Bubbly Basin: is Pokémon Pokopia's paid DLC worth its price?

Pokémon Pokopia is getting its first paid expansion. Bubbly Basin lands on August 5 at midnight local time (see our dedicated article for the detailed schedule), priced at 35 euros.

On paper, this isn't just a cosmetic pack. Bubbly Basin adds a brand-new area to explore, complete with new Pokémon to tame and bring into your island. The logic stays the same as the base game: building, decorating, encounters. But the playground genuinely expands, which changes things for players who had already gone through the existing areas.

The core question remains: break or continuity? Pokopia doesn't change formula with this DLC, it stretches it. No new combat mechanic, no overhaul of the progression system. It's an additional chapter in the same vein as the base content, designed for players who want to extend their life-sim session rather than discover a new kind of gameplay.

As for the price, 35€ for a life-simulation expansion sits at the high end of the genre. The base game has already won over critics - an 89/100 average on OpenCritic and 97% positive reviews, which weighs in its favor. If Bubbly Basin maintains the same quality of writing and content as the existing game, the price is justified for fans who've already worn out the starting areas. For everyone else, it remains more a bet on trust in the studio than an obvious purchase.

Worth noting

Free content accompanies the release, including learning the move Dive via Manaphy - an addition that deserves its own article given how many new underwater building possibilities it opens up.