Stardew Valley
FairA$13.78
Addictive design
Subscription to play onlineGame library subscriptionPay once (premium)
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Released 18 November 2022 Developer Game Freak Publisher Nintendo / The Pokémon Company
Two versions of the same open-world Pokémon role-playing game, set in the Spanish-inspired Paldea region, where you attend a school, catch and train Pokémon, battle gym leaders and follow three connected stories. You can explore alone or with up to three other players, and trade and battle online. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is a paid, two-part expansion that adds new areas and Pokémon.
Money health
WatchFine if you understand it
Addictive design
Low1 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
A$79.95average of 2 store prices
Spending ceiling
Has a ceilingEverything costs A$132.45
Australian rating
Mild themes and violence
How it makes money
Watch: fine if you understand it
Each version, Scarlet or Violet, is a one-off purchase of A$79.95 on the Nintendo eShop. The two-part expansion, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, costs A$52.50 more, or A$132.45 for the game plus expansion as a bundle. A few Pokémon appear in only one version, so finishing the Pokédex means trading with other players online (which needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership) or buying the second game. I found no in-game currency or random-item purchases; the extras are the expansion and the second version.
How you pay
- Pay once
A$79.95 for Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet on the Australian Nintendo eShop (regular price on 22 October 2026). The story, open world and online features are in the base game.
- Paid DLC
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, with The Teal Mask (September 2023) and The Indigo Disk (December 2023), is A$52.50 and needs the base game; a bundle of Pokémon Scarlet plus the expansion is A$132.45. A small epilogue, Mochi Mayhem, followed in January 2024.
- Editions
Sold as two near-identical versions at the same price, and as bundles that include the expansion. A free update for Nintendo Switch 2 with better visuals and performance arrived on 5 June 2025.
minor part of the game
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Collect all
Each version has Pokémon that can only be caught in that version, so completing the Pokédex means online trading with other players (which needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership) or buying the other game.
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Price: A$79.95 · everything A$132.45
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Scarlet | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$79.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon Violet | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$79.95 | Oct 2026 |
| The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (expansion) Both parts, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk; needs the base game |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$52.50 | Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon Scarlet + The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Game plus expansion bundle |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$132.45 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
6/ 10
IGN ↗
Said the move to an open world is undermined by how unfinished the games feel.
-
8.3/ 10
Game Informer ↗
Called it a strong step forward, praising the first open world in the series, optional battles and Terastallization, but said frequent pop-in, blurry textures and frame-rate stutter undercut it.
-
7/ 10
Nintendo Life ↗
Saw it as a promising move towards open-world Pokémon that falls short of Legends: Arceus, enjoying the freedom to explore in any order but noting uneven performance and blurry visuals.
-
6/ 10
Destructoid ↗
Praised the open-world structure, new Pokémon, music and late-game story, but was weighed down by pop-in, unstable frame rates and multiplayer crashes.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Chat: not recorded
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Needs an online account
Online play (trading and battling through the Poké Portal, online co-op with up to three others, and Tera Raid battles) needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and a Nintendo Account, and can pair a child with other Trainers around the world as well as friends. I could not confirm what messaging options exist in the game itself, so check the Switch family settings for online features and communication.
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 Plays on Switch 2 with a free update that improves visuals and performance |
5 June 2025 | — |
| Nintendo Switch | 18 November 2022 | Store page ↗ |
Further reading
- Official website ↗
- Pokémon Scarlet and Violet official site ↗
- Pokémon Company parents' site ↗
- Wikipedia ↗
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, api.ec.nintendo.com, www.nintendo.com, www.nintendo.com, www.nintendo.com, www.metacritic.com, opencritic.com, www.gameinformer.com, www.nintendolife.com, www.destructoid.com, parents.pokemon.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.