Pokemon Quest releases on iOS and Android this week

After what appears to be a successful few weeks of an early launch over on the Nintendo Switch, all-new Pokemon spin-off Pokemon Quest has an iOS and Android release date: it'll arrive on both mobile store fronts later this week on June 27.

If you don't know much about it, Pokemon Quest is essentially a fully-fledged RPG, but one that tasks you with management of squads of Pokemon as you send them out on raid-style dungeon and exploration quests. Pokemon grow and level up as in the core games, but rather than directly controlling things all the time it's more about general team management.

The biggest difference is in how you recruit Pokeon - instead of 'catching' them inside Pokeballs, you instead run a camp and cook for Pokemon. Through careful use of the best possible Pokemon recipes you'll be able to cook meals that attract bigger and better Pokemon to send out on missions  - and completed quests will reward you with new ingredients for cooking, thus creating a pretty classic RPG loop. Pokemon still evolve and level up through battles and gaining EXP, however.

It all comes wrapped up in a cutesy, blocky, Minecraft-like art style.

Pokemon Quest is free-to-play, but like Pokemon Go it features small purchases you can make to make your life easier. In our experience it's quite a fair free-to-play experience, however, and is well balanced so it isn't just trying to squeeze you dry of cash all the time.

Pokemon Quest has already been downloaded 2.5 million times on Switch, so it's safe to say it is already a success - but now it's opening up to an even bigger audience. If you want to know what we think of the game, check out our Pokemon Quest Impressions from the Switch version of the game.