The most exciting title we actually got to get our hands on as part of Nintendo’s 2026 preview event was the upcoming feel-good game, Pokémon Pokopia. After playing the farming Pokemon sim for just over an hour, I was immediately hooked on its adorable character art, addictive gameplay, and endless possibilities. So I’m very excited (and a little nervous) to see how many hours I’ll be immersed in this game when it launches on March 5th.
Pokémon Pokopia is an upcoming farming and life sim developed by The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Koei Tecmo Games and coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch 2 on March 6, 2026.
My hands-on preview session was based on an early access build that Nintendo offered at a recent preview event.
first impression
The first thing that strikes you when you start playing is the premise of the game. It feels like Stardew Valley meets Animal Crossing, but with a darker undercurrent of rebuilding the world after humans and cities have been completely wiped out. Ditto, I started the game as a transformation Pokemon that can transform into any form. You can customize your human appearance.
There weren’t a lot of customizable options, but this was an early build, so perhaps the final release will have more options. After a short tutorial that teaches you the basics of moving around and jumping, you meet Tangrowth, who feels like the game’s professor. It gives you tips on where to go, what to do, and introduces you to the mechanics of the game.
The goal of the game is to rebuild a world where Pokémon and humans coexist by making the environment habitable again and encouraging the return of Pokémon. Each Pokémon creates a habitat in the area you build, depending on its abilities. Once you successfully make them a home, you can imitate their abilities, which will help you create more habitat, reach new areas, and attract more Pokémon to your town.
In a short amount of play time, I was able to find and create habitats for Charmander, Squirtle, and Hohort. Once you find these wild Pokemon, create a habitat for them and perform tasks to make them more comfortable so they can establish their habitat. You can freely decorate the outside and inside with various objects. You can earn bonus points by properly combining the power types and items your Pokémon have.
new way to play
This seems like an interesting development for the Pokemon series. Pokémon Legends ZA hasn’t been well received, but it’s nice to see the series do something completely unexpected. The mechanics feel like they’re inspired by the Dragon Quest Builders series, especially in the beginning of the game.
I wake up confused and how the blocks of dirt and bricks look. You can then collect resources, create items and rebuild your town, turning it into Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. As you unlock more parts of the town, you will need to craft certain items to progress further in certain areas. In some cases, you may need Pokémon you’ve befriended to assist you with these tasks, which may take some time to complete.
Some time was allocated to multiplayer in this preview, but unfortunately the build wouldn’t connect and I couldn’t get it to work. We hope to be able to give more insight into this aspect of the game when it releases.
Thoughts so far
The surprise at the preview was Pokemon Pokopia. We only got a glimpse of what the full release will offer, but it was enough to get us intrigued about how many hours we’ll be able to sink into the full game. The team at Game Freak has reinvented Pokémon with an entirely new game style, a first for the series. Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long for the game’s full release on March 6th.
Pokémon Pokopia was played as part of the Nintendo Australia preview event. You can see other games we tested below, including Mario Tennis Fever, Virtual Boy, Pragmata, and Resident Evil Requiem.
Pokémon Pokopia will be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on March 6, 2026.
