Which real-world game inspired Omega Force’s sandbox experience for Pokémon Pokopia?

Dragon Quest Builders 2 helped inspire Omega Force’s sandbox experience for Pokémon Pokopia.

Game Freak wanted to create a Pokémon game focused on cultivating habitats and building environments, but the studio lacked extensive experience in the sandbox genre. The Pokémon Company recommended Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force because of its previous work with similar construction-focused games.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 was specifically identified as an important example of that experience. Its combination of exploration, gathering, construction, and environmental development made it relevant to the design challenges Pokopia presented.

Critics later compared the finished game with Minecraft, Viva Piñata, and Animal Crossing because of its mixture of building, habitat management, and life-simulation elements. Those comparisons describe the final experience, however; the named earlier project connected directly to Omega Force’s relevant development background was Dragon Quest Builders 2.