Dokimon: Quest Review Summary

A nostalgic Pokemon-like with creative monsters and beautiful pixel art, but its cliche story and buggy double battle targeting need more polish.

Classic Pokemon nostalgia done right: Players consistently feel this game captures the spirit and gameplay of classic Pokemon generations 1-3, evoking strong nostalgia and being more fun than modern Pokemon entries.

Creative and varied monster designs: Players love the unique, charming, and creative monster (Dokimon) designs, noting they are distinct from each other and show clear care and effort.

Beautiful retro pixel art: The pixel art style is widely praised as gorgeous, nostalgic, and reminiscent of classic handheld aesthetics, with multiple graphic style options available.

Engaging and humorous writing: The dialogue and story are funny, with a darker and more adult tone than Pokemon, which many players find refreshing and entertaining.

Responsive and active developer: The developer is praised for being quick to respond to bugs, actively communicating with the community, and continuously updating the game.

Story is cliche and unengaging: The narrative is widely criticized as flat, cliche, and uninspired, failing to deliver dramatic moments. Multiple reviews note it tries too hard to be edgy.

Double battle targeting is bugged: Players report persistent glitches in double battles where targeting is inaccurate or attacks hit the wrong opponent. This core mechanic is broken and frustrating.

Game needs more polish overall: The game feels unfinished, like a beta, with small flaws and a lack of polish across multiple systems. Many aspects require further refinement.

Navigation unclear without guidance: Players frequently got lost and needed external guides to progress. The game lacks clear direction, especially after the halfway point.

No fast travel without DLC: Fast travel is locked behind paid DLC or only available at the very end, forcing excessive backtracking between towns. This is a major quality-of-life issue.

Monster catching core gameplay: The game is primarily a monster catching and taming RPG with turn-based combat, reminiscent of classic handheld monster collector games. Players explore, capture, and train creatures in a retro pixel art style.

Pokemon-like comparisons: Players frequently compare the game to first and second generation Pokémon titles, highlighting its similarity in monster collection, turn-based combat, and overall structure. It is often described as a Pokemon-like or monster tamer genre entry.

Retro pixel art style: The game features retro pixel art graphics inspired by Game Boy Color and early Pokémon generations. This nostalgic visual style is frequently noted by players as a key aesthetic choice.

Stat allocation system: The game has an EV-like stat system where points from leveling up can be freely allocated and reset. This allows for customized monster builds and strategic planning.

Large monster roster: The game features over 100 monsters, with specific mentions of over 140 Dokimon types and 13 types. This variety supports deep collection and team-building.

Steam Deck crash issues: Multiple reviews report frequent crashes on Steam Deck, especially when leaving the first town, walking through doors, or after battles. Setting the game to fullscreen or disabling the snappy camera can resolve some crashes.

General game crashes: Several reviews mention frequent random crashes, crashes with error messages, and a major crash that causes loss of progress. This is a widespread stability concern.

Poor Steam Deck performance: A few reviews note worse-than-expected performance on Steam Deck, including half the expected frame rate and constant FPS drops.

Controller not working: An Xbox controller is reported as not working with the game, which could frustrate players expecting controller support.

Persistent bugs remain: One review states that bugs persist in the game, indicating unresolved issues despite potential patches.

Nostalgic Pokemon-like experience: The game is recommended for fans of older Pokemon games, especially from the GBC era and generations 1-2. It appeals to those who enjoy classic monster-tamer gameplay and nostalgia.

Buy on sale only: Multiple reviewers advise purchasing the game only when it is on sale, with some specifying discounts of 50% off, 80% off, or a price around $5. Full price is generally considered too high.

Not recommended overall: A few reviewers explicitly do not recommend the game, even on discount, citing it as unfinished or disappointing. Some suggest trying free Pokemon fan games instead.

Not worth full price: The game is described as not worth its full price point, with many suggesting it is only appropriate during sales. Some mention specific prices like $15 or 15€ as too much.

Only for die-hard fans: The game is recommended only for dedicated fans of Pokemon-like games or creature collectors who avoid competitive play. Casual players or those expecting a true Pokemon experience may be disappointed.

Community fair range: $4.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Story completion: 7.0h.

Session length: 1.5h.

The game delivers immediate nostalgic appeal reminiscent of Pokemon, but loses momentum due to poorly balanced progression, pacing, and grinding, leading to a decline in enjoyment after the early hours.

Friction: Unintuitive menu and UI; Repetitive cave exploration with random encounters; Poor pacing of interactions and dialogue; Translation and grammar issues.

Nostalgic Retro Lover: Casual exploration, enjoying the journey, not min-maxing. Motivation: Relive childhood nostalgia and the feeling of discovering creatures for the first time. Stance: buy.

Grind-Tolerant Progression Player: Methodical grinder, re-battling trainers, experimenting with evolutions and moves. Motivation: Natural progression and sense of growth through grinding and team building. Stance: sale.

Critical Disappointed Player: Not explicitly described, but likely tried to play through normally and were frustrated by design choices. Motivation: Seeking a polished, balanced, and engaging monster collecting experience. Stance: deep sale.

Steam Deck: Dokimon: Quest has mixed Steam Deck feedback. While many appreciate controller support and nostalgic Game Boy aesthetics, significant stability issues (crashes, inability to leave first town) and minor UI glitches (screen resize) make it unreliable out of the box. Some users achieve a playable experience after adjusting camera settings, but the overall friction is high due to crashing.

Linux and Proton: The game exhibits mixed Linux/Proton compatibility on Steam Deck. Significant stability issues including frequent crashes and poor optimization prevent some users from playing, while others achieve good performance with a simple in-game setting change (disabling 'snappy camera'). The lack of official Steam Deck verification and varied user experiences indicate that the game is not consistently reliable but can be made playable with minor tweaks.

External guides: Users frequently report that the game lacks clear direction and fails to explain important mechanics, resulting in a strong dependency on external walkthroughs and guides to progress and understand systems.

Price considered high by some: Priced at $20 (or 20 euros), some reviewers feel the base game is too expensive for its content, suggesting it is worth only on sale. Others bought it at deep discounts ($1-$3) and feel it is fair at that price.

Developer is very responsive: The developer is active in the community, responds to feedback, and quickly addresses bugs, often fixing them within 24 hours. This positive engagement is praised by multiple reviewers.

Short story, longer completion: The main story is short, ranging from 4 to 10 hours, but 100% completion can take 20 to over 50 hours. This split in playtime is noted by several reviewers.

Comparisons to Pokemon and clones: The game is frequently compared to Pokemon, often described as a clone or heavily inspired by it. It also draws comparisons to other monster-taming games like TemTem and Cassette Beasts, and to free Pokemon fan projects.

Bugs still present but improving: The game had many bugs at launch, which have been addressed through updates, but some bugs remain. A few players report no bugs on their system, while others experience new errors after updates.