I've loved Pokémon since I was a kid. The games have always held a special place for me, especially as a longtime RPG fan. One thing I've always wanted more of is interacting with Pokémon in ways that don't involve them fighting. Pokémon battles are fun, but sometimes, I just adore seeing the cute little creatures interact in games like Pokémon Snap. That's why Pokémon Pokopia hits the mark so well. It takes all the lovable aspects of Pokémon and takes out the fighting, so players can enjoy their favorite collectible monsters in a new way.

Pokopia opens in a rather surprisingly grim way. You play as Ditto, the lovable purple blob Pokémon whose sole ability is to transform into other things. You were captured by a trainer and all seemed well, but you found yourself trapped inside a Pokeball and missing your trainer. A quick breakout later, and you've adopted a crude mimicry of your human trainer, only to awaken in what appears to be the Kanto region. The region is desolate and ravaged, all traces of human life are gone, and even more Pokémon have gone into hiding. Now it is up to your adorable Ditto self to rebuild the world, befriend the remaining Pokémon, and solve the mystery of what happened to the world.

Don't mistake this for being a super-grim take on the Pokémon mythos. The story is warm, friendly, and charming. There are no humans, but the gradual mystery behind what happened to them plays out in a way that is more curious than concerning. Think more "WALL-E" than "I Am Legend." Adult players will probably figure out the story quickly enough, but there are enough context and details to make it enjoyable while you puzzle out the specifics. If anything, I'd say the game is sometimes too nice. The Pokémon you befriend in the game are so positive and fawn over you so much that at times, it felt more like the cloyingly praising tone of a ChatGPT agent. By and large, I found the entire experience to be relaxing, charming and fun.

The easiest comparison for Pokopia is actually to the Dragon Quest Builders games, with which Pokopia shares a developer. It's half adventure game and half Minecraft, set in a large and heavily customizable world where you need to harvest, craft and collect materials. The major difference between Pokopia and something like Minecraft is that Pokopia lacks combat and is far more goal-oriented, giving you a constant trickle of little objectives to complete. You can zone out and smash rocks to gather ores if you want, but having a trickle of objectives add a sense of progression that is sometimes lacking in games like Minecraft.

Your little Ditto adopts the form of a human, but as they befriend different Pokémon, they gain the ability to mimic their moves, which in turn gives them access to new abilities. Befriend Bulbasaur, and you can grow grass patches. Befriend Magikarp, and you learn to jump. Befriend Dragonite, and you get to glide. The further in the game you get, the more powerful your abilities are, and they can in turn be further upgraded by eating special foods to enhance their powers. There's a wonderful sense of escalation as you go from barely mobile to a tiny, dot-eyed god.

So how do you befriend Pokémon? Easy peasy. You'll need to create environments for them to thrive in. Some need little more than tall grass. Some will only appear in very specific situations. For example, Magikarp doesn't feel comfortable unless there's a fishing rod nearby — a cute reference to how easy they are to catch. Once you've created a home, you can move a Pokémon into it. Different Pokémon have different requests, such as making the area around them more green or darker, which can unlock new recipes and crafting options. These Pokémon can also help you by using their innate abilities, such as a Scythe chopping wood or a Charmander lighting candles.

It doesn't take long for you to craft an adorable little community, since your Pokémon don't sit still. They wander around, play with one another, and even have little conversations. Some of those are adorable chats between similar Pokémon, and others are bizarrely weird, like Parasect and Lanturn having a chilling conversation about the nature of Parasect's existence. It's immensely satisfying to see your towns build up and develop. Overall, your goal in each area is to rebuild Pokémon centers and raise the comfort level of a zone, but that's usually more than enough to craft your own little story.

I have minor complaints about the game, but they're few and far between. Inventory management can sometimes be a touch wonky, and you really need to plan ahead to avoid losing track of important items. It also can sometimes be too simplistic, and there were times I wished a puzzle had a slightly more involved solution, so I had to stretch my land-building techniques. They're basically the only complaints I can think of, and neither comes close to souring the experience.

I found Pokopia to be the most fun I've had with a Pokémon game possibly ever. I love the franchise, but freeing it from the confines of battling meant I was far more able to enjoy the weird little creatures and their weird little world, and I could zone out for hours just trying to make things perfect for my favorite weird little guy. I could decide that I want the zone to look bright and floral or seek out new tables and items to craft to customize my Ditto's home. It's an immensely relaxing game and makes wonderful use of the license in a way that doesn't feel forced.

The graphics and soundtrack help a lot with that. In true Pokémon fashion, the graphics are simple and colorful, occasionally almost plastic toy-like, but in a cartoony and colorful way that makes them pop. The game is filled to the brim with little touches and cute animations, and it runs wonderfully smoothly. The soundtrack is excellent, with multiple different songs for each game area that vary based on the time of day, and there are unlockable songs that you can play using in-universe music tools. The sound effects are filled with delightful references to every part of the franchise, and it really does look and feel like a Pokémon game should.

Pokémon Pokopia is a delight. If you're fond of Pokémon for anything besides combat, you'll almost certainly find something to like. It's freeform enough that anyone can pick up and play without feeling confined, but it's structured enough that even those who bounce off crafting games like Minecraft might find something to like. Even if you're a newcomer to the franchise, this may be one of the best ways to introduce yourself to Nintendo's collectible monster behemoth.

Score: 9.0/10