about terraforming and biomes, about how to bring life and comfort back to a place that has been abandoned.

The story begins with Ditto, who emerges from a stray Poké Ball in a cave and meets a Tangrowth, also known as the Professor, who becomes his guide. A few lines of dialogue and a Pokédex later, the grand adventure begins. Pokopia doesn't keep you busy for too long with tutorials and other explanations that can often be boring. It's the kind of game that, by the nature of its game design, encourages you to explore and only helps you with explanations when needed or when there's a risk of getting stuck.

The beginning of the game has almost the same impact as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You wake up quite confused in a dark cave, from which you emerge dazed and discover the world, or rather, the wasteland. A world as arid as in Fallout, but perhaps less dangerous and without radiation.

The first Pokémon you meet, if we exclude Professor Tangrowth, is Squirtle, from whom you also learn the first special ability, that of spraying water, or as we used to say in the neighbourhood, "ocean jet". After you take care of Squirtle a bit, you meet Bulbasaur, who teaches you how to create tufts of grass. Water and greenery become an important combo at the beginning to create all kinds of habitats from which Pokémon can emerge. Of course, after Bulbasaur and Squirtle, you also meet Charmander, but unfortunately you can't create fire, but at least you can use the help of Pokémon when needed.

If you're familiar with Pokémon games, you've probably already deduced that we're talking about the first generation of monsters and the Kanto region. As a double confirmation, if you're adventurous and rummage through all the nooks and crannies of the map, you'll also find letters or certain memories left by humans long ago. Among these references appears the name Misty, the well-known Pokémon trainer and loyal companion of Ash and Brock. What's more, these artefacts, now historical relics, also unlock new options to customise Ditto to resemble the characters in those texts, such as Misty's hairstyle.

To give you an idea, there are a total of about 14 abilities you'll discover during exploration, and the game will become increasingly fun. Some will help you create reserves to house new Pokémon, others will make your life easier when you want to climb hills or swim to an island that hides treasures.

The map isn't an open world like in Red Dead Redemption or Minecraft. However, you have a considerable portion that you can explore for hours, after which you hit some closed doors. How do you get to the next level? Obviously, you have to meet a few criteria. What criteria? Ask the Professor. I'm serious. Pokopia is quite freestyle for the most part, but when you feel like you don't know how to progress, Professor Tangrowth is the perfect guide. After the first few hours, you'll start to figure out how the game works anyway, but from time to time it's good to talk to the Pokémon in the habitats you've created.

There's another pretty important aspect to mention: the shopping kiosk and challenges. Shortly after you unlock the first abilities and a few crafting recipes, you'll come across a ruined Pokémon Center, but also a PC-Kiosk that still seems to be functional. From this terminal, you can earn coins that you use to buy new construction recipes, as well as certain items that will help you along the way, such as the peddler's pouch, which gives you extra slots for items in your backpack.

I think I've covered pretty much everything you need to know to get an idea of how the game's architecture is designed. The rest is worth discovering for yourself, because one of Pokopia's strong points is exploration and the mystery of not knowing too much.

Designed to last, to last, to la...

I mentioned earlier that Pokopia somehow manages to break the monotony of the main series and especially the classic formula where a 10-year-old kid wants to become the coolest Pokémon trainer. On paper, changing a recipe that's been established for almost 30 years shouldn't be successful, but it turns out it works wonderfully in practice.

It's certainly not just luck, but the developers' mastery and especially the director's vision applied correctly. Perhaps also a touch of "the right product at the right time", if we consider the attention Pokémon is currently enjoying due to its anniversary, as well as the re-release of the two classic titles, FireRed and LeafGreen, which rekindled the fire among fans more than a shiny Charizard. This strategy seems to have worked wonderfully and I think it will last for a good while. Why do I say that? Because Pokopia is not a game with a linear story that ends in 10-15 hours. No, no. Pokopia is a generous platform that, just like Animal Crossing or Minecraft, can generate hundreds or even thousands of hours of fun for gamers.

Let's not forget that Pokémon games are somewhat interconnected, and the guys have already announced the first cross-event between Pokopia and Pokémon GO. Oh, and I almost forgot about the multiplayer aspect, because yes, you can play it with a friend. It doesn't have couch co-op, but you can visit other friends online who are just as fanatical as you and thus build Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings or even the People's Salvation Cathedral in Pokopia, not just in Minecraft.

I've seen all sorts of interesting constructions on YouTube and I already have a plan in mind for the GRIND Man Cave. Just this morning, as I'm writing these lines, I found a shelf and some CDs that I'll turn into a video game shelf. For the rest, I already have a bed, a table, and a chair. Maybe I'll find a device that looks like a TV or a laptop and I'll be satisfied for now. Bonus, I also found a construction plan for a pink house that Iris will really enjoy. If I also find Eevee, that's great, but I have a feeling I need to advance to the next area for that. Until then, I have to save an Onix stuck by a stone wall.

A few technical details

You've talked about the game, but you haven't told us if it "runs" okay. Thanks for asking! The answer is yes, Pokémon Pokopia runs excellently on Nintendo Switch 2. There's no Performance or Quality mode, like on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but the default one is perfect. Now, I'm not saying it couldn't be better, but as the developers set it up, it's more than okay. We have a constant 60 frames per second and I haven't noticed any stuttering, no matter how crowded the area I was in. Besides this good consistency, I also really like the slightly cartoonish art direction. It's perfectly chosen for a Pokémon game. It's colourful, vibrant, has a decent draw distance and fits perfectly with this game style inspired by Animal Crossing and Minecraft.

You'd probably say it's normal not to have technical problems, because the game looks like a cartoon and doesn't have many complex textures. That's true, but its complexity doesn't lie in textures, but in the game's world-building and terraforming aspect. It would have every reason to stutter, at least in crowded areas with all sorts of Pokémon that, by the way, are not static.

Overall, I find it a much more "3D" game than Pokémon Legends Z-A, and fans of the series know what I mean. Omega Force has done its best to deliver a stable, clean, and well-optimised game for Switch 2. All my appreciation for this effort. I know it should be normal and valid for all titles, but if we look at what Game Freak has released in recent years, we start to appreciate something done responsibly.

In short, Pokopia is a title that shouldn't worry anyone from a technical point of view. It's as smooth an experience as possible, excellently optimised both in handheld and docked mode.

It would have been better if...

I was just thinking if there's anything I don't like about Pokémon Pokopia and, honestly, I can't really find anything. There might be two or even three aspects to mention, but these might be personal things that won't bother you.

The first thing would be the way you use abilities or the pieces you build. If in Minecraft you enjoy a first-person perspective and a target in the middle of the screen, in Pokopia the only indicator is a placeholder you see projected onto the respective area. The problem is that it's often difficult to hit exactly the slot where you want to spray water or add a new cube to finish your construction. You get used to it over time, but at first, it can be quite frustrating.

The second thing concerns the variety of materials and objects you find and how you manage them. Although the on-person inventory is quite generous, when the bag starts to fill up, it becomes quite difficult to quickly find what you need. This aspect of resource management is something Blizzard only learned and applied 26 years after the launch of Diablo II. I'm referring to the new update that brought the Warlock, but which also optimised the stash by offering various categories specific to the collected items. Perhaps in the future, a small optimisation in Pokopia wouldn't hurt, or at least more efficient filtering.

The third and final thing, for now, concerns a game mechanic that can be interesting, but not for everyone. Like its distant cousin Animal Crossing, Pokopia has a real-time system for completing tasks. For example, when you want to build a hut or restore a Pokémon Center, it can take several good hours. It's somewhat more advisable to set the Pokémon to build in the evening, and the next day, when you log back into the game, everything will be ready. There's also the solution of changing the console's date and time, but who has the time and patience to do that every time?

Conclusions

Pokémon Pokopia is the surprise of March for me. I'd even dare to say it's the game of the month, but that wouldn't be fair, because Crimson Desert hasn't been released yet. Although the two are quite different, something tells me that will be a truly special title. We'll see.

Returning to Pokémon, what keeps me hooked and makes me open the Switch instead of the PS5 is the diversity of Pokopia. What new area will I discover, what new Pokémon will appear, what abilities will I unlock, and what's the story with these people who moved into space and left the poor monsters behind?

Pokopia is a chill, cosy game that makes you hit the brakes and enjoy the moment, but especially the magic of the Pokémon universe, which for many of us hasn't faded, even if our hair has greyed and our knees creak after just an hour of playing.

Game Freak and Omega Force offer us a game that breaks all conventions and manages to gather everyone in the house on the sofa. In my case, during the last Pokopia session, I had to share the controller with my daughter and my wife, because it piqued their curiosity too. I told you in the introduction that Pokémon is a universal language that knows no age or taste barrier. It's the kind of game you see both with the Twitch streamer with pink headphones and fluffy ears, and with the hardcore gamer who has invested thousands of hours in JRPGs and is just starting Skyrim for the twentieth time.

If you have a Switch 2 at home and want to take a break from whatever you're playing now, Pokopia is an investment you won't regret. You don't have to be a Pokémon fan to get hooked; just a few minutes of playing is enough for it to stick to you like Ditto.

Here, Pokémon Pokopia is distributed by CD Media SE, and can be purchased in digital and physical format, but there's a small catch for collectors. Although its older cousin, Legends Z-A, appeared in a version where the game is entirely on the card, Pokopia only comes with a digital licence, in Game-Key Card format.

In this context, I would advise you to buy the cheapest version you can find. The game is already available in stores such as Jocurinoi.ro, Gamesfunattic.ro, and Altex, if you opt for the physical Game-Key Card edition. If not, the alternative is Nintendo eShop.

Thanks to CD Media SE for the review code!

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Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Played on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: 5 March 2026
Developer: Game Freak, Omega Force
Publisher: Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, CD Media SE