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The Pokémon franchise is venturing into unexplored territory with its latest offering, Pokémon Pokopia, which embraces the cozy gaming genre. Although Pokémon games have long been a source of comfort for many fans, Pokopia promises a fresh twist by blending elements from popular cozy games with the iconic Pokémon universe.
In a recent Nintendo Preview Showcase, CBR had the opportunity to experience a sneak peek of upcoming Switch 2 titles slated for 2026, including Pokémon Pokopia. During the event, we spent roughly 90 minutes exploring the game on the new Switch 2 console. Our session was divided into two parts: the first 40 minutes focused on the game’s opening sequences, while the remaining time was dedicated to multiplayer mode. Pokémon Pokopia is a collaborative effort, co-developed by The Pokémon Company, GAME FREAK inc., and KOEI TECMO GAMES.
The journey in Pokémon Pokopia begins with a Ditto assuming the form of its absent master, eventually crossing paths with Professor Tangrowth, one of the last Pokémon to be found. Interestingly, both humans and Pokémon appear to be missing initially, sparking the intriguing mystery of the humans’ whereabouts as Pokémon begin to reappear.
The Mystery Behind Pokémon Pokopia is Intriguing
Pokémon Pokopia starts with a Ditto taking the shape of their lost master. They encounter Professor Tangrowth, one of the last Pokémon around. It turns out that there are no humans or Pokémon around. Eventually, Pokémon start emerging, but that leaves the curious question of where are the humans?
Many fans have had questions about when Pokopia occurs in the timeline, or whether it’s canon at all. While those questions are still unanswered, it looks like the missing humans will be the main focus of the story. Professor Tangrowth hints that if Ditto starts to repair the land as more Pokémon appear, maybe the humans will start to come back.
The story may not have the level of depth that some fans crave, but it’s still a premise that has many people curious. Hopefully, the payoff lives up to all of the suspense the game has built up.
Playing as a Human Ditto in Pokopia Is Hilarious
Since its announcement, the idea of playing as a human Ditto has been memed constantly. After playing Pokémon Pokopia, it’s hard not to see why, as a human Ditto is hilarious. It’s something so wacky that it actually becomes endearing.
Ditto doing a full-on Naruto run had me cracking up in the preview. That, plus the tiny black-dot eyes and huge smile on a human-shaped blob, lands in that perfect creepy-cute zone. More importantly, Ditto’s shape-shifting is the core of how Pokopia is actually played.
At one point, Ditto finds a dehydrated Squirtle and copies its water powers to bring life back to the grass. Once refreshed, Squirtle joins your community. Not long after, Ditto helps out Bulbasaur and Charmander too, befriending them and gaining access to their abilities.
The main hook feels like a twist on “catching them all.” Instead of just collecting creatures, players are earning their trust and borrowing their powers to heal the land. It’s a strong motivator to keep going, especially if Ditto’s copied abilities keep getting more creative as the game progresses.
Pokémon Pokopia Has Strong Shades of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft
It’s no secret that Pokémon Pokopia has strong shades of some of the most popular cozy games. These similarities quickly became clear in the previous, and they made the game all the better. Everything was laid back, but the gameplay was interesting enough that I could see myself sinking hours and hours into Pokopia.
It’s still unclear whether Pokémon Pokopia runs in real time like Animal Crossing or uses an accelerated clock like Stardew Valley. Either way, it looks like there’s plenty to keep players hooked. There are Minecraft-style caves to explore and progression challenges that reward players with all kinds of useful upgrades, like expanded storage.
After seeing how well these mechanics work in Pokopia, honestly surprising that Pokémon hasn’t leaned into the cozy genre sooner. If Pokémon Pokopia can get anywhere near the feel of those cozy standouts, it has a real shot at being a hit.
The Multiplayer for Pokémon Pokopia Is all About Teamwork
There’s multiplayer in Pokémon Pokopia, and teamwork is a big part of the loop. You can invite friends to your island, and it feels pretty similar to Animal Crossing in that you’re trading materials and checking out what everyone’s built.
What’s nice is how friends can pitch in on crafting structures. In our demo, we explored a small part of the island to gather materials for a build. It’s not intense by design, and that works in its favor since it keeps those laid-back, cozy vibes.
Pokémon Pokopia Looks Good on the Switch 2
Pokémon Pokopia is a special release since it’s the first Pokémon game launching solely on the Switch 2. Legends: Z-A also debuted on the Switch 2, but it was released on the original Switch as well, so Pokopia is breaking new ground.
We only got to play in docked mode, but Pokémon Pokopia looks great. The image is crisp, and the bright, colorful world really pops. We didn’t run into any frame rate dips or bugs during the preview. All things considered, Pokémon Pokopia feels like it could make a real splash for both the Switch 2 and the cozy genre when it releases on March 5, 2026.
Pokémon Pokopia
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone / Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
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Single-player – other players can visit your base via the internet.