Image credit: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company/Em Flint for Kyusai Media
It feels like the whole world has been gripped by Pokopia fever. Everyone is lovingly tending to their growing flock of Pokémon to create a utopia where everyone can live in harmony. I, too, have been tirelessly working on my island, trying to meet everyone’s needs while ensuring the landscape is aesthetically pleasing.
It’s a daunting task, as there are so many in-game mechanics to master. As someone who’s discovered everything through trial and error, I hope you’ll learn from my mistakes and begin your Pokopia journey the right way. Armed with the knowledge I’m about to share with you, you’ll be better equipped to make your serene Pokémon dreams come true.
Pay attention to suspicious rocks
While this wasn’t my first rodeo, I still foolishly overlooked many of the unusual-looking rocks dotted about my island. In truth, I was a tad nervous to terraform so early on – what if I messed up? Well, firstly, you can’t mess up. And secondly, some rocks exist to be broken.
If you spy any particularly crumbly rocks on your travels, they may just be hiding a secret tunnel or cave. Be brave and knock down those walls; who knows what you’ll unearth.
You have a big mouth, so use it
Picking up individual items by hand is time-consuming; when we’ve got other tasks to tick off our to-do lists, speedily being able to collect resources is a godsend. Yet, it’s amazing how quickly the mind forgets useful information, such as Ditto sucking up items like a Dyson in one big gulp.
Trust me, the sooner you start holding down Y to inhale all nearby items, the happier you’ll be. Even more so when tackling the high volume of Volcanic Ash covering the Rocky Ridges.
Don’t forget your Daily Challenges
Even in Pokémon, money makes the world go round. Although you can craft many items, oftentimes, you need to purchase the recipe to unlock that option. This is why it pays, quite literally, to complete those Daily Challenges. By doing so, you’ll earn Life Coins, with these golden discs acting as your gateway to some top-tier items.
Despite being notified when you complete a challenge, you won’t bank any Life Coins until you visit a PC and manually get them. It doesn’t matter if you collect your money in one go or regularly throughout the day, so long as you collect.
Search for Pokémon using your Pokédex
Some Pokémon are tricky little critters, typically wandering off when you need their help. You could aimlessly search high and low until you get lucky (like I did), or you can make use of your Pokédex’s search function. The latter option is strongly advised.
Open up your Pokédex, highlight the Pokémon you wish to find, then press + to activate the search option. Once it’s on, talk to a nearby Pokémon, and they’ll direct you to your missing companion in no time.
Tackle big builds before going to bed
As eager beavers, we can be quick to start a big build/restoration without any forward planning, specifically, how long it’ll take. Building small homes for your Pokémon takes 15 minutes, give or take. But for big builds, you’re looking at the following day before completion.
This is why it’s wise to start a renovation project at night, right before you log off for the evening. You’ll sleep through the long process and awake to a newly renovated building, as if by magic.
Get cooking
Once you’ve unlocked cooking in Pokopia, you’ll want to remain on top of your meals and keep well-stocked. Home-cooked food helps power up your abilities, so it’s smart to have a dish packed and ready to eat; you never know when you may need to chow down.
Ideally, one meal for each of your abilities is the wisest course of action; however, packing snacks for the abilities you use the most will also suffice.
FAQs
If you’ve just read this guide, then I’d say you’re already intrigued enough to warrant playing the game. But should you need more convincing, read my Pokopia review. For me, the game is a dream come true.
As always, how long it takes depends on your playstyle. Still, on average, you’re looking at between 30-40 hours to complete it.
Although I haven’t tried it out for myself, I can confirm that you can build a haven for your Pokémon with up to four players. Teamwork makes the dream work, so they say (unless you’re like me, then you’ll prefer to tend to your island alone).
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