Free cozy RPG Roco Kingdom announced for PS5, Xbox, and PC as Pokémon suddenly has competition

Pokémon Pokopia is a GOTY contender that asked the question, “What might Pokémon look like transformed into a cozy game?”

It answered the question exceptionally well, but a newly revealed title perhaps has a different take on the response to that query.

Pokémon Pokopia rids of battling, instead placing an emphasis upon building habitats and filling out your Pokédex.

Roco Kingdom, however, is an upcoming title from Morefun Studios that essentially lifts Pokémon’s creature collecting and battling RPG elements and drops them into a cozy open-world that has an Animal Crossing or Starsand Island feel to it.

I say that Roco Kingdom is new, but the title has actually been readily available in China for some time.

The adorable hit title was announced, though, at yesterday’s Gamescom Opening Night Live, that it’s soon set to launch worldwide.

A release date is yet to be confirmed, but we know that Roco Kingdom is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms - and best of all, it’s free-to-play.

“Roco Kingdom is a new evolution of open-world creature-collecting games,” begins the synopsis.

“Dive into a seamless cross-platform adventure hand-in-hand with your Jinies, where every Jini is truly unique!

“Forge pacts with your Jinies, attend Magic Academy classes, build your dream home, and explore the Continent of Carosia together to protect the peace and harmony of Roco Kingdom!”

Morefun Studios

Sign up new to join in Roco Kingdom’s upcoming free closed beta test

Jinies are, as you’ve probably guessed, this game’s answer to Pokémon; you’ll expand your collection as you explore, battling your cute pals against those belonging to rival trainers.

There are over 400 types of Jinies roaming the game’s expansive open-world and while, as a free-to-play title, Roco Kingdom is destined to include microtransactions, no area of the map is locked behind a paywall.

Players will also be able to unearth rare exclusive appearances for their Jinies in some circumstances.

You can explore Roco Kingdom’s open-world solo or with friends via a co-op mode. You’ll share rewards and battle EXP if you team up with a friend.

Battles come in the form of PvP turn-based duels. There are different elemental types, just like in Pokémon, so it’s crucial that you do your best to spot an enemy Jini’s weakness.

There’s also an enchanted school within Roco Kingdom where you can participate in seasonal events, compete in the Academy Points Tournament, and improve your magic skills. Yes, you have magic skills, apparently.

As with any good cozy game, there’s some character customisation with plenty of outfits to choose from - including some that allow you to match with your equipped Jini, which sounds adorable.

In fact, Roco Kingdom sounds a lot like Aniimo, another Pokémon rival which has now locked in a launch date of September 16.

READ MORE: Aniimo's Pokémon Meets Zelda Approach Is Surprisingly Good, Free RPG Arrives This Year

If you want to try Roco Kingdom out ahead of its launch, “Quack Quack Test recruitment” is now underway, which is to say that devs are looking for players to test the new servers.

Simply sign up via the game’s website. You’ve got plenty of time to register your interest as the beta test doesn’t get underway until October 27.