Pokémon Friends Review: Adorable Educational Fun with a Surprising Gacha Twist
Pokémon Friends: A Cute Educational Game with a Catch
Pokémon Friends is the newest mobile and Nintendo Switch game from The Pokémon Company, designed as a simple educational tool for kids. Unlike traditional Pokémon games, this one focuses on easy puzzles and brain teasers wrapped in a colorful, kid-friendly package. But while it’s charming and fun, there’s a hidden cost that parents should be aware of.
- What Pokémon Friends is about
- Gameplay and educational elements
- Microtransactions and hidden “gacha” mechanics
- How it fits into Pokémon’s evolving mobile strategy
Simple Puzzles with a Pokémon Twist
The game offers a daily set of three puzzles, each themed around a different Pokémon. For example, Pikachu’s puzzle involves connecting lightbulbs in a single line, while Makuhita’s challenge is about moving boulders in the right order. These puzzles are quick, taking just a couple of minutes to complete, making Pokémon Friends a clear-cut children’s edutainment title.
As players progress, puzzles repeat with increased difficulty, encouraging logical thinking and pattern recognition. The game even includes tasks like counting Froakies on a grid or predicting shapes after Greninja’s cuts. The brain teasers are designed to be fun and accessible for young players.
After completing puzzles, players earn colorful yarn that can be used to create Pokémon plushies. These plushies can decorate a cozy in-game bedroom or be given away to complete quests and earn furniture, adding a light cozy game vibe to the experience.
Part of Pokémon’s Broader Educational Push
Pokémon Friends follows in the footsteps of Pokémon Smile and Pokémon Sleep, apps that blend fun with daily routines like toothbrushing and napping. This new game takes the concept further, aiming to be a lifestyle brand for kids not quite ready for traditional RPGs. It’s bright, cute, and filled with educational puzzles designed for very young players.
But Beware: Microtransactions and Gacha Elements
While Pokémon Friends is free to download on mobile (with limited daily puzzles), unlocking the full experience requires payment. For $10, players can add 20 more puzzles and remove daily limits, and additional puzzle packs cost $15 each. There’s also a $34 bundle for all DLC packs.
More importantly, the plush creation system works like a gacha mechanic. Each plush is essentially a “pull” from a slot machine, with different Pokémon having different drop rates depending on the yarn used. Buying more DLC adds more plush options to the pool, which actually lowers the odds of getting specific Pokémon.
There’s a warning pop-up explaining this, and some childproofing in the shop requiring a math equation to confirm purchases. Unlike Pokémon Sleep, Pokémon Friends doesn’t let players buy yarn directly or bypass time gates with resources. Still, the slot machine-style pulls might feel uncomfortable to some parents.
Is this the best way to teach kids digital logic and reasoning? The cute plushies and puzzles are fun, but the gacha element adds a layer of complexity that might not sit well with everyone.
Check out the official trailer to see Pokémon Friends in action:
