Here's how multiplayer works in Pokémon Pokopia!

Pokémon Pokopia is out now for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, and there are a few different ways you can play with friends. Some options use online* play while others use local wireless** play (when everyone is in the same room with their own systems and games). There's also a GameShare*** option to share a specific area with people who don't have the game.

It's a lot to take in, so let's channel our inner Graveler and roll on through the options!

Inviting friends to your towns

Let's get familiar with the process. First, access the PC at a town's Pokémon Center, then Link Play, and select Invite Others to Visit. You then get two options: Online connection or Local connection.

Playing online will generate a Link Code that can be shared with your friends—all they need to do is go to Link Play, pick the online connection method, and then enter the Link Code. Up to three other friends can join in this way.

Local connections work in a similar way, except you can choose to use a Link Code or not.

Note that it does take approximately 30 minutes of play time before you can access the Link Play menu using the PC at the Pokémon Center.

What can visitors do?

Great question! This multiplayer option is all about showing off your towns to your friends. They can marvel at your beautiful creations, grab daily items from the Pokémon Center PC, and most importantly, log Pokémon and habitat info into their Pokédex by interacting with them. Oh, and everyone will be playing in Spectator Mode, so moves and options will be limited—basically, no one will be able to mess with your creations (even you). Visiting is all about…well, visiting!

While visiting, players may see items they want to take back to their game. Folks can't just swipe things (thankfully), but they can take pictures of objects with the in-game camera (once they have that ability), go back to their own game, and create the item using a Pokémon Center's in-game 3D printer. Just remember that you need the proper materials to do this.

What if I want to build with my friends?

Visiting is nice, but what if you want to be creative together? Luckily there are two options for this!

Invite your friends to Palette Town

Palette Town is a vast area accessible from the Withered Wasteland after playing a bit (Palette Town is the default name, but you can also rename it).

Think of it as a large, open sandbox for you and your friends to play in. Inviting friends works the same way, but now you can use the Pokémon Center PC in Palette Town to turn Spectator Mode off. This means that the group can now build, craft, discover Pokémon, and make habitats together! Put your heads together to make something grand. Just, uh, make sure you're on the same page with what you want to do.

Oh, and if your friends don't have the game yet, you can also use GameShare to share this area of the game via local wireless or online. Local play can be shared with another Nintendo Switch 2 or a Nintendo Switch system. GameShare works online with players who have Nintendo Switch 2 systems.

What's a Cloud Island?

So, the previous methods depend on a host player inviting their friends over…but what if there was an area that just persistently lived online? Where players can just come and go even if the host isn't around? Well, that's a Cloud Island!

This is similar to Palette Town in that Spectator Mode can be turned off. Each Cloud Island also has its own Pokédex, so players can work together to fill it out. You also share all the rewards and challenges from the Pokémon Center PC. However, you can't bring items in your bag from your town to a Cloud Island (or vice versa).

You can make or visit a Cloud Island using a Pokémon Center's PC, and visiting will require a Cloud Island's Address.

What's Virtual Mode?

OK, this is the final thing for today! Turn on the Virtual Mode option if you want to share a Cloud Island online but don't want visitors to change anything. It's basically a virtual version of your Cloud Island that people all over the world can enjoy.

You can access these virtual versions of Cloud Islands by using Mysterious Goggles (an item you can get from the Pokémon Center PC in the Withered Wasteland after playing a bit). To try it out, here's a Cloud Island which was made by the developers of Pokémon Pokopia.

Cloud Island Address: PXQC G03S

Congrats, you made it to the end! We hope this helped and wish you well on your adventures. You can learn more about Pokémon Pokopia with the link below.

*Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Membership auto-renews after initial term at the then-current price unless cancelled. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/au/switch-online/

**Additional games and systems required for multiplayer mode. Games and systems sold separately.

***Nintendo Switch 2 system must initiate GameShare session. Users who receive software via GameShare can only play the software during the session in which it was shared. Shared game will not be playable after the session ends. Nintendo Switch 2 and GameChat required for each user engaging in GameShare via GameChat. Internet, Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features, including GameChat.