Pokemon Pokopia is a spin-off that takes the series in a whole direction, one that blends elements of Minecraft and Dragon Quest Builders environmental alteration and building in the hopes of restoring places so Pokemon and maybe even humans will eventually return. I had a chance to go hands-on with both solo and multiplayer parts of the game. Regardless of how I played, one thing seemed certain. That is that Pokemon Pokopia seemed like it could end up being the kind of relaxing spin-off we play at our own pace.
My Pokemon Pokopia journey started at the very outset. A lone Ditto appeared in a cave, getting a chance to transform into the trainer they once knew and loved. This ended up being a surprisingly robust process. I didn’t spend a substantial amount of time here, due to my session being limited, but I was able to select a body type, skin color, hair style, hair color, one of two outfits, and the colors for different outfit and accessory parts. So while our Dittos are essentially following the same storyline, there seems to be quite a bit of freedom when defining the trainer they replicate.
After picking an identity, I was able to head out and meet Professor Tangrowth. Like the Ditto, this character brings up how he once belonged to a notable human who sounds like they were a professor, and brings up how this Ditto is the first other Pokemon to appear in quite some time. The segment I went through acted as an introduction to explain that some incident happened that left the town and parts of the world devastated, but upon meeting my avatar there’s an opportunity. By using Ditto’s ability to copy other Pokemon’s moves and its human form tendencies, it could be possible to restore habitats and homes to restore environments.
While these will involve actions like collecting items, crafting furniture and items, and terraforming, one thing I noticed during my Pokemon Pokopia session was how relaxed it all seemed. There were no time limits. Once I met Squirtle, our first returning character, and gained the Water Gun ability as a result, I could take some time to explore the immediate area and restore grassy spots, water dying flowers, brush, and trees, and get some basic elements done. By restoring spots in different areas, you can create habitats. For example, four patches of grass are one. Using Leafage around a restored tree and revitalized earth to make grass appear created another type of habitat, and so on.
Another thing I noticed, both in the single-player and multiplayer hands-on sessions of Pokemon Pokopia, is that the spin-off game seems to also feature cues to encourage habitat development. For example, there will occasionally be glimmers on the ground. Investigating and picking them up will involve a clue as to a possible habitat to create to bring a certain Pokemon back. In the one early area I visited, there was a glimmering clue next to a bench. It suggested placing a punching bag near it could make a character with a silhouette that matched Hitmonchan’s appear. Ruins of a house nearby had a punching bag left inside, so I picked it up moved it over. That triggered a completed habitat! By the time my solo portion ended, Hitmonchan was back.
As for the multiplayer portion, that also felt like a slow-paced opportunity. In that segment, I worked alongside three other people to restore a Pokemon Center. A box out front mentioned the different materials that would be required to finish the project. It also noted that two Pokemon would need to be brought over to finish it. While one was showing as a mystery, one was Arcanine. Which meant in addition to getting the items, we’d need to find that particular character in the nearby area, have them follow us, and head back to the center to build things up. But since this was a group effort, we could take our time and do so at a pace that worked best for all of us.
While I didn’t get to spend tons of time with Pokemon Pokopia, I felt like I was able to leisurely explore and enjoy its world. The impression I get is that it will respect your time, but not force you to quickly move along. The pace seemed to offer both the opportunity to be leisurely or more quickly go through tasks in order to advance the story and gain access to new abilities and Pokemon friends for our Ditto avatar. I am excited to spend more time relaxing in this Pokemon spin-off game’s world.
Pokemon Pokopia will come to the Switch 2 on March 5, 2026.