Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

5 Games That Could Make a Cozy Life Sim With Monsters, Like Pokopia

These five franchises are capable of making a Pokemon Pokopia-styled life-sim with monsters.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Pokemon Pokopia is both the most recent Pokemon spin-off and the latest Nintendo Switch 2 game to stir a craze. Pokopia takes the approach of cozy life sim with monsters where players control a humanized Ditto and befriend Pokemon to help rebuild a town in ruin.

With the overwhelming popularity that Pokopia has found since release, it is rather interesting to consider other franchises that could take a similar approach. Here are five franchises who could put their own spin on the Pokopia/Animal Crossing-like formula and create a title that is just as loveable as the spin-off.

The Dragon Quest series is a perfect fit, as this franchise is quite well-known for having friendly monsters/creatures. Players can build up a town, raise monsters, and assign them helpful roles around the growing community/village. From decorating the houses in the village to running shops and completing quests from villagers as you acquire them, or even monsters, this would create a relaxing and enjoyable gameplay loop.

There are already some similar aspects in Dragon Quest Monsters, which focuses on breeding and raising monsters to fight for you. Dragon Quest Builders, on the other hand, has the player build up a town out of blocks. Combining elements of the two could result in a lovely little experience similar to Pokopia.

Yo-Kai Watch is another video game franchise that is similar to Pokemon in the form of having many unique and interesting creatures inhabiting the world. A Yo-Kai Watch take on Pokopia could involve building a friendly town where both humans and Yo-Kai can live together in peace. Quests could involve helping spirits settle, decorating homes in the town, and completing various chores and tasks.

Similar to Pokopia, certain Yokai can also play a part in progression and quests through their different skills, quirks, and personalities. Playful Yokai may play pranks around town or create a mess that you need to maintain. Others could be assigned to various tasks around town. It’s really not that far of a stretch. Plus, it would be nice to see Yo-Kai Watch make its way to more modern consoles, such as the Switch 2.

World of Warcraft is home to a high-fantasy world, but what if they were to shift things away from raiding and grindy quests? Such an environment could be perfect for building a peaceful settlement while finding work, raising creatures that inhabit the world, and building a community.

There’s a lot of potential for cozy but engaging mechanics and features, such as decorating homes/designing a village, running a tavern, brewing potions, selling items as a shopkeeper, raising creatures, ranching animals, and more. Similar to Pokopia, players could perhaps befriend unique people and creatures, such as Murlocs, and use their skills and abilities to help build and run their settlement.

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most popular Nintendo game IPs of all time, right up there in the top category alongside both Pokemon and Animal Crossing. What better franchise to join the mix of cozy life-sims than The Legend of Zelda? In a title such as this, players could take on the role of Link in a much more relaxed, cozy experience.

From harvesting resources and farming around Hyrule to befriending Koroks, Gorons, or perhaps even creatures who are usually more hostile, to unlock new areas and complete objectives, Hyrule is the kind of environment that just feels naturally relaxing and cozy for such a setup. Plus, who would say no to a cute, relaxing Zelda game? A chill, ambient soundtrack, the ability to raise animals, craft items, and sell to vendors, while you rebuild a home or a village, sounds like a lovely experience.

Let’s face it, Digimon has always been the biggest competitor Pokemon has had, both in the anime and video game fields. With the overwhelming success of the more recent Digimon Story: Time Stranger title, it would be nice to see the franchise possible explore different formulas or spin-off titles.

A cozy Digimon life-sim could function very similarly in which players must befriend Digimon and use their abilities to change the world around them. Unlike Pokopia, which does not feature evolution, a Digimon life-sim could play around with this, perhaps not through battle but through friendship mechanics. Either way, Digimon has a lot of lovable monster designs that could be perfect for a project such as this. Plus, there’s probably the most potential here out of anywhere else, considering the studio behind Time Stranger is expanding and planning additional projects.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

Video games that could create a pokopia-styled spin-off 5 Games That Could Make a Cozy Life Sim With Monsters, Like Pokopia 13 minutes ago By Grace Black

5 Games That Could Make a Cozy Life Sim With Monsters, Like Pokopia

Screenshot: YouTube/PlayStation LEGO PlayStation Set Price, Size, and Release Window Leak 2 hours ago By Denny Connolly

LEGO PlayStation Set Price, Size, and Release Window Leak

Photo: mihailomilovanovic / Getty Images Taking a Daily Multivitamin Does Something Strange to Your Biological Age 6 hours ago By Luis Prada

Taking a Daily Multivitamin Does Something Strange to Your Biological Age

Chris Rock as Jasmine, Will Smith as Will in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' (Photo: Jan Sonnenmair/NBCU Photo Bank) Chris Rock Played Will Smith’s Date on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Decades Before the Oscars Slap 6 hours ago By Tony Alpsen

Chris Rock Played Will Smith’s Date on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Decades Before the Oscars Slap

Photo: Gareth Brown / Getty Images Are Americans as Violent as They Seem? 7 hours ago By Ashley Fike

Are Americans as Violent as They Seem?

Photo: vandervelden / Getty Images 3 Books That Feel Like Drinking Tea During a Storm 7 hours ago By Sammi Caramela

3 Books That Feel Like Drinking Tea During a Storm

Photo: semenovp / Getty Images Listening to This Song While Drinking Fancy Rum Will Make It Taste Better 8 hours ago By Ashley Fike

Listening to This Song While Drinking Fancy Rum Will Make It Taste Better

Photo: iiievgeniy / Getty Images 6 Dating Myths You Believe Because of Period Dramas 9 hours ago By Sammi Caramela

6 Dating Myths You Believe Because of Period Dramas

Photo: Carol Yepes / Getty Images The Top 10 Most Emotionally Intelligent Countries, Ranked 9 hours ago By Ashley Fike

The Top 10 Most Emotionally Intelligent Countries, Ranked

Photo: Janina Steinmetz / Getty Images 8 Ways to Build Sexual Tension Without Being Weird About It 10 hours ago By Ashley Fike

8 Ways to Build Sexual Tension Without Being Weird About It

Add your account details

© Vice