What genre does Pokémon Pokopia list alongside sandbox gameplay?

Pokémon Pokopia lists social simulation as its genre alongside sandbox gameplay.

That classification reflects the game's emphasis on creating a welcoming world and forming relationships with Pokémon. Instead of making battles the main activity, players build structures, craft items, restore habitats, and attract Pokémon by meeting their environmental needs.

Sandbox describes the freedom to shape the surrounding landscape. Social simulation describes the ongoing interactions with Pokémon and the community players create. The combination distinguishes Pokopia from the mainline Pokémon games, whose central structure traditionally revolves around exploration, collecting, training, and battling.

Pokopia can resemble life-simulation games because it has building, gardening, environmental customization, and a real-time day-and-night cycle. It is still a Pokémon spin-off, however, and its mechanics are organized around learning moves from Pokémon and using those abilities to cultivate the world.