The spin-off game starring a 'weirdo' Pokémon that's got reviewers raving

Pokémon is arguably more popular than it's ever been - but fans haven't been entirely happy with some of its recent video game offerings.

They've still sold bucketloads of copies, but complaints about graphical performance, gameplay and a perceived lack of innovation have grown louder with each new release.

But that could be about to change with the release of Pokopia, the under-the-radar spin-off that's landed on Nintendo's Switch 2 to almost universally positive reviews.

It's a departure for the series, moving away from its familiar creature-collecting and battling style towards something slower and cosier.

Pokopia is a life simulator, mixing elements of genre favourites Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, with a hint of Minecraft-style building chucked in.

Players take on the role of Ditto - a shape-shifting Pokémon who can mimic others - who appears as a human.

They arrive in the Kanto region to find a - very cute - post-apocalyptic scene, which they must rebuild and repopulate with other Pokémon by creating suitable homes and habitats.

Once you've brought them back to the world, you're then required to attend to their needs and wants.

There's also a mystery at the heart of the game - where have all the trainers, the series' heroes who capture and battle its monsters, disappeared to?

The premise has gone down well with most reviewers, who've been giving Pokopia some of 2026's highest scores.

Jordan Middler, from Video Games Chronicle, said Pokopia is "an excellent life simulation game that takes the best bits from the champions of the genre" in his five-star review.

Eurogamer's Lottie Lynn described it as "one of the best Pokémon spin-offs ever" in a four-star review - praising the decision to focus on the lesser-known Ditto, and the way the game reveals its "complex mechanics" for managing its world.

IGN's Rebekah Valentine also gave a thumbs-up to the main character, arguably one the more obscure Pokémon - "I love this little weirdo!" she wrote in her nine out of 10 review.

News site Mashable said the game could also quieten critics of Nintendo's Switch 2, which has faced accusations of a lack of must-buy exclusives since its launch last year.

But Stacy Henley, from TheGamer, was less impressed, taking issue with the repetitive aspects of the game in her three-star review.

She suggested it did a "good enough" job of mixing its various inspirations without surpassing any of them.

Pokopia currently has an overall rating of 88 out of 100 on review aggregator site Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed title of 2026 so far, alongside horror game Resident Evil and off-the-wall indie game Mewgenics.

Pokémon celebrated its 30th anniversary last week, and Pokopia, which comes out on Thursday, is among a number of products and events being released to coincide with the landmark.

The launch of a limited edition Pikachu plush saw huge queues at Pokémon Centre stores in Japan, and fans have long complained of scalpers targeting these events in an attempt to turn a profit.

Plans for an online release of the black-and-white soft toy, modelled on the original Game Boy version of the popular character, have since been announced.

But upcoming releases of new Pokémon trading cards are expected to be sought-after and hard to come by.

Previously, the man in charge of the brand told the BBC it "couldn't do much" to control the resale market.

• Still want more? You can check out BBC iPlayer's collection of Pokémon episodes here.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.