Pokemon Reveals New Tabletop and Mobile Game, But There’s a Catch

Pokemon is introducing a brand-new game, with tabletop and mobile versions, but they’re limited to Japan. Although there are plenty of games that have made their way from Japan to the rest of the world in the Pokemon franchise, the particular nature of this new release may mean it won’t launch outside the country.

There have been a lot of tabletop games over the course of the Pokemon franchise’s existence. Some of these have included brand-new, unique games, like the iconic Pokemon Trading Card Game, while others have essentially taken an existing game and given it an overhaul by combining it with the series, like Pokemon Monopoly or Yahtzee. This new game is more of the latter, but most western Pokemon fans likely won’t be familiar with the source material.

Pokemon Introducing New Tabletop and Mobile Games

The Pokemon Company has revealed that a new game called Pokemon GOITA is on the verge of release, with a launch date of December 18. The game is a Pokemon-ified take on the traditional Japanese tabletop game, Goita. The four player team-based matching game is ordinarily played with 32 tiles, with each having a set point value and rank, and an ultimate goal to play every tile in the player’s hand. A trailer for the Pokemon version demonstrates, showing the first player playing a tile as “Attack,” and then it’s up to the opponent to match it with their own tile as “Defense.” In Pokemon GOITA, tiles feature individual Pokemon, including Mew and Mewtwo, Raichu, Charizard, Dragonite, Rattata, Pikachu, Pidgey, and Ponyta. The game will cost 2,970 yen, or about $19 USD, and includes the tiles, a play mat, and a drawstring bag. The mobile app is free, and the official website notes that it has no in-app purchases.

As Goita isn’t extremely well known outside of Japan, it seems unlikely that Pokemon GOITA will be localized for other languages and countries. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time in recent history that The Pokemon Company has sought to remake a classic Japanese tabletop game in Pokemon form. Back in July, the company introduced Pokemon Taruka, a take on classic Japanese card game Karuta.

While Pokemon GOITA may not be what most fans outside of Japan are interested in, there’s still plenty going on in the Pokemon franchise to keep players satisfied. Pokemon Legends: Z-A has recently released, and will be getting its first DLC on December 10. Pokemon Pokopia, a new spin-off title focused on Ditto, has also drawn a lot of attention and will launch in March 2026. According to rumors, Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave will also release in 2026, though players will want to take that one with a grain of salt, as it hasn’t been officially announced.