Pokémon Pokopia first impressions: Cozy and charming

Ever wanted to become a Ditto disguised as a human? It’s a bit niche, but luckily, Pokémon Pokopia will be able to fill that oddly specific void in your soul. The upcoming cozy game is looking like a delight for fans of life sims and the wider world of Pokémon. 

I had the opportunity to go hands-on with Pokémon Pokopia at the Pokémon European International Championships 2026, with a 20-minute demo on the show floor. It was short but sweet, and it highlighted the best bits of this upcoming title. 

A short but sweet experience

I got to play around 20 minutes of Pokémon Pokopia at EUIC 2026, diving straight into a premade save file. While it was a bite-sized demo, it was a perfect example of what to expect from the game – and it might end up being a game of the year contender for cozy gaming fans. 

Right off the bat, I got to see the player character’s unique abilities – instead of relying on Pokémon to use moves like a regular Pokémon game, the human-Ditto can simply use the moves themselves. The visuals of the Ditto spitting up water for Water Gun were mildly alarming at first, but the animations for Cut and Vine Whip were wickedly cool. 

These abilities help you interact with the world – restoring life to dry grass, creating new grass, or slicing through lumber, for example, all with the aims of bringing life back to the land and rebuilding habitats, along with gathering crafting resources.

Rebuilding habitats introduces new Pokémon into the game, who you can chat with, learn moves from, and help design a perfect home for. 

There’s a Professor character in the game, too – as there should be for any good Pokémon game – but this Professor is a Pokémon too, just like the playable Ditto. Professor Tangrowth is adorable and curious about the world, and helps to keep the game ticking along nicely with helpful prompts and missions. 

Something that stood out from the get-go with Pokémon Pokopia is how much there was to do. During my time with the game, I experimented with different travel forms, crafted cute furniture, changed my appearance, completed missions, and met new Pokémon by restoring their habitats. 

Speaking of character creators, the character customization options in Pokopia were neat. Interacting with a mirror opened up the character customization screen, letting Ditto tab between different hairstyles, outfits, and features to create new looks. 

Whimsical and lively

I mentioned the travel forms briefly, but they’re worth expanding on – when Ditto approaches the water’s edge, they can choose to surf. Instead of surfing on a Pokémon as you might in a mainline game, though, they turn into a “Lapras”, complete with any hats you might’ve picked out. 

Similarly, the human-Ditto can turn into a “Dragonite” and fly around the map, making traveling quick and easy. These additions made the game feel even more whimsical and fun to explore, opening up the world without making it feel too clustered in one place. 

The Pokopia demo let players explore a forest clearing-style area to start, before opening up into a beach area and a town, with a mine being accessible further on. There were heaps of different habitats, too, each with its own Pokémon to meet and befriend.

Visually, Pokémon Pokopia is a treat to play through. The art style is immediately recognizable and warming, and the menus and interface were easy to navigate as well. It was easy to dig into and get started without feeling overwhelmed. 

In terms of performance, Pokopia felt smooth and polished during my time with it. It is worth reiterating that it was a short demo, but I didn’t notice any major quirks, glitches, or visual errors during my time playing. 

Pokémon Pokopia looks like it’s going to sweep the cozy gaming world. With a combination of detailed crafting, cute character interactions, and a charming overworld, the game felt delightful to explore. Pokopia’s release date is just around the corner at the time of writing, and it’s one to watch out for if you’re a fan of games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.