Pokemon Pokopia Is Shaping Up to Be an Impressive Level-Up of the Animal Crossing Formula (Preview)

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Pokemon fans have long wished for a relaxing, life-simulation game within the Pokemon world, and Pokemon Pokopia delivers just that. This new game puts you in the role of a Ditto who arrives on a mysteriously deserted island. Working alongside the Pokemon who still live there, you’ll focus on rebuilding the environment and bringing life back to the island. Before playing, the trailers suggested a mix of Minecraft and Animal Crossing, and after getting hands-on time with Pokemon Pokopia, it’s clear the game lives up to—and even exceeds—those expectations.

Pokémon Pokopia is a new game created by The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Koei Tecmo Games. It’s launching on March 5th and will be the first Pokémon title available exclusively on the Switch 2. I recently had the chance to play it for about 40 minutes during a preview event. I tested out character creation, the beginning of the single-player game, and the multiplayer features. While I only experienced a small part of the game, I’m already excited about this relaxed and charming spin-off. It looks like Pokémon Pokopia will offer a lot of what you’d expect from a life simulation game, but with a Pokémon theme.

Cozy Gamers Will Love Pokopia‘s Gameplay Loop

I wasn’t thrilled at first to learn we’d be playing as a Human Ditto in Pokopia. However, after playing for a while, I’m starting to enjoy it. Pokopia lets you customize your character at the beginning, choosing things like hairstyle, skin tone, and outfit. While the options were somewhat limited, it was good to be able to personalize my Human Ditto. I hope they add more outfits to unlock as we progress, since there weren’t many available at the start.

Okay, so I finally got to create my own little Human Ditto and start playing Pokopia! It’s immediately obvious there’s a really interesting story unfolding – it seems like Ditto and Professor Tangrowth are trying to figure out what happened to all the people and Pokémon who used to live on the island. I’m a sucker for cozy games with a good story, and this one grabbed me right away. Apparently, before my Human Ditto showed up, the island was practically deserted except for the Professor!

While rebuilding the island, you’ll meet new Pokémon and discover what caused it to become deserted. Because you play as Ditto, conversations with Pokémon feel natural and engaging – they don’t just repeat their names! This really brings their personalities to life, and I loved getting to know each one. As the Pokémon get settled, they’ll ask for your help to make their homes better. Helping them out is a great way to unlock new skills and rewards as you progress.

Besides fulfilling requests from Pokémon, the main part of the game involves using Ditto’s abilities to create homes for different types of Pokémon. Building these habitats attracts new Pokémon to your island. Each new Pokémon you befriend will have skills that help Ditto learn more and rebuild the island. You’ll also unlock recipes to craft items, letting you improve the island and make it a cozy home for your Pokémon pals. In many ways, Pokopia is similar to Animal Crossing – you can customize your island to create the perfect living space for both you and your Pokémon. Even from a quick look at the crafting options, I’m already looking forward to discovering everything you can create.

During my early look at Pokopia, I found the gameplay to be well-balanced. It feels open and allows you to play however you like, but it also offers optional requests and daily challenges if you prefer more direction. There’s a central story that gives you a long-term goal, adding to the experience. I definitely feel like I only experienced a small part of what the game has to offer. I didn’t encounter any of the unique new Pokémon shown in trailers, and I only explored a limited area of the map.

Pokemon Pokopia Pays Homage to the Pokemon Games Before It

While Pokopia is a relaxing game, it’s still deeply rooted in the Pokemon world. As I played as Human Ditto, I was curious to see how it connected to existing Pokemon stories. I especially appreciated how the game uses sound effects that longtime fans will instantly recognize from the main series games. Hearing those familiar sounds when unlocking new items and crafting recipes adds a lovely touch of nostalgia to the cozy gameplay.

Fans of Pokemon will love discovering the different Pokemon throughout the game. I was happy to find that bringing tall grass back to life often led to a Pokemon appearing – just like in the classic games where you’d find your first Pokemon by walking through tall grass! Plus, the areas you rebuild to attract Pokemon feel true to the series, with each Pokemon’s habitat matching its type and where it would naturally live. Even though this game plays differently than most Pokemon games, it still captures the spirit of the series.

Players will receive a Pokedex along with Pokemon and sound effects. It functions a little differently in Pokopia, but it’s still useful. The island also has an old, damaged Pokemon Center, hinting that this new location might have been a town from the familiar Pokemon world. After the preview, I’m eager to see how Pokopia will tie into other Pokemon games.

Pokemon Pokopia Multiplayer Lets You Craft a Co-Op World

We also had a chance to test the online multiplayer in Pokemon Pokopia during the preview. Instead of simply visiting each other’s islands like in Animal Crossing, this mode lets players work together to build and design a shared island space. While there are both advantages and disadvantages to this approach, I’m hoping the final game will also allow visits to individual player islands. I especially enjoyed the idea of collaborating on projects, like fixing up the Pokemon Center and finding new Pokemon to join us.

The main gameplay in multiplayer is largely the same as playing alone. You and other players team up to develop the island, finish objectives, and earn new items and Pokémon companions. Everyone can help by fixing up habitats, finding Pokémon, and crafting. However, certain tasks, like fulfilling Pokémon requests, can only be done by the player who started the game. This might feel a little restrictive, as you’ll need someone to lead and be present during co-op play. Despite this, it seems like a solid base for a relaxing and collaborative multiplayer experience, and you still get to keep your own personal island.

I had a great time playing Pokemon Pokopia. It ran well on the Switch 2, and the art style is really charming and cozy, which is perfect for a Pokemon game. I was hesitant at first, but now I’m excited to buy it when it releases on March 5th.

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2026-02-11 17:16