First unveiled worldwide during this past September’s Nintendo Direct, Pokémon Pokopia is an upcoming cozy game set in a strangely post-apocalyptic world where the well-known partnership between Pokémon and their trainers has been seemingly irreparably severed. Being a cozy game, Pokémon Pokopia understandably shares striking similarities to other cozy games, such as Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, in its customizable, interactive world. The important distinction to be made with Pokémon Pokopia, however, is the incorporation of Pokémon into the well-known cozy game formula. With the almost never-ending cast of unique, colorful, and adorable friendly monsters, Pokémon Pokopia is gunning for a top spot in every cozy gamer’s tier list.
Pokémon Pokopia sees players enter a strangely quiet world, taking on the form of a Ditto, the transforming Pokémon, who has strangely taken on the shape of a kid. With the end goal of returning the abandoned world to its former glory, you will be sure to come across a slew of friendly Pokémon on your journey, each with their own unique side quests, abilities, and cute moments to share with you. Gamers will find that the abilities attained through cultivating these valuable friendships will be integral to the successful renovation of the numerous neighboring islands available to explore. Abilities such as Squirtle’s water gun, Scyther’s X-Scissor, and many more classic Pokémon attacks will be available to aid tremendously in the terraforming and maintenance of your Pokémon pals’ habitats. You are not limited to mere ability copying as a humble Ditto, however, as players will be able to transform into Pokémon like Lapras and Dragonite—given they meet them first—allowing for greater area traversal when exploring overseas or by air. Once the world has been cleared of debris enough to get down to work, gamers will be able to craft a slew of fun, interactive decorations to fully customize the habitats of their precious Pokémon pals.
Nintendo Switch gamers are sure to be excited by the announcement that, despite Pokémon Pokopia’s Switch 2 exclusivity, GameShare is supported in the base game, allowing owners of the game on Switch 2 to share the experience with friends who don’t own the game on either Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 systems.
Pokémon Pokopia’s release date has been confirmed for March 5, 2026.