Pokémon Quest is a free-to-start action game for Nintendo Switch

A new Pokémon game is available today, May 29 — and it’s free to download for Nintendo Switch. It’s called Pokémon Quest, and based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s ... really unlike any Pokémon game we’ve seen before. The Pokémon Company revealed the title during a press conference held live in Japan.

The action game takes place in a world called Tumblecube Island, where voxel-style Pokémon roam for treasure, food and friendly fights. There are base camps that players can customize and build, which help them attract new Pokémon to add to their team. From there, trainers take a set of three monsters to battle, albeit not using the familiar turn-based combat of other Pokémon RPGs. Instead, Pokémon Quest limits players’ control of their Pokémon to tapping attack meters once they’re full. Otherwise, the Pokémon go at it on their own.

Think of it as Minecraft meets the simplistic Pokémon spinoff Pokémon Rumble, which also transformed characters into miniature, stylized versions of themselves. The “Pokéxel” characters — as Game Freak has dubbed them — are more facsimiles of Pikachu, Blastoise and the rest of the first-gen monsters we’ve been shown than tinier versions of our faves. If you’re a traditionalist, Pokémon Quest may not be quite your speed; holding trainers back from having total control over their team sounds like a major turnoff for anyone raised on the handheld RPGs. But the kids that eat up crafting and base-building will likely find this to be a suitable alternative when suffering from Minecraft burnout.

You can test it for yourself right now if you’re a Switch owner; while the Switch version of Pokémon Quest is available, iOS and Android versions won’t be ready until late June.

Update: There are three downloadable content packs currently available for Pokeémon Quest, ranging in price from $4.99-$17.99.

The $4.99 Expedition pack includes the following:

• Cooking pot: Increases the number of dishes you can cook at the same time by one.
• Poké Ball Model: Increases the number of PM Tickets received as a service for members by 20.
• Perfect Pair Statue: Increases the maximum battery charges by one.

This DLC also includes the following one-time bonuses:

• PM Tickets +100
• Lv. 1 Nidoran♀ with a special move
• Lv. 1 Nidoran♂ with a special move

The $9.99 Great Expedition pack has:

• Cooking pot: Increases the number of dishes you can cook at the same time by one.
• Great Ball Model: Increases the number of PM Tickets received as a service for members by 30.
• Eevee Arch: Increases the maximum battery charges by one.
• Lapras Pool : Doubles the chances of attracting multiple Pokémon with your cooking.

This DLC also includes the following one-time bonuses:

• PM Tickets +100
• Lv. 1 Lapras with a special move

And the $17.99 Ultra Expedition pack includes:

• Cooking pot: Increases the number of dishes you can cook at the same time by one.
• Ultra Ball Model: Increases the number of PM Tickets received as a service for members by 40.
• Pikachu Arch: Increases the maximum battery charges by one.
• Gengar Balloon: Doubles the drop rate of all ingredients.
• Snorlax Lounger: Doubles the Exp. received from expeditions.

This DLC also includes the following one-time bonuses:

• PM Tickets +100
• Lv. 1 Snorlax with a special move

Check out a bunch of screenshots from the game below.

Grid View

• Game Freak/The Pokémon Company
• Game Freak/The Pokémon Company
• Game Freak/The Pokémon Company
• Game Freak/The Pokémon Company
• Game Freak/The Pokémon Company