What genre did Nintendo describe Pokémon Pokopia as Pokémon’s first example of?

Pokémon Pokopia is Pokémon’s first life-simulation game.

Nintendo describes Pokopia as a relaxing life-simulation game focused on crafting, creating, and building. Instead of making tournament battles the central activity, it asks players to restore a damaged world, create homes, cultivate land, and form relationships with Pokémon residents.

The game still uses familiar Pokémon ideas. Pokémon teach Ditto useful moves, and those moves can help with tasks such as growing plants, breaking walls, surfing, and gliding. However, these mechanics support exploration and construction rather than serving mainly as attacks in a traditional battle system.

Pokopia is sometimes labeled a sandbox game because players can shape the environment, and reviewers compare it with games such as Animal Crossing and Minecraft. Those descriptions are related, but Nintendo’s specific genre description is life simulation.