After 36 hours and some change, the credits rolled on my journey with Pokémon Pokopia‘s main story. Immediately, I planned how I’d spend my next 36 hours in-game, tweaking and tinkering with the dream life sim that a lifelong Pokémon fan like myself is enamored with. It’s been more than three weeks since its release, so I don’t need to tell you Pokopia is a hit. The cozy gamers love it, the long-time trainers since the Red and Blue days love it, and I also love it. So much so that I can very much see this game sticking in my rotation, even for daily sessions, for the rest of 2026.

Pokopia begins, and you can immediately see the framework of Dragon Quest Builders, the game from which much of Pokopia’s mechanics take their lead. As a Ditto that takes the form of its missing trainer, you set off to make the wastelands around you an appealing place for the return of Pokémon, and in turn, the trainers who kept them company. Where did the humans go? Little hints and relics left behind suggest they’re off to find a planet untouched by environmental disasters. While you can’t find answers immediately, you can form habitats with grass, water, and items you craft to draw friends out of their hiding places and into your world.

That world, by the way, isn’t just one massive space. You soon realize that you can access four distinct biomes with varying resources, flora, and habitats. Like any good crafting game, you’re hit with dozens of tasks to complete, not to mention make your space look appealing, and you’re off!

Compared to my Animal Crossing experience, I’d say I was a lot more overwhelmed at the start of my Pokopia journey. It really doesn’t stop feeling supermassive either; you’re going to be faced with a slew of needs from your new neighbors, spaces in need of a refresh, and so much more. My best advice: Take your time and enjoy the ride. There’s so much to love if you’re not stressing yourself out.

That said, I’m easily overwhelmed, and I’d argue it took me nearly 12-15 hours to finally get in a groove where the spaces all around me didn’t fill me with guilt for how little progress I was making. The reality is that you’re not meant to make these biomes look flawless. In fact, there’s a post-game task once the credits roll that actually makes the massive landscape redesigns way easier. The best way to approach Pokopia‘s never-ending list of things to do is simply to do the ones that are marked as important. If others appeal to you, then by all means, take a detour and help Torchic or Gyrados with their needs.

As you progress through each biome, you’ll be able to pick up new abilities that make your life easier. It’s that setup that actually makes the game feel like it leads players astray a bit. There’s no correct biome to visit once you leave your initial land. I took the path of a rockier, mining area, and in hindsight, I wish I had headed for the beach first instead.

I also picked up a skill to traverse waterfalls just minutes before I completed the game. No doubt, the skill would have come in handy earlier in the game. The Pokopia experience is one of discovery and adventure, but it does lead to moments like the ones I listed above that feel like poor progression design.

The great news is that none of my wrong turns punished my experience. Pokopia plays smoothly, controls wonderfully, and most importantly, looks like a bona fide Switch 2 system seller. I’d argue we’re past the point of wondering whether the Switch 2 has exclusives worth buying the console for. Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, and now this exciting crafting adventure that rivals AC: New Horizons are all incredible experiences that make my first 9 months as a Switch 2 owner feel well worth it. Pokopia is a nice surprise, even though I was definitely excited about it. I just didn’t know how great it would really be.

There’s so much to do and see in Pokopia that the mainline story is far from the end for me. I plan on having it in regular rotation for months to come. Getting to interact with familiar pocket monsters I’ve loved my entire life in this way is a dream.

While there’s a ton of reading that might deter younger trainers from the full experience, we adult superfans are no doubt going to love being able to talk to Pokémon for the first time like this. There are a few bumps in the road in terms of progression, but overall, Pokémon has just found its bona fide side series hit to succeed Legends, Mystery Dungeon, and the other adventures we’ve enjoyed over the years.

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Pokémon Pokopia

$69.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• So much to do!
• Easy to control and navigate, which isn't a given in survival crafting games
• A gorgeous blend of Pokémon charm and truly great sandbox gameplay

Cons

• A lack of direction in how to progress can make your experience harder than it needs to be