Pokemon Pokopia is not only the highest-rated game of 2026 so far, but its now the number one Pokemon game of all time as far as Metacritic ratings go.
Pokopia is one of those concepts where the moment it was announced, you could only think, "How has it taken this long?" Cozy life sim-like games have never been hotter than they are now, with the likes of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley tearing up the highest-selling games of all time chart. Not to mention, people will buy anything with the word Pokemon on the cover, so even a half-baked spinoff could do gangbusters. But it sounds like Game Freak and Omega Force's take on the franchise is anything but.
Pokemon Pokopia currently has an average critic score of 89 on Metacritic, which sees the game overtake Mewgenics and Resident Evil Requiem as 2026's best. But more impressively, the 89 for Pokopia makes the game the highest-rated Pokemon game ever – yes, you heard that right. The previous highest-rated game in the franchise – as far as critic reviews go – is 2013's Pokemon Y, with its sister version Pokemon X tying with Black, White, Sun, Moon, and the people's favorite duo, HeartGold and SoulSilver, at 87.
In the GamesRadar+ Pokemon Pokopia review, Sam Loveridge gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars, saying, "Pokemon Pokopia is like a brilliantly bizarre blend of Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest Builders, and Viva Piñata, and despite its many influences, manages to be a unique spin-off for the Pokemon series that's also an accomplished life sim."
Elsewhere, the game received full marks from GAMINGbible and TechRadar Gaming, and at the time of writing has only received two reviews classed as "Mixed" by Metacritic, with TheGamer's 6/10 and Gamekult's 7/10. However, those are hardly bad scores in the grand scheme of things, but you may be best having a look yourself and seeing if this is a game for you.
