8 Free Pokémon Games You Can Play Right Now on Switch and Mobile

The mainline Pokémon games are worth every penny, but they do cost pennies — usually sixty of them, in dollars, per game. If your budget says no, the series quietly maintains a whole shelf of free-to-play spin-offs on Switch and mobile, and several of them are genuinely excellent. Here are the eight worth your storage space.

Pokémon GO

The one that turned pavements into safari zones. GO has you walking the real world to find, catch and battle Pokémon that spawn based on your surroundings, with gyms, raids, PvP leagues and a friends system layered on top. It is free on Android and iOS (there is no Switch version), it is still receiving major features a decade in, and if you only download one game from this list, the sheer amount of game here makes it the default choice.

Pokémon TCG Pocket

The trading card game, rebuilt for phones. Pocket gives you two free booster packs every single day, quick three-minute battles with simplified 20-card decks, and trading and card-sharing with friends. It is the most generous free Pokémon game on this list by a distance — a real collection grows fast without spending anything — and it is mobile-only, on Android and iOS.

Pokémon UNITE

A 5v5 MOBA where two teams score points by dunking energy into goal zones while fighting over wild Pokémon in the lanes. Matches run about ten minutes, the roster spans dozens of Pokémon across the classic MOBA roles, and Switch and mobile players share full crossplay. Fair warning that it will not be around forever — its global shutdown has been announced for 2027 — but right now it remains completely playable and free on Switch, Android and iOS.

Pokémon Masters EX

A story-driven battler set on the island of Pasio, built around sync pairs — a famous trainer and their partner Pokémon, fighting together in 3v3 battles. Nearly every gym leader, Elite Four member and champion from the series shows up, usually with voice acting and their own little story chapters. It is the pick for players who love the series' characters more than its mechanics. Mobile only.

Pokémon Quest

Game Freak's own odd little spin-off: every Pokémon rendered as an adorable cube, exploring Tumblecube Island in a team of three. Your team wanders and fights mostly on its own while you trigger moves and manage their build with power stones, which makes it a perfect background game. Free on Switch, Android and iOS, with the whole of Kanto's original 151 to befriend.

Pokémon Café ReMix

A gentle puzzle game where you run a café staffed by Pokémon. Solve match-and-link puzzles to complete orders, and the customers you serve join your staff, each bringing skills that change how puzzles play. It is colourful, undemanding and ideal in short sessions. Free on Switch and mobile.

Pokémon: Magikarp Jump

A whole game about raising the weakest Pokémon ever designed to jump as high as physically possible. Feed it, train it, enter it in jumping leagues, retire it, and raise its slightly stronger child. It is completely sincere about this premise and weirdly compelling because of it. Mobile only, and a lovely palate cleanser.

Pokémon Shuffle

A match-3 battler: line up three or more Pokémon icons to deal damage to the wild Pokémon at the top of the board, and catch it before your moves run out. Hundreds of stages, very little friction, and easy to pick up for five minutes at a time. The 3DS version's online services have shut down, but the mobile version on Android and iOS is the one to get.

Every game here is free to start with optional purchases inside, and none of them gate the actual fun behind paying. Start with GO or TCG Pocket, and branch out from there.