The best games like Pokopia are Dragon Quest Builders 2 (made with the same co-developer), Viva Piñata (attract creatures by building the right habitat) and Slime Rancher 2 (a colorful creature ranch you expand piece by piece). Pokémon Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so this list is sorted by what you can actually play on Switch 1, Steam, PS5, Xbox and phones, with every price checked on the official stores on October 20, 2026 (UTC).
Pokopia is in the spotlight again this week: Nintendo Life reports it made the Golden Joystick Awards shortlist for Console Game of the Year.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: the best games like Pokopia
- Closest overall: Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox). Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force co-developed both games.
- Best for habitat building: Viva Piñata on Xbox, $14.99 and in the Game Pass console catalog.
- Best on Steam: Slime Rancher 2, 95% positive Steam reviews and $17.99 on sale until November 2.
- Best on Switch 1: Dragon Quest Builders 2, Paleo Pines or Pikmin 4.
- Cheapest: Townscaper, $2.39 on sale on Steam and the eShop.
- Another Pokémon fix: New Pokémon Snap, which is all about Pokémon in their habitats.
What makes a game feel like Pokopia?
In Pokémon Pokopia ($69.99, Switch 2 only, out since March 5, 2026) you play a Ditto in human form, rebuilding an abandoned Kanto. You learn moves from the Pokémon you befriend, then use them to water plants, cut debris and smash rocks. You also build habitats that pull in new Pokémon, and up to four players can build together. According to its development history, Game Freak brought in Omega Force because of that studio’s work on Dragon Quest Builders 2, and critics often describe Pokopia as a mix of Minecraft, Viva Piñata and Animal Crossing.
So we looked for games that hit at least two of those notes: building, creatures who help you or move in, and restoring a world. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and Disney Dreamlight Valley are obvious picks too, but we already cover them in our best cozy games on Switch 2 and games like Stardew Valley lists, so this one goes further afield.
Games like Pokopia compared: platforms and prices
| Game | Most like Pokopia’s… | Platforms | US price (checked Oct 20, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Quest Builders 2 | Block building, restoring an island | Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox | $49.99 (PS4 $39.99) |
| Viva Piñata | Habitats that attract creatures | Xbox | $14.99, Game Pass console catalog |
| Slime Rancher 2 | Creature ranch you keep expanding | PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 | $29.99 ($17.99 on Steam to Nov 2) |
| Palworld | Creatures who work your base | PC, Xbox, PS5 | $29.99 ($20.99 on Steam and PS Store to Oct 22), Game Pass |
| Paleo Pines | Befriending helpers, fixing up a ranch | Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox, PC | $29.99 |
| Creatures of Ava | Gentle creature befriending, healing land | PC, Xbox Series X|S | $24.99 |
| Pikmin 4 | Little helpers who clear the way | Switch | $59.99 |
| Minecraft | Free-form building | Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox, mobile | $29.99 (Switch, PC), $6.99 (iOS) |
| Grow: Song of the Evertree | Bringing a dying world back | Switch, PS4, Xbox, PC | $24.99 |
| Townscaper | Pure, relaxed building | Switch, PC, Xbox, iOS | $5.99 ($2.39 on sale), Xbox and iOS $4.99 |
| New Pokémon Snap | Pokémon living in their habitats | Switch | $59.99 |
| Fae Farm | Four-player co-op island life | Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox, PC | $29.99 (Switch $44.99) |
Standard editions, US stores. Sale end times are in each entry.
The closest games to Pokopia: building with creatures
1. Dragon Quest Builders 2
If you want Pokopia’s direct ancestor, this is it. Square Enix and Koei Tecmo built it as a block-building RPG: you restore a ruined island, gather materials, build farms and towns, and villagers move in as the place comes back to life. Up to four players can build together online, as in Pokopia. The difference: villagers and a companion help you instead of creatures with special moves, and there’s more combat.
Worth your time if Pokopia’s building was your favorite part. Platforms and price: Switch $49.99 (free demo on the eShop), Steam $49.99, Xbox $49.99, PS4 $39.99 (plays on PS5). Steam reviews are 92% positive, but Valve lists it as unsupported on Steam Deck.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 shares Pokopia's co-developer, Omega Force. Image: Square Enix
2. Viva Piñata
Critics often compare Pokopia to Rare’s 2006 garden game, and the reason is easy to see. You shape a garden, and creatures turn up when you’ve met their needs, like Pokopia’s habitats. The Microsoft Store listing promises more than 60 piñata species to attract and tame. One catch: the store notes you can no longer send piñatas between players.
Worth your time if you loved figuring out what each Pokémon wanted. Platforms and price: Xbox, $14.99. It’s also in the Game Pass console catalog (checked October 20). The sequel, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, is $14.99 too.
3. Slime Rancher 2
Monomi Park’s sequel left early access on September 23, 2025. You collect bouncy slimes on Rainbow Island, build pens and gardens on your ranch, and unlock more of the island as it grows. It’s first-person and more about gathering than decorating, but the “build a better home, more creatures arrive” loop is very Pokopia.
Worth your time if the cute creatures kept you playing. Platforms and price: Steam $29.99, on sale for $17.99 until November 2 at 17:00 UTC; Xbox Series X|S $29.99; PS5 $29.99. 95% positive on Steam and Steam Deck Verified. Switch owners can get the first game, Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition, for $24.99.
Slime Rancher 2's slimes on Rainbow Island; the game is 95% positive on Steam. Image: Monomi Park
4. Palworld
Palworld is the “what if Pokopia had a darker edge” pick. You catch creatures called Pals and assign them to farm, mine, craft and build at your base, so creatures with jobs really are the core of the game. It hit version 1.0 in July 2026 according to Pocketpair’s Steam announcements. Be aware it’s a survival game with combat and guns, and the PlayStation Store lists “Moderate Violence”, so it’s not a gentle choice for younger players.
Worth your time if you want a bigger, harder version of “creatures help me build”. Platforms and price: Steam $29.99, on sale for $20.99 until October 22 at 17:00 UTC; PS5 $20.99 until October 22 at 06:59 UTC; Xbox $29.99, and included with Game Pass on console and PC. 95% positive on Steam from nearly 500,000 reviews.
5. Paleo Pines
Swap Pokémon for dinosaurs. In Paleo Pines you befriend dinos, and they help you repair your ranch, grow crops and travel around the island. It’s one of the gentlest picks here, a good match for younger Pokopia fans.
Worth your time if you want creature helpers on a Switch 1. Platforms and price: Switch $29.99 (with a free demo), PS4/PS5 $29.99 (one purchase covers both), Xbox $29.99, Steam $29.99. Two $3.99 Halloween DLC packs are out now. 82% positive on Steam.
6. Creatures of Ava
From Inverge Studios and publisher 11 bit studios, Creatures of Ava swaps catching for care. You tame more than 20 wild creatures with the music of a flute instead of fighting them, and they guide you through the planet’s ecosystems as you try to save it from a life-consuming infection. It doesn’t have Pokopia’s town building, but “earn a creature’s trust, then heal the land together” is the same idea.
Worth your time if you’d rather have a story to follow than a sandbox. Platforms and price: Steam $24.99 and Xbox Series X|S and Windows $24.99. Not on Switch or PlayStation. 86% positive on Steam.
7. Pikmin 4
Pokopia’s Pokémon clear paths with their moves. Pikmin do the same as a crowd: they carry treasure, break down walls and build bridges while you plan each day’s route. It’s more puzzle than life sim, but the creature helpers change the map just the same.
Worth your time if you liked the “which helper unlocks this spot?” side of Pokopia. Platforms and price: Switch $59.99. A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with the new Dandori Academy mode arrives November 12 as a $9.99 upgrade pack (see our upcoming cozy games calendar).
Games like Pokopia for building and restoring a world
8. Minecraft
Critics keep comparing Pokopia to Minecraft: both let you reshape the world block by block, and peaceful mode keeps things calm. There are no Pokémon-style helpers beyond the animals you tame, but it runs on almost everything.
Worth your time if you want building with no limits and friends on any device. Platforms and price: Switch $29.99, PC (Java and Bedrock) $29.99, iPhone and iPad $6.99, plus PlayStation and Xbox versions.
9. Grow: Song of the Evertree
Pokopia is about bringing a dead world back to life, and so is Grow. You play an alchemist reviving the giant Evertree: you grow new worlds from seeds, then build and decorate a town that villagers move into. Steam reviews are 81% positive.
Worth your time if the restoration fantasy is what got you. Platforms and price: Switch $24.99, Steam $24.99, Xbox $24.99, plus a PS4 version.
10. Townscaper
Townscaper is a building toy: click on the water and colorful houses, bridges and gardens shape themselves around each other. There are no goals, no creatures and almost no interface. It’s a lovely ten-minute wind-down between Pokopia sessions.
Worth your time if you mostly enjoyed decorating. Platforms and price: Steam $5.99, on sale for $2.39 until October 22 at 17:00 UTC; Switch $2.39 until November 1 at 15:59 UTC; Xbox $4.99; iPhone and iPad $4.99. 95% positive on Steam.
A seafront street built in Townscaper, the cheapest pick on this list. Image: Oskar Stålberg / Raw Fury
More creature games for Switch 1 owners
11. New Pokémon Snap
If what you really want is more Pokémon living their lives, New Pokémon Snap is the spin-off to pick on a Switch 1. You photograph Pokémon in the wild across the Lental region and learn how they behave in each habitat.
Worth your time if the Pokémon were the point. Platforms and price: Switch $59.99.
12. Fae Farm
Fae Farm is a magical island life sim for one to four players: you farm, craft, decorate your home and use spells to explore Azoria. It’s the best pick here if your favorite part of Pokopia was building with three friends.
Worth your time if you want co-op island life with some light adventure. Platforms and price: Steam $29.99, PS4/PS5 $29.99, Xbox $29.99, and Switch $44.99 (a demo is available). 80% positive on Steam.
More cozy lists to keep going
Try our cozy Halloween games for this month or the crafting-focused games like Dressmaker list.
FAQ
Is Pokopia on Switch 1?
No. Pokémon Pokopia is sold only for Nintendo Switch 2 ($69.99 on the eShop). The best Switch 1 alternatives are Dragon Quest Builders 2, Paleo Pines, Pikmin 4 and New Pokémon Snap.
What games like Pokopia are on Steam?
Dragon Quest Builders 2, Slime Rancher 2, Palworld, Paleo Pines, Creatures of Ava, Grow: Song of the Evertree, Townscaper and Fae Farm are all on Steam. Slime Rancher 2 and Palworld are on sale as of October 20.
What is the closest game to Pokopia?
Dragon Quest Builders 2. Pokopia’s co-developer Omega Force also worked on it, and it shares the block building, the island restoration and four-player online building.
Is there a game like Pokopia and Animal Crossing on PS5?
Paleo Pines and Fae Farm are the closest cozy options on PS5, and Slime Rancher 2 if you want more creatures. Palworld is also on PS5 but has combat and survival elements.
Sources: Nintendo eShop, Steam, PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store listings (prices checked October 20, 2026 UTC); Wikipedia: Pokémon Pokopia; Nintendo Life; Pocketpair’s Palworld 1.0 announcements on Steam.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
