Doki Monsters: Quest is the name of a new Pokémon-like RPG announced for Nintendo Switch. Developed by RedDeer Games, it's an interactive love letter to classics Pokémon titles, enhanced with modern features for quality of life.
RedDeer is a Polish indie developer founded in 2018. Since its inception, the studio has largely focused on the Switch, with half of its eight in-house developed titles exclusive to Nintendo's hybrid console. The Warsaw-based company also publishes third-party games and develops various software, including the exclusive Switch toolkit nOS: New Operating System.
Doki Monsters: Quest Revealed, Promises Nostalgic Monster-Catching Adventure
RedDeer's latest project has now been officially revealed in the form of Doki Monsters: Questa nostalgic creature-trapping RPG for the Nintendo Switch. The game promises a semi-open world with over a dozen interconnected cities, as well as more than 140 familiars to capture, train and evolve. “Doki” (ドキ) is a Japanese onomatopoeia that mimics the sound of a heartbeat, especially one associated with excitement, and does not have a direct English translation. In terms of character design, Doki Monsters seems to riff on animals and various mythologies rather than Pokémon directly.
Doki Monsters: Quest looks like an SNES Pokemon game that never was
The 16-bit graphics used by RedDeer provide Doki Monsters: Quest the appearance of a main line Pokémon game for the SNES that never was. Gameplay wise, the recently announced title sounds like something akin to a second generation Pokémon RPG, albeit with quality-of-life features like fast-forwarding battles, a mission log, and multiple save locations. Its main story is estimated to be around 20 hours long, with RedDeer also promising side missions and activities, including fishing. Routes between cities will pass through mountains, seas, caves and shrines, among other points of interest. The entire map can be seen around the 33-second mark in Doki Monsters: Quest reveal trailer.
RedDeer announced Doki Monsters: Quest without a release date or window, only stating that the title is coming “soon”. Apart from AAA watch 2none of the company's exclusive Switch products ever launched in the November–December period. While there's a first time for everything, that track record and the current lack of concrete availability details suggest that the upcoming title won't be released before the first half of 2026.
Doki Monsters: Quest Confirmed Gameplay Features
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The story is about searching for a missing childhood friend.
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Over 140 original monsters to capture, train and evolve.
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7 alternate appearances (including an extremely rare variant) for each monster.
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About 20 hours of gameplay in more than 15 cities.
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Exploration includes caves, shrines, seas and mountains.
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Battle the Rangers and corrupt corporations that disrupt the balance of the world.
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Post-game content focused on rare monster hunting.
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Optional 8-bit or piano soundtrack.
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Over 20 retro color palettes available for visual customization.
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9 playable character options.
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Fast forward functionality for battles.
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Optional help hints and a clear mission log for streamlined progression.
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Activity on the fishing side.
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Four save slots that support multiple playthroughs or shared saves.
Doki Monsters: Quest has so far only been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, and based on RedDeer's track record, it may remain exclusive to the platform for good. The Polish developer hasn't revealed pricing details, though its previous releases suggest a likely range of $10.99 to $29.99. Several other monster-catching games are also known to be in development for the Switch right now, including Monster patcha crowd-funded title that resembles a cross between Stardew Valley and Pokémon.
