A new Pokemon puzzle game got shadow launched during today's Presents stream, and it reminds me of all the iPhone games I used to play as a teenager

Remember those games that first came out on the iPhone, like Cut the Rope and Where's my Water? Well they're back! In Pokemon form. Pokemon Friends is a collection of minigames that's out now on Nintendo Switch and mobile.

Announced during today's Pokemon Presents, it has loads of cute puzzles and honestly, the simplicity does make me yearn for the earlier days of smart technology when you could just play a game that had all of one mechanic on your phone for a bit without a million adverts popping up.

[UK] Pokémon Presents | 22.7.2025 - YouTube

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There's one where you have to draw a line between all the lightbulbs so that Pikachu's jolt can light them up. Another sees you moving tiles for Squirtle so it can connect a waterway. There's also a game where you have to figure out which balloon isn't going to get popped by darts, and one where you guide a Sableye in a minecart across some tracks.

When you finish a puzzle, you get a collectible plushie in-game that you can use to decorate a room in it, too. It's like just the secret bases from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire – hopefully there won't be a strange online component.

It's clearly aimed at kids or people who just want to unwind and do a quick puzzle or two after a stressful day, and not the mature, hardcore experience Nuzlocke fans may have been hoping for.

It's out right now and costs just $9.99 – get it on Android, iOS, or Switch.

If you want something more focused on battling, we also learned more about Pokemon Champions.