March has been a bit crazy, with Crimson Desert and Monster Hunter Stories 3 both drawing plenty of attention. Our game of choice for March has to be Pokémon Pokopia – the game that no one thought would be as good as it is. On Metacritic it currently sits above all other Pokémon games, and for a series often accused of playing safe, that is quite impressive.
What you actually do
You play as a Ditto that has transformed into a slightly human-like form and has awoken in an abandoned, overgrown version of Kanto. The objective of the game is to collect resources to build furniture and tools to create habitats for Pokémon. Each species has different desires, and the moves that you collect by transforming into them, such as Rock Smash or Water Gun, unlock new paths on the several maps that make up the game. Critics have compared the game to Minecraft and other build games, such as Viva Piñata and Animal Crossing.
Why critics took to it, and the grumbles
Nintendo Life described the loop as moreish and said the game felt fresher than anything the series had offered in years, with each Pokémon given enough personality to make collecting feel worthwhile. Hardcore Gamer was just as warm about the huge cast and the sheer range of ways to build and decorate, while admitting the opening hours are slow as systems unlock and that new areas can feel overwhelming on arrival.
Not everyone was won over. TheGamer was among the least impressed, finding the Pokémon oddly generic in how they behave and the whole thing fiddly, with too much backtracking and slow construction. Even the fans shared some of those complaints: Nintendo Life also found items easy to lose across scattered storage boxes, aiming some moves awkward, and having to wait a full day for some buildings to finish a little excessive.
Critic scores and details last checked in September 2026.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Release date | 5 March 2026 |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Developer | Game Freak and Omega Force (Koei Tecmo) |
| Publisher | Nintendo (The Pokémon Company in Japan) |
| Critic score | 89 Top Critic Average, 98% of critics recommend (OpenCritic, as of Sep 2026) |
Verdict
Pokopia is a new idea and is a little rough around the edges (the inventory system, for one, is a bit of a mess, and the way you progress through the game is a little strange at times). However, the core idea behind it is strong enough to carry it, and it is the easiest recommendation of the spring for anyone who has ever lost a winter to Animal Crossing, or anyone who likes Pokémon but is getting a bit bored with the standard Pokémon battle structure. There may not be quite enough pressure to succeed and to complete goals for players who need them, though.
Quick questions
Can you play Pokopia with friends?
Yes. Up to 4 players can build together, locally or online, according to Nintendo’s support pages. Each person will need their own copy of the game. Online play, including shared Cloud Islands, requires Nintendo Switch Online. Two people can also use GameShare to play from a single copy. You will unlock Link Play when your world reaches Environment Level 2.
How long does it take to finish?
Nintendo Life’s reviewer needed close to 40 hours to finish the main story and then continued playing later. The story is a framework for a game that is primarily based around making new recipes and building new projects, which keep appearing well after the credits. Thus, this game is better to play in slow, regular sessions rather than trying to finish the game in a few sittings.
Is it on the original Switch?
Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game, so it will not play on older consoles. Nintendo Life reports that 60fps is consistently reached on the newer console hardware, which helps with the busier areas of the game, such as the later built-up areas with lots of Pokémon and furniture on screen.
More Review of the Month: Previous pick: February 2026, Resident Evil Requiem | Next pick: April 2026, Pragmata
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