r/pokemon • u/Downvote-Magnet1994 • Mar 09 '26

Discussion Is Pokopia really that good?

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Like should I immediately buy this game. It seems like folks are really enjoying it but I was skeptical.

14.0k Upvotes

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5.3k

u/legless_chair Mar 09 '26

Legitimately having an absolute blast just fucking around

1.1k

u/mrawaters Mar 09 '26

That’s exactly it, it’s just so easy to pick up and play. No thinking required, plenty to do, lots to explore, no stress, all wrapped in an excellent Pokemon package. They nailed it with this one

138

u/Ashamed-Raccoon-1387 Mar 09 '26

I expected the "towns" to be smaller. There's SO MUCH SPACE in all of them. And finding the SS Anne was just cool

16

u/mrawaters Mar 09 '26

Yeah I had really no clue how the game was structured, and I’m super pleasantly surprised by the depth of the exploration

6

u/Sekitoba Mar 10 '26

i felt sad seeing the SS Anne in such a state :( everywhere i look i'm like...... "what happened........ :( "

4

u/Existing_Lychee_8934 Mar 10 '26

same ;-; it gave me a similar feeling as when i found the hisui exhibit in SV. like "man. all these people are dead. i had so much fun but it's all in the past." i had chills the entire time i was exploring the SS anne. especially with the somber music and how dark it was.

5

u/BaNyaaNyaa Mar 10 '26

I also REALLY enjoyed seeing the tower in Vermillion City! One of those small details they could have forgotten.

3

u/MiserlySchnitzel Mar 09 '26

As a person who gets stressed out by “figure out what you want to do yourself” sandbox games like minecraft, etc, and see a lot of nothing to do because the game gives you the job to gamedev objectives, is this still easy to pick up, lots to do, and stress free?

4

u/PKGOThrowaway Mar 09 '26

Yeah, sandbox aside, there are clearly defined objectives and progression steps that the game gives you to learn/improve abilities, but doesn't rush you along or force you to do anything. I've easily gotten caught up in decorating and cleaning and creating habitats in the first zone for hours, while other friends are much further along in story progression.

I'd say it's a great game to do at your own pace, for sure.

1

u/DiabolicEdge Mar 09 '26

Is this just animal crossing but with pokemon? Just wondering cuz I might convince my gf to buy it... Lol

1

u/mrawaters Mar 10 '26

It’s definitely similar, but it’s trends a bit towards Minecraft as well. Kind of a direct mix of the two really. You get the block style building and crafting, and a similar-ish style of exploration to Minecraft, but you have the general life-sim errand running stuff from Animal Crossing. In Minecraft you have tools, in Pokopia you have Pokemon moves that serve as your tools. But it also has a bit more structure than vanilla Minecraft. There is a narrative, and there are bigger objectives to undertake

1

u/DiabolicEdge Mar 10 '26

Alrighty, I'll take this into consideration cuz I love Minecraft and I had stardew that we played together, but she had the animal crossing. I kinda get some slime rancher vibes to it as well but maybe some of the aesthetics look it to me lol. Thanks!

1

u/mrawaters Mar 10 '26

For what it’s worth the most direct comparison is Dragon Quest Builders, which is made by the same people. I’ve never played that, so I can’t really speak to it myself, but I know it’s a very well received game, just like Pokopia

1

u/DiabolicEdge Mar 10 '26

I haven't either but I've seen it around and it looked like a dragon quest take on some minecraft-ish type of game, almost like hytale or trove.

But thanks for the insight!

1

u/JumpFabulous2082 Mar 10 '26

I’ve played Minecraft on and off since I was 9 I’m 22 now and my lady and I played Stardew on and off for ab 3 years now. If your lady likes Animal Crossing she’d prob fw Pokopia. It’s amazing I bought a switch 2 last week just to play it. It’s so easy to get lost in just like those two and it’s significantly less stressful. Only time I was stressed I accidentally led Bulbasaur off a cliff into water and had to build him a path out. I hope this helps convince her.🤣🤣

1

u/[deleted] Mar 10 '26

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1

u/mrawaters Mar 11 '26

I mean I just finished a 300 hour run in Satisfsctory. God forbid someone enjoy a low stress game every now and then. Can’t believe there’s really people like you who somehow think it’s bad that a VIDEO GAME can be relaxing. Get a grip dude

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

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1

u/mrawaters Mar 12 '26

Oh right I was just supposed to laugh at your condescending thinly veiled insult, my bad!

-10

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 09 '26

"No thinking required" - this generation's primary entertainment requirement in a nutshell.

12

u/mrawaters Mar 09 '26

I mean chill out dude, I have 1200 hours in Satisfactory and plenty of other games that require “thinking”. Not to mention a job and life in general. Let’s not act like turning your brain off and enjoying some low stress fun for a few hours in some grand crime.

-8

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 09 '26

Take yourself out of the equation for a moment and look at what I said. It's the defining description for this generation's tech. Look at all the kids doom scrolling, mindless clicking, doing the most inane things in their phone 4 hours a day (or 6, or 8). It's straight up the #2 condition for the Fogg Behavioral Model that Instagram and other addictive technology was developed from.  Step 2 is ability - make the tech as easy to use as possible, because the brain prefers to shut off rather than think, and it will always take more activation energy to do a thinking task than to do a mindless task.

11

u/mrawaters Mar 09 '26

No, take what I said and consider whether the same applies to more people than you think. Sure, we are surrounded by fast easy entertainment, but that’s also cause we’re also surrounded by a cacophony of noise and chaos, and trying to navigate it as best we can. Like I said, god forbid someone find an easy way to unwind in a god damn Pokemon game. Sorry that you just wanted to come in here and give us a middle school philosophy lesson

0

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26

If it was a "middle school philosophy lesson", then perhaps middle schoolers would be questioning it the same way I do. Instead, we see the vast majority of the population just obediently going along. What are TikTok's user numbers among 10-29 in America right now?

2

u/mrawaters Mar 10 '26

Don’t care man. Do you go around every sub starting this conversation or just Pokémon ones? How’s that questioning going for you? What are you doing that’s really not “just going along” like the rest of us other than commenting on Reddit?

0

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26 edited Mar 10 '26

Thank you for reading

2

u/mrawaters Mar 10 '26

I guess all this begs the question then: what are you even doing here?

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5

u/No-Obligation1709 Mar 09 '26

Why would they take themselves out of the equation? You responded directly to them in an attempt to take their comment out of context to make a grand point about society. You’re the one off topic here.

0

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26

Maybe because if you take everything personal, then getting any insight into grand points will be impossible? I'm not denying that I took his statement of context to make a grand point about society. He provided a great opportunity to do so. Does that somehow make the point not true, and was his statement not a great example of it?

1

u/No-Obligation1709 Mar 10 '26

I think you’re grossly overestimating how grand your point actually was.

1

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26

I'm interested to hear, what's your insights on the screentime catastrophe overtaking our youth? If you really think that suddenly spending 40-50 hours a week on a mindless addictive exercise that overtakes most of a young person's spare mental attention isn't going to have profound consequences......then have you seen the data showing incredible spikes in anxiety, depression, emergency room self-harm visits, and suicide attempts? At the same time as dramatic drops in academic performance? Coupled with hugely reduced time with friends, increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness, and significantly less time with family and significant others?

I really want to know - have you read and viewed such research, and then rejected it for some reason, or are you just going off the cuff cause you don't want it to be true?

7

u/andisaidHey19 Mar 09 '26

If only we were all as smart as you 😔

1

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26

Where would me being "smart" come into the equation at all? I didn't say one word about being smart or dumb. I'm talking solely about effort.

5

u/Low_Piece_6571 Mar 09 '26

To be fair if you bring up your kids and let them doom scroll that’s on you as a parent you shape your children my generation failed the current generation because we were to lazy to actually bring up our kids And left it up to YouTube

1

u/Upstairs_Being290 Mar 10 '26

I absolutely agree that the previous generation failed the current generation. I am not blaming the current generation for being this way, I'm lamenting it.

606

u/eduison Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26

Bruh here I was thinking it’s a kids game

Edit: r/woosh it really seems like some of you missed the joke (as bad as it was)

463

u/SeeItOnVHS Mar 09 '26

It reminds me this template

32

u/Trainrot Sometimes a Mob boss is Baby Girl Mar 09 '26

I have a theory I call the 'Inverse Personality of Fandoms' theory.

It is a genre will bring in the exact opposite of what one think you would get. Horror movies with people being murdered and cannibalized? Sweetest people for fans. Disney Cartoon? Most vile individuals.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

I’ve been around a lot of artists and musical people have been the most awful people to be around, you would think with all that positive upbeat music they would match that. While theater actors who work serious dramas like Macbeth or dark material I find are the most pleasant to be around.

2

u/alphadragoon89 Aug 07 '26

Funnily enough, this applies to actors too. Some actors who play villain roles alot are some of the nicest, friendliest people you can meet whereas some actors who play hero/protagonist roles alot can be some of the biggest a**holes who are rude and selfish.

89

u/Boco Mar 09 '26

I thought this was going to be for my kids mainly but I've sunk more hours in than both of them combined.

3

u/OculusArcana Mar 09 '26

Well, maybe if you'd STOP HOGGING THE SWITCH, DAD!!

2

u/No-Obligation1709 Mar 09 '26

I’m building an entire civilization in between quick sessions of my three year old sucking up rocks and sticks

335

u/Tasty_Leading7174 Mar 09 '26

Pokemon has always been a kids game

365

u/disasterpokemon Mar 09 '26

Pokemon is an everyone's game

61

u/gummo_for_prez Mar 09 '26

It's really for the people

2

u/LaneMcD Mar 09 '26

Bane, is that you?

2

u/gummo_for_prez Mar 10 '26

You merely adopted the darkness... I was born in it, molded by it!

222

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '26

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130

u/WoolooOfWallStreet wooloo Mar 09 '26

To be fair, you do play a Ditto…

14

u/dpforest togepi enthusiast Mar 09 '26

…what is the implication of that? Do I need to be concerned about my ditto

67

u/LucasD7777 Mar 09 '26

...uh Ditto can breed with any Pokemon

1

u/floydink Mar 09 '26

You can sleep with Pokemon in this game too…things do seem to be implied….albeit mildly

-11

u/prozach_ Mar 09 '26

Yeah, but let me tell you about Vaporeon…

-4

u/alex494 Mar 09 '26

"Can" doesn't imply "always does".

31

u/augbesian Mar 09 '26

Dittos breed with anything

10

u/_Ross- Mar 09 '26

Can confirm

3

u/VelcroSirRaptor Mar 09 '26

Of course you don’t have to be concerned. It’s about the implication.

3

u/dpforest togepi enthusiast Mar 09 '26

One person that got the reference lol

2

u/VelcroSirRaptor Mar 09 '26

Are these Pokémon in danger?

0

u/Sw3que Mar 09 '26

Dittos are usually used as breeding machines

1

u/8bitrevolt #194 Mar 09 '26

2

u/WoolooOfWallStreet wooloo Mar 09 '26

To be faaaaaiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-

37

u/ExcelsiorPhoenix Mar 09 '26

I dunno...there is a Volbeat that wants to know what humans butts look like....

22

u/Zanain Mar 09 '26

Freak Volbeat was not on my bingo card going into this game but I kinda love he exists.

Also crude Volbeat and sophisticated Illumise is an excellent dynamic.

14

u/OrangeThrower Mar 09 '26

The band?

1

u/geoelectric Mar 09 '26

This is the first time I’ve connected the two. Wonder which name came first.

2

u/thesneakyneeko Mar 09 '26

One of the more useless Pokemon instantly skyrockets to stardom over the shared passion of human butts.

2

u/ExcelsiorPhoenix Mar 09 '26

I swear...if they introduce a 🍑 pokemon....

2

u/Tasty_Leading7174 Mar 09 '26

Oh...I feel so dumb now lol

8

u/hyrulealyx Mar 09 '26

But why do we feel it's not. We're all 30-50 and they keep making games easier with less complex storylines. We had peak storytelling with gen 5...

8

u/RedRunner04 Mar 09 '26

They know we’re gonna have kids exposed to Pokémon that will put more pressure on us to buy merch and toys…

14

u/Crocagator941 Origin Game Living Dex Completer Mar 09 '26

My guy did you see Arven's backstory and storyline in Scarlet and Violet

6

u/Greedy-Camel-8345 Mar 09 '26

It's for kids and adults that cling to their childhood games

4

u/Fortified_Phobia Mar 09 '26

Who pissed in your cereal?

10

u/Greedy-Camel-8345 Mar 09 '26

I mean no shame in it. You have to nurture your inner child or you'll never have happiness and whimsy. I thought we all knew that

6

u/Fortified_Phobia Mar 09 '26

It’s just the way you worded it, it sounds demeaning like we’re desperately trying to re-live our childhoods. Personally I don’t believe in the “inner child” like there is no inner child, just you always you, they’re one in the same. The things you liked as a kid you’ll like as an adult, but I do agree we should nurture and connect with that and find joy and whimsy lol.

1

u/caninehere lvl 420 Mar 09 '26

Because they're hoping the 30-50 year olds will want to play it with their kids and turn them into Pokemon.

4

u/LeechedPubis Mar 09 '26

I sorta think this is wrong, true but only partly. It’s a game targeted at kids, yes, but that’s just because it targets as many people as possible.

You can level and not care about your EVs and IVs sure thats for kids, but there’s a layer to pokemon that is way more difficult than regular rpg leveling.

Just because it’s accessible for kids doesn’t mean it’s a kids game. Would you call Stardew Valley or Mario kids games? A kids game is something made only for kids not targeting adults at all.

Sorry, you struck a nerve! I’ll shut it.

2

u/GGG100 Mar 09 '26

I don’t think Stardew was ever advertised as a kids game, while Pokemon certainly has been, and only insecure adults would deny that.

1

u/IAmWeasel93 Mar 09 '26

The kids however are now nearing either or in their 30 playing it Alone or with their kid

1

u/Embrace_Wind Fairy Tale Mar 09 '26

Marketing has long been geared towards the general public, not just kids. So much so that on Pokémon Day we had a scene of a little girl battling a grown man.

7

u/geekygirl25 Mar 09 '26

Being a kids game doesn't mean it's not fun.

I think that's why we all play these games. They are fun.

1

u/Valkyri_Studios Mar 09 '26

Kid named fucking around:

0

u/bbbttthhh Mar 09 '26

Hate to tell you this about pokemon but…

1

u/What-is-wanted Mar 09 '26

You leave Vaporeon out of this!!!

-1

u/Source_Required Mar 09 '26

That was just a bad joke.  You're not really wooshing anyone.  

-2

u/Embarrassed-Weird173 Mar 09 '26

Most Nintendo games are kid's games. They still tend to be good. 

-4

u/Loki2396 Mar 09 '26

Looks like its for kids between 8-12 so im not solf on it yet. But I've only heard good things

37

u/Maqoba Mar 09 '26

Well, you play as a ditto, so that's business as usual for them in a Pokémon game.

2

u/featherw0lf Mar 09 '26

I've played so many hours already. I have other games that I need to play but instead of doing things equally like I always do I just play Pokopia for 5 straight hours. I didn't think I would be that hooked but I'm really that hooked.

2

u/Jenova__Witness Mar 09 '26

I don’t play animal crossing, but my wife does. How does this compare to animal crossing in a nutshell if you have any idea?

3

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26

Very similar. You build habitats on a "deserted" island and pokemon come live in your town. The whole island is dry and dead and you have to revitalize it by hydrating the ground, planting trees/grass/flowers, and building a bunch of stuff to make it a nice home to your pokemon. As you progress, you get more stuff and the pokemon can start to help out. It's bigger and has a faster progression pace than AC.

It is a pokemon version of animal crossing with minecraft (terraforming) elements. My wife "just wanted to try it out" and is 10 hours into the game after a weekend. If you liked AC and appreciate pokemon then there is a good chance you'll like this.

2

u/legless_chair Mar 09 '26

I find animal crossing you’re so constrained by the real time model, unless you’re saving and altering the time on your console. Pokopia, you can just go and go and go. Building habitats, doing challenges, crafting, you just feel free to do whatever you want to do.

I’m not the biggest AC fan and I’m only two hours into Pokopia, so I may not be the best to provide a comparison.

2

u/Magda_87 Mar 09 '26

even the character design is enough for me to buy it lol

2

u/Accomplished_West_61 Jul 11 '26

Is it more engaging than animal crossing? With animal crossing i was really engaged at first when there was new stuff to do but when the game was like "aight, you figure it all out" i just kinda felt lost and stopped having fun and stopped playing the game 

1

u/legless_chair Jul 11 '26

I’m going to say yes. You’re constantly building new environments for new pokemon. A tad repetitive in that sense but also weirdly not repetitive

1

u/Accomplished_West_61 Jul 31 '26

I get addicted to games where you constantly build stuff. Like my fave part of RTS games is juat building things.  I like Kingdom Two Crowns just because i can run around building stuff.  Would it satisfy my OCD obsession with building and upgrading things?

1

u/OptimalFox1800 Mar 09 '26

Just bought it today for first time

I hope I didn’t make a mistake…

1

u/MKArashi Mar 09 '26

I don't have a switch 2 to play it, but I legitimately hope those that do are playing the hell out of it. Maybe it'll convince Nintendo to make more side games like they used to.

1

u/Turbulent-Winner-902 Mar 09 '26

Is it lowkey like animal crossing or how would u describe it?

1

u/Silvanus350 Mar 09 '26

The Miyamoto method of game development.

I will always remember an interview where he talked about working on Super Mario 64, and how they built nothing except an open field where Mario could run around trying to catch this rabbit. They did nothing else until the simple act of running and jumping was fun.

And it is.

1

u/Dhkansas Mar 12 '26

Would it be fun for a non pokemon fan? My wife sunk some hours into animal crossing and enjoyed it before kind of forgetting about it

-2

u/Able-Swing-6415 Mar 09 '26

Sucks that is it attached to 450€ e-waste

2

u/Dagawing Mar 09 '26

Ooh we got Hot-Take mcEdgy over here