Pokemon Pokopia Helped Restore Kanto and a Writer’s Health

Writer Tim Rattray wrote that restoring the ruined Kanto region in the Switch 2 title Pokémon Pokopia, released in March as part of the series’ 30th-anniversary slate, helped steady his mental health while filming on his documentary was paused during a cold New York winter.

Rattray described prior fatigue with life-sim games after playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons during COVID lockdowns. He wrote that the game initially provided comfort but later felt hollow because nonplayer characters had limited personalities, which contributed to his skepticism about similar titles.

He tried Pokopia because of a long-term affinity for Pokémon. The game places players in an abandoned Kanto and emphasizes nurturing Pokémon and rebuilding the environment rather than traditional battle mechanics. Rattray wrote that familiar Pokémon faces and the chance to care for creatures he knew shifted the experience away from a generic life sim.

Early in his playthrough he encountered a nearly lifeless Squirtle revived when a Ditto used Transform. According to Rattray, Squirtle’s first response—”thank you for saving [his] life”—had an immediate effect, giving him a sense of control while real-world projects were on hold.

Rattray mapped his mood to the game’s progression. He tended blocks of land, watered them, and watched as plant life returned across Kanto. He wrote that when Slowpoke triggered rainfall that restored color to the region, the in-game renewal coincided with an actual improvement in his routine and social activity.

After reaching the game’s credits, Rattray said he chose to stop expanding his rebuilt Kanto rather than continue indefinitely. He wrote that prolonged play of similar games had previously become repetitive, and at that point the city’s winter thawed and documentary production resumed.

Rattray also noted past conversations with therapists about using games in clinical settings and described how gaming has tracked phases of his mental health over the years. He framed Pokopia as an example of a game that met him at a particular time rather than as a long-term solution, and he invited readers to share games that helped them during difficult periods.