Which game inspired Pokémon Pokopia’s developers through its sandbox design?

Dragon Quest Builders 2 influenced the developers of Pokémon Pokopia through its sandbox design.

Game Freak partnered with Omega Force partly because Game Freak lacked experience in the sandbox genre. Omega Force had worked on similar construction-focused games, particularly Dragon Quest Builders 2, making it a useful reference for the collaboration.

Pokopia applies sandbox ideas to the Pokémon world. Players collect materials, craft objects, build homes, alter terrain, and create habitats that encourage Pokémon to appear. The goal is not simply to survive or defeat opponents, but to restore and personalize a damaged environment.

Critics also compared the finished game with Minecraft, Viva Piñata, and Animal Crossing. Those comparisons describe the final experience, while Dragon Quest Builders 2 is the specific earlier game identified in the development history as influencing the developer choice.