Parents' Guide to

Pokémon Quest

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Quirky, blocky, repetitive new take on Pokémon franchise.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Role-Playing Games
Pokémon Quest Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Pokémon Quest screenshot #1
  • Pokémon Quest screenshot #2
  • Pokémon Quest screenshot #3
  • Pokémon Quest screenshot #4
  • Pokémon Quest screenshot #5

Community Reviews

See all
age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Holly R.
Holly R. Parent of 1-year-old
June 11, 2019
age 8+

The game does NOT play itself!

Contrary to what one reviewer claims, the game does NOT play by itself. There's a button on the screen that can make the game do that though. The Pokemon characters walk on their own but the player does have control over what the Pokemon does to a certain extent. You can select attacks for the Pokemon to use and you can make the Pokemon move away/dodge enemy Pokemon by pressing another button. Because you only have partial control of the Pokemon (being able to time your attacks but not where the Pokemon move) there is an element of strategy that is not for everyone. Unlike what another reviewer claimed, it's not pay to win. Unless you want to beat the game really quickly, which would actually leave nothing to do afterwards, the game is pretty generous in Free in game currency. If you check in every day it awards the player with free tickets that can be used to make the game easier. My only complaint is that after beating the game and catching the original 151 Pokemon, there is nothing to do. So I wouldn't spend any money on this game because 1. The game has an ending and wasting money does NOT add any extra game play and only makes it easier to get to the ending and 2. Since the game does have an actual end, by not paying you actually extend the game play. I would also recommend not using tickets to attract the Pokemon quicker and would recommend using it to refill the plays that you get or get the decorations ALREADY available instead of spending money on unlocking new decorations since they are mostly unnecessary. I will also say that after having the game for about 3 weeks I beat it without paying anything. It's an ok game but not worth spending money on.
Preston S.
Preston S. Adult
September 6, 2018
age 5+

Waste of time, pay to win game

In this game kids barely have any input on how the game goes, it practically plays itself and in order to have fun you must pay real life money.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

It's a brand-new adventure with a few familiar friends, as the Pokémon you know and love find a new home in POKÉMON QUEST. Set a course for Tumblecube Island, where the flora and fauna have developed a uniquely blocky style. Despite the different look, the island is home to some familiar Pokémon faces. As a researcher, you'll need to set up a base camp, lure different Pokémon with some tasty cooking, and build a team to explore every corner of the island. Along the way, you'll collect new recipe ingredients and special power stones to boost your Pokémon's abilities -- and maybe even uncover a few other secrets. Fill your Pokédex, and catch 'em all once again.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

This blocky adventure set in the world of the beloved Pokémon franchise has a quirky spin on play but ultimately devolves into repetitive gaming and little user interaction. Previous Pokémon spin-off titles have included pinball, puzzle, and even arcade fighting games. Pokémon Quest puts yet another twist on the formula, mixing crafting and building role-playing game elements with some simplified dungeon-crawling action, all wrapped in a Minecraft-esque coat of paint. The fact that Pokémon Quest tries to be a little bit of everything is both its strength and its weakness.

To progress in Pokémon Quest, you need to follow a relatively straightforward pattern: Cook, recruit, equip, explore. Wash, rinse, and then repeat. Each step relies heavily on the one before. You need to cook the food to recruit the Pokémon, then make sure they're trained and well-equipped with power stones, or they can't make it through the expeditions. And you need to complete expeditions to earn more ingredients and stones. It's not a very deep process, just a repetitive one. One odd twist to the formula is that the combat is the simplest part of the game ... mainly because you don't really need to do anything. Your Pokémon team moves and attacks on its own, with very little interaction. You're only responsible for activating Pokémon abilities, and if you click the Auto button, you don't even need to do that. By contrast, mixing up new recipes and training Pokémon are much more complex, user-involved processes. While entertaining enough to provide an occasional distraction, Pokémon Quest is ultimately a jack-of-all-trades, but a (Pokémon) master of none.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about consumerism and popularity. How do popular franchises like Pokémon get people to keep coming back to the series? What, if anything, do spin-offs like Pokémon Quest add to the franchise?

  • What's the impact of the violence on younger players? How do cartoonish visuals and characters that are knocked out instead of killed affect that impact? Are there parallels between the fighting moves of Pokémon in Pokémon Quest and the behaviors of real-world animals?

App Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate