Camp Pokemon (Mobile/Tablet game)

Camp Pokémon app icon with Pikachu, Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip
Titles Camp Pokémon (North America; also the French title)
Pokémon Camp (UK, Europe, Australia & New Zealand)
Pokémon Ferienlager (German) · Camping Pokémon (Italian) · Campamento Pokémon (Spanish) · no Japanese release
Platform iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod touch) · Android (tablets and phones)
Developer Creatures Inc.
Publisher The Pokémon Company International
Players 1
Genre Educational mini-game collection for young children
Generation Generation VI; Generation VII added in version 1.3 (2017)
Activities 5 mini-games at launch · 6 in versions 1.1–1.2 · 7 in version 1.3
Pins 98 (version 1.0) · 111 (versions 1.1–1.2) · 116 (version 1.3)
Price Free, with no in-app purchases
Released 21 October 2014 (iOS) · 14 April 2016 (Android) – North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand only
Final version 1.3 – 27 July 2017 (iOS), 28 July 2017 (Android)
Status Withdrawn from the App Store and Google Play in April 2019; out of service since around January 2023
Re-releases None
Rating ESRB E · PEGI 3
Requirements iOS 7 or later (iPhone 5, iPad 2 or newer) · Android 2.3 or later
Predecessor None
Successor None direct – Pokémon Playhouse (2017) took over as The Pokémon Company International’s app for young children
Sales Free download; no download figures published

Overview · Quick Answers · Features · Mini-Games · Legendary Pins · The Cabin · Regional Variations & Updates · What Happened to Camp Pokémon · Glitches · Videos · Trivia · Legacy · Reviews · Media

Overview

The island of Camp PokémonCamp Pokémon was a free Pokémon game on iOS and Android which was designed primarily for tablets but also worked on mobile phones. On the UK, Australian and New Zealand stores, and the other English-language stores in Europe, it was known as Pokémon Camp.

It was quite a nice title to teach aspiring Trainers the basics of Pokémon games, such as type strengths/weaknesses and evolutions. From version 1.1 it also allowed the player to watch episodes of the animated series and other videos on Pokémon TV via the app, and it even gave a basic grounding in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

As the player progresses through the game they’ll collect pins of different Pokémon, and they can return to the Cabin at any time to check out these pins in their Pins and Rewards Book, which will also give them an idea of how many pins they have left to collect.

In versions 1.1 and 1.2 the game consisted of four interactive features and six mini-games (there were five mini-games at launch and seven after the Alola update), and although it was targeted at a younger audience (6–8 years) with the aim of recruiting new Pokémon fans, some of the games could be quite fun for adults and experienced Trainers too.

Welcome to Camp Pokémon!

Discover the amazing world of Pokémon with the free Camp Pokémon app from The Pokémon Company International! Explore an immersive island filled with fun Pokémon-themed activities that will help you learn what it takes to become a Pokémon Trainer! The camp counselors will be your guides during your time at Camp Pokémon.

The new Camp Pokémon experience adds Alola region Pokémon, introduced in the recent Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon video games, plus a fun new activity for camp visitors to enjoy. And a special day/night feature lets you search for different Pokémon depending on the time of day.

You can track your progress through Camp Pokémon by earning pins for completing various activities, then check out the pins you’ve collected in your Pin Book. You’ll also collect stickers, which you can use to decorate photos you take with your device’s camera! Be on the lookout for new Alola region Pokémon pins and stickers throughout the camp!

With all the exciting activities that await, the official Camp Pokémon app from The Pokémon Company International is a great way to discover the fun of the Pokémon universe!

— Official app description (Google Play, version 1.3)

Quick Answers

The questions people ask about Camp Pokémon, answered first and explained further down the page.

Can you still play Camp Pokémon?

No. The app was pulled from the App Store and Google Play in April 2019, and around January 2023 it stopped working even on phones and tablets that still had it installed. There has been no re-release, Nintendo Switch version or official download since, so the island is closed for good. More →

When was Camp Pokémon removed from the App Store and Google Play?

In April 2019. Its last update, version 1.3, had come out in July 2017, and within months of the removal the camppokemon.com minisite was redirecting to Pokémon.com. Anyone who already had the app could keep playing until it went out of service around the start of 2023. More →

Why is it called Pokémon Camp in the UK?

In the UK and other English-language European stores, and in Australia and New Zealand, the app was listed as Pokémon Camp rather than Camp Pokémon. No reason was ever given, though as an adjective ‘camp’ means something rather different in British and Australian English. The German version was called Pokémon Ferienlager. More →

How many pins are there in Camp Pokémon?

It depends on the version. Version 1.0 had 98 pins spread over 13 pages of the Pin Book. Version 1.1 raised it to 111 by adding Mega Charizard X and Y and 11 Energy pins. The Alola update (1.3) reworked the list into 116: 105 Pokémon pins plus the 11 Energy pins. More →

How do you get Mega Evolution pins in the Mystery Cave?

Collect every other pin in an evolution line, such as Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur, then visit the Mystery Cave to receive that line’s Mega pin. Ten were available from version 1.1. The Alola update replaced them with Alolan form pins, which the cave hands out once you own the regular form’s pin. More →

The Mystery Cave
The Mystery Cave, inside the island’s volcano.

How do you unlock Groudon and Kyogre in Camp Pokémon?

Fill the rest of the Pin Book, then go back to the Mystery Cave one final time. Groudon and Kyogre are revealed there and start appearing in Find the Pokémon and Poké Ball Throw, where their pins can be won. Collecting both sets off fireworks over the island. In version 1.3, Solgaleo and Lunala replace them. More →

Features

No longer available: Camp Pokémon was withdrawn from the App Store and Google Play in April 2019, and since around January 2023 it no longer works, even on phones and tablets that still have it installed.
  • Camp News – A built-in news feed giving the latest news on the Pokémon series, alongside promotions for other apps. This was implemented in the 1.1 release.
  • Mystery Cave – What lurks within the Mystery Cave? It’s rumoured that deep within the cave’s depths lie legendary Pokémon just waiting to be discovered. You can gain access to the Mystery Cave by obtaining a full Mega Evolution chain of Pokémon pins. You can then enter the cave and obtain a special version of that chain’s Mega Evolution pin. The following Mega Evolutions are obtainable in this manner: Mega Venusaur, Mega Blastoise, Mega Gengar, Mega Aggron, Mega Metagross, Mega Sceptile, Mega Swampert and Mega Blaziken, joined by Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y in version 1.1. In version 1.3 the Mega pins were replaced by Alolan form pins.
  • Pokémon Theater – Another nice feature built into Camp Pokémon, added in version 1.1, to help entice a new generation of Pokémon fans. This enabled the user to watch videos from Pokémon TV within the app, until the content behind it was switched off.
  • Photo Booth – This feature allows the player to take or import a photo and add borders, Pokémon graphics (such as pins they collected from mini-games) and more. The end product can then be saved to the player’s Photo Book and/or shared with friends.
An example photo from the Photo Booth
An example of a photo being edited in the Photo Booth with added pins, effects and border.
The Photo Booth screen
The Photo Booth
The Camp News feed
Camp News, added in version 1.1
The Pokémon Theater
The Pokémon Theater.
Camp News and Pokémon TheaterBoth online features arrived in version 1.1. Pokémon Theater streamed episodes and clips from the Pokémon TV service inside the app, while Camp News carried Pokémon announcements alongside promotions for other apps. Neither had any bearing on pins or medals, and both depended on content fed from servers that were later switched off, so they were the first parts of the camp to stop working, some time before the app itself went out of service.

Mini-Games

Aspiring Pokémon Trainers can take on six different mini-games (five at launch, and seven once the Alola update added Poké Ball Roll) and will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal based on their performance. Often performance is based on how quickly a player completed a stage or how many points they got within a time limit.

There is a rewards system built into the mini-games that awards players Pokémon pins, which can be collected and added to their Pins and Rewards Book – Gotta collect ’em all, right? These pins are mostly obtained from the Find the Pokémon and Poké Ball Throw mini-games.

Camp areas and activities

Every activity on the island, the version that added it, and what it takes to win each medal:

Area or activity Added What you do Medal targets (Bronze / Silver / Gold) Rewards
Find the Pokémon (the ARENA) 1.0 Sweep a magnifying glass over the scene to spot and name six wild Pokémon from their silhouettes; Grass, Water and Rock stages 1:20 / 1:00 / 0:45 (1:30 limit) Medals, Pokémon pins
Poké Ball Throw 1.0 Hit each of six moving Pokémon three times with Poké Balls; Grass, Water and Rock stages 1:20 / 1:00 / 0:45 (1:30 limit) Medals, Pokémon pins
Pokémon Evolutions 1.0 Three huts each hide one stage of an evolution line; pick the Pokémon that completes it 5 / 10 / 15 correct (1 minute) Medals
Pokémon in Focus 1.0 Name the Pokémon whose silhouette the campfire throws onto a hut, from three choices 5 / 10 / 15 correct (40 seconds) Medals
Battle Matchups 1.0 A Pokémon floats past in an inner tube; choose the type that is strong against it 5 / 10 / 15 correct (1 minute) Medals
Pokémon TCG Match 1.1 Card memory game in three stages: identical pairs, Energy types, evolution lines 1:30 / 1:15 / 1:00 (2:00 limit) Medals, nine Energy pins
Poké Ball Roll 1.3 Tilt the device to roll a Poké Ball and catch five Pokémon 2:00 / 1:45 / 1:30 (3:00 limit) Medals, Pokémon pins
Photo Booth 1.0 Take or import a photo and decorate it with borders, effects and pins you have won None Photos saved to the Photo Book
Mystery Cave 1.0 Inside the volcano: Mega pins for completed evolution lines (1.0 to 1.2) or Alolan form pins (1.3), then the final legendaries None Mega, Alolan and legendary pins
Pokémon Theater 1.1 Watch episodes and clips from Pokémon TV None None
Camp News 1.1 Read the latest Pokémon news None None
Cabin 1.0 Browse the Pins and Rewards Book and the Photo Book; later versions add a card scanner None Fairy and Dragon Energy pins (card scanner)

The mini-games

Find the Pokémon – Enter the ARENA! Don’t worry, it’s not as brutal as it sounds. The ARENA, or “Alternate Reality Exploration and Name Area”, is a virtual zone where aspiring Pokémon Masters have to search for six different wild Pokémon, using a magnifying glass to zoom in and identify the Pokémon once you find their silhouettes. The quicker you find all six Pokémon on a stage, the better the score you’ll get.

  • Time needed for a Gold medal: 45 seconds
  • Time needed for a Silver medal: 1 minute
  • Time needed for a Bronze medal: 1 minute 20 seconds (the time limit is 1 minute 30 seconds)

There are three different stages in this mini-game: Grass, Water and Rock. Once you get a Gold medal you can progress to the next stage. Each stage has its own Pokémon, which are relevant to that environment.

The Find the Pokémon building
The Find the Pokémon building
A Find the Pokémon stage
Tracking down Spewpa

Poké Ball Throw – This one’s probably pretty self-explanatory, but this is a training exercise to help new Trainers with their Poké Ball aim. There are six different Pokémon moving across the screen, and you need to hit each Pokémon with a Poké Ball three times to capture them. Here are the times you’ll need to beat to unlock medals:

  • Bronze medal: 1 minute 20 seconds
  • Silver medal: 1 minute
  • Gold medal: 45 seconds

Again, this mini-game features three different stages: Grass, Water and Rock. Get the Gold medal to unlock the next stage.

Poké Ball Throw
Taking aim in Poké Ball Throw
Poké Ball Throw results
Time’s up – and a win

Pokémon Evolutions – This mini-game is aimed at helping players understand how Pokémon evolution works. The game is set around three huts which hide a three-stage Pokémon evolution chain, with each hut containing its own evolutionary stage. The player must select the appropriate Pokémon that fits that evolution chain; the aim is for the player to make as many correct selections as possible before time runs out. The number of answers the player manages to get right within the time limit will decide what medal they are awarded:

  • Correct answers needed for a Gold medal: 15
  • Silver medal: 10
  • Bronze medal: 5
Pokémon Evolutions
Three huts, one evolution line
Pokémon Evolutions
Picking the missing stage

Pokémon in Focus – Gather around the campfire, it’s time for some “Who’s That Pokémon?”-esque action! The light of the fire will make the silhouette of a Pokémon in a nearby hut visible, and the player then has to select which Pokémon the silhouette belongs to from a selection of three. As the time ticks down, the outline of the Pokémon will become more obvious and easier to guess. Get as many correct selections as possible within the time limit!

  • Correct answers within the time limit for a Gold medal: 15
  • Silver medal: 10
  • Bronze medal: 5
Pokémon in Focus
A silhouette by the campfire
Pokémon in Focus
Three names to choose from

Battle Matchups – A useful training tool for new Pokémon Trainers, aimed at helping them understand which types are good against others (without taking a pasting during the learning process as they would in the core series games). A Pokémon will float along the player’s screen in an inner tube, with an icon showing its type, and the player must then select from three options which type would be strong against the floating ’mon’s type.

Again, the number of correct answers within the time limit will decide which medal a player earns.

  • Correct answers needed for a Gold medal: 15
  • Silver medal: 10
  • Bronze medal: 5
Battle Matchups
Battle Matchups
Battle Matchups
Which type beats it?

Pokémon TCG Match – A mini-game, added in version 1.1, introducing players to the basics of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The first mode is pretty easy: it’s a memory game. There is a board with lots of different Pokémon cards, but only displaying the backs of them; you have to select a card, then try to find one that matches it from the board. Each time a pair is matched those cards disappear from the board, making it a little easier to match the next ones. Obtain all three Energy pins in a stage to unlock the next one; in the first stage these are the Water, Fire and Grass pins. Times needed for medals:

  • Gold medal: clear the board within 1 minute
  • Silver medal: clear the board within 1 minute 15 seconds
  • Bronze medal: clear the board within 1 minute 30 seconds (the time limit is 2 minutes)

In stage two it gets a little more difficult, with the player having to match Pokémon by Energy type instead of simply matching a face card as in round one. The third and final stage has players matching cards with the next stage of their evolution line. All in all, the Pokémon TCG Match is a half-decent grounding to introduce a beginner to the Pokémon TCG.

Pokémon TCG Match
Pokémon TCG Match
Pokémon TCG Match
Clearing the board
Poké Ball Roll
Tilting the tablet in Poké Ball Roll.
The seventh activity: Poké Ball RollAdded in version 1.3, Poké Ball Roll is the camp’s only motion-controlled activity. Players tilt the tablet or phone to steer a rolling Poké Ball into five Pokémon and catch them. It is also the longest challenge on the island, with a three-minute limit: finishing inside two minutes earns Bronze, inside 1:45 earns Silver and inside 1:30 earns Gold. Like Find the Pokémon and Poké Ball Throw, it is one of the activities that hands out Pokémon pins.

Legendary Pins & the Pin Book

Once the player has collected every other pin in the Pins and Rewards Book, the Mystery Cave will become accessible one final time. Inside the cave you can encounter Groudon and Kyogre; after this encounter both of these legendary Pokémon are added to the Poké Ball Throw and Find the Pokémon mini-games. Once both of their pins are collected, the player is congratulated and there is a firework display over the Camp Pokémon island.

Groudon and Kyogre are the final prizes in versions 1.0 to 1.2. The Alola update (version 1.3) swapped them for Solgaleo and Lunala, found in the Rock and Grass areas respectively.

  • GroudonGroudonVersions 1.0–1.2
  • KyogreKyogreVersions 1.0–1.2
  • SolgaleoSolgaleoVersion 1.3, Rock area
  • LunalaLunalaVersion 1.3, Grass area

How many pins there are depends on the version. Version 1.0 had 98 pins in all, Groudon and Kyogre included. Version 1.1 added Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y and 11 Energy pins for the new card game, taking it to 111 pins (100 Pokémon pins and 11 Energy pins), and the Alola update reworked the list into 116: 105 Pokémon pins plus the same 11 Energy pins.

  • 98pins in version 1.0
  • 111pins in versions 1.1 and 1.2
  • 116pins in version 1.3
  • 18Alolan form pins in the Mystery Cave

Mega Evolution and Alolan pins

In versions 1.0 to 1.2 the Mystery Cave hands out a Mega pin once the rest of that Pokémon’s evolution line is in the book: eight at launch, and ten once version 1.1 added both of Charizard’s Mega Evolutions.

  • VenusaurVenusaurMega pin
  • CharizardCharizardMega X and Y pins, 1.1
  • BlastoiseBlastoiseMega pin
  • GengarGengarMega pin
  • SceptileSceptileMega pin
  • BlazikenBlazikenMega pin
  • SwampertSwampertMega pin
  • AggronAggronMega pin
  • MetagrossMetagrossMega pin
The Mystery Cave after AlolaIn version 1.3 the entrance to the cave inside the island’s volcano is blocked by an Alolan Golem. Owning the pin for a Pokémon that has an Alolan form opens the way, and the cave rewards the Alolan version of that pin. All 18 Alolan forms, from Rattata to Marowak, are earned like this. Once every other pin is in the book, a final visit reveals Solgaleo and Lunala, which then have to be tracked down on the island like any other Pokémon.

Every pin, version by version

Versions 1.0 to 1.2 feature 90 species across 100 Pokémon pins, mixing Kanto favourites such as Pikachu and Gengar with a strong Hoenn line-up and the Kalos starters, plus ten Mega Evolution pins and Groudon and Kyogre as the closing legendary pair. Version 1.3 rebuilt the list around Alola: 85 species split between the Grass, Rock and Water areas, 18 Alolan form pins from the Mystery Cave, and Solgaleo and Lunala as the final legendaries. Pokémon appear as silhouettes, targets, quiz answers and collectable pins, never as battle partners.

Versions 1.0 to 1.2: 100 Pokémon pins

Group Pins (Mega and legendary pins in bold)
Kanto & Johto families (40) Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Mega Venusaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Mega Charizard X (added in 1.1), Mega Charizard Y (added in 1.1), Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Mega Blastoise, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, Ninetales, Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Psyduck, Golduck, Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Mega Gengar, Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra, Goldeen, Seaking, Lapras, Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, Slugma, Magcargo
Hoenn families (41) Treecko, Grovyle, Sceptile, Mega Sceptile, Torchic, Combusken, Blaziken, Mega Blaziken, Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert, Mega Swampert, Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Azurill, Marill, Azumarill, Nosepass, Probopass, Aron, Lairon, Aggron, Mega Aggron, Wailmer, Wailord, Torkoal, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Baltoy, Claydol, Feebas, Milotic, Wynaut, Wobbuffet, Beldum, Metang, Metagross, Mega Metagross, Kyogre, Groudon
Sinnoh & Kalos families (19) Carnivine, Chespin, Quilladin, Chesnaught, Fennekin, Braixen, Delphox, Froakie, Frogadier, Greninja, Scatterbug, Spewpa, Vivillon, Litleo, Pyroar, Skiddo, Gogoat, Clauncher, Clawitzer
Energy pins (11, added in 1.1) Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal, Colorless, Fairy and Dragon

Version 1.3: 105 Pokémon pins

Area Pins (legendary pins in bold)
Grass area (35) Rattata, Raticate, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, Ninetales, Diglett, Dugtrio, Meowth, Persian, Exeggcute, Exeggutor, Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, Petilil, Lilligant, Rowlet, Dartrix, Decidueye, Fomantis, Lurantis, Stufful, Bewear, Komala, Mimikyu, Togedemaru, Oranguru, Pikipek, Trumbeak, Toucannon, Bounsweet, Steenee, Tsareena, Lunala
Rock area (31) Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Growlithe, Arcanine, Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Cubone, Marowak, Nosepass, Probopass, Torkoal, Beldum, Metang, Metagross, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Rockruff, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Turtonator, Cranidos, Rampardos, Lycanroc (Midday Form, by day), Lycanroc (Midnight Form, at night), Solgaleo
Water area (21) Psyduck, Golduck, Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed, Goldeen, Seaking, Lapras, Wailmer, Wailord, Feebas, Milotic, Grimer, Muk, Popplio, Brionne, Primarina, Pyukumuku, Wishiwashi (Solo Form), Wishiwashi (School Form)
Mystery Cave: Alolan forms (18) Rattata, Raticate, Raichu, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, Ninetales, Diglett, Dugtrio, Meowth, Persian, Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Grimer, Muk, Exeggutor, Marowak
Energy pins (11) Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal and Colorless from Pokémon TCG Match; Fairy and Dragon from the Cabin’s card scanner

Version 1.0 had every Pokémon pin above except Mega Charizard X and Y, and no Energy pins. A few Pokémon with a special part to play:

  • Pikachu – Pictured on the original app icon alongside the Hoenn starters Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip.
  • Aggron – Its Mega pin’s announcement left out the Pokémon’s name until a later update fixed it.
  • Golem – In version 1.3 an Alolan Golem blocks the Mystery Cave until you own a pin with an Alolan form.
  • Lycanroc – Version 1.3 has two pins: Midday Form by day and Midnight Form at night.
  • Wishiwashi – Both its Solo Form and School Form have pins in the Water area.

The Cabin

The Cabin in version 1.0
The Cabin in version 1.0.

Not feeling up to participating in any activities at the moment? You can return to your Cabin at any time by clicking the button in the top right of the screen. At the Cabin you can kick back, relax and browse your reward books to check out your progress. One of the books, the blue Pins and Rewards Book, showcases your pin and medal collection, whilst the other, the orange Photo Book, is a photo album of all the photos you made using the Photo Booth!

When you unlock a Pokémon’s pin you can click on their picture in your Pins and Rewards Book to find out more information about them – almost like a basic version of a Pokédex.

The Cabin
The Cabin
A Pokémon's profile in the Pins and Rewards Book
A Pokémon’s profile in the Pins and Rewards Book
The Cabin from outside
The Cabin from outside.
Getting around the islandThe camp is a 3D island dominated by a large volcano, and tapping a building or landmark opens its activity. Two shortcuts stay on screen almost everywhere: the Cabin button in the top-right corner and the island overview in the top-left. In later versions the Cabin also holds the card scanner and the app’s terms and privacy pages.
The Cabin in version 1.3
The Cabin in version 1.3.
Energy pins and the card scannerThe 11 Energy pins match the Energy types of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Nine are won in Pokémon TCG Match, three for each of its stages, starting with Grass, Fire and Water. The other two, Fairy and Dragon, can only be earned with the card scanner in the Cabin, which uses the device’s camera to read the back of a real Pokémon TCG card. It was a neat way of linking the app to the physical card game it was meant to lead children towards.

Regional Variations & Updates

Pokémon Camp in Pokémon Sword and Shield
The later Pokémon Camp of Sword and Shield.

Camp Pokémon was a Western release from start to finish, but its name changed from one store to the next.

The app was Camp Pokémon in North America but Pokémon Camp on the UK, European English, Australian and New Zealand stores. The Pokémon Company International never explained the switch, though the adjective ‘camp’ carries a very different meaning in British and Australian slang. Other languages went their own way, with Pokémon Ferienlager in German, Camping Pokémon in Italian and Campamento Pokémon in Spanish. Since 2019 the name Pokémon Camp has belonged to the camping and curry-cooking feature of Pokémon Sword and Shield.

  • There was no Japanese or Korean release: the app was a Western project of The Pokémon Company International, so it has no Japanese title.
  • Release dates were the same across North America, Europe and Australia: iOS on 21 October 2014 and Android on 14 April 2016.

Updates, version by version

The app changed a good deal over its three years of updates, ending with the Alola update of July 2017, which rebuilt the camp around Pokémon Sun and Moon:

Version Released Mini-games Pins What changed
1.0 21 October 2014 (iOS) 5 98 Launch: Find the Pokémon, Poké Ball Throw, Pokémon Evolutions, Pokémon in Focus and Battle Matchups, plus the Photo Booth, Mystery Cave and Cabin
1.1 6 August 2015 (iOS) 6 111 Pokémon TCG Match, Pokémon Theater, Camp News, Mega Charizard X and Y, and 11 Energy pins; bug-fix release 1.1.1 on 28 August 2015
1.2 18 April 2016 (iOS) 6 111 Bug fixes, four days after the first Android release on 14 April 2016
1.3 27 July 2017 (iOS), 28 July 2017 (Android) 7 116 The Alola update: Generation VII Pokémon, Poké Ball Roll, a day and night cycle, Alolan form pins, and Solgaleo and Lunala as the final legendaries
The camp island in version 1.0
The island in version 1.0.
Version 1.0: the original campAt launch in October 2014 the island held five activities: Find the Pokémon, Poké Ball Throw, Pokémon Evolutions, Pokémon in Focus and Battle Matchups. Alongside them were the Photo Booth, the Mystery Cave and the player’s Cabin. Camp counsellors welcome new arrivals and explain each activity before it starts. The Pin Book ran to 13 pages and 98 pins, drawn mostly from Kanto, Hoenn and Kalos, with Groudon and Kyogre saved as the final prizes.
The camp island in versions 1.1 and 1.2
The island in versions 1.1 and 1.2.
Version 1.1: cards, cartoons and newsThe update of 6 August 2015 was the biggest change in the app’s first year. It added the Pokémon TCG Match card game, the Pokémon Theater for watching Pokémon TV videos and the Camp News feed. Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y joined the Mega pins, and 11 Energy pins arrived to reward the card game, taking the Pin Book to 14 pages and 111 pins. A bug-fix release, 1.1.1, followed on 28 August 2015.
Version 1.3: the Alola updateReleased on 27 July 2017 for iOS and a day later for Android, the final update rebuilt the camp around Pokémon Sun and Moon. Generation VII Pokémon replaced many of the older ones, the pins were split between Grass, Rock and Water areas, and a day and night cycle meant some Pokémon only turn up at certain times. Lycanroc, for instance, appears in its Midday Form by day and its Midnight Form after dark. The update also added a seventh activity, Poké Ball Roll.

What happened to Camp Pokémon

Camp Pokémon app icon from version 1.3
The app icon used from the Alola update.

After the Alola update of July 2017 the app received nothing further, and in April 2019 it was withdrawn from the App Store and Google Play, with its minisite later redirected to Pokémon.com. Families who already had it installed could keep visiting the island for a few more years, but the online features faded first, and by early 2023 the app had stopped working altogether. Its job as The Pokémon Company International’s first Pokémon app for children passed to newer releases.

Date Event
21 October 2014 Camp Pokémon (Pokémon Camp in the UK, Australia and New Zealand) launches free on iOS
6 August 2015 Version 1.1 adds Pokémon TCG Match, Pokémon Theater and Camp News
14 April 2016 Android version released
27 July 2017 Version 1.3, the Alola update and the final update (Android: 28 July)
21 September 2017 Pokémon Playhouse launches for children aged three to five
April 2019 Camp Pokémon removed from the App Store and Google Play
17 June 2020 Pokémon Smile launches
Around January 2023 Camp Pokémon goes out of service and can no longer be played
28 March 2024 Pokémon TV, the source of Pokémon Theater’s videos, closes
The version 1.3 island by day
The rebuilt island of version 1.3
The version 1.3 island at night
The same island after dark
The last update (July 2017)Version 1.3 reached iOS on 27 July 2017 and Android the next day, bringing Generation VII Pokémon, a day and night cycle and the Poké Ball Roll activity. It turned out to be the final update: no new pins, events or fixes followed in the almost two years the app stayed on sale.
Withdrawn from sale (April 2019)Camp Pokémon left the App Store and Google Play in every region in April 2019. By September 2019 the camppokemon.com minisite simply forwarded visitors to the main Pokémon website, and today Apple’s UK and US stores have no listing for the app at all.
Still playable for a whileRemoval from sale didn’t delete the app from devices. Children who already had it could carry on playing the mini-games, collecting pins and using the Photo Booth, although Pokémon Theater and Camp News stopped loading once the content behind them was switched off.
Out of service (early 2023)By early January 2023 the app no longer worked on either iOS or Android, and it could not be downloaded again from a store purchase history. Since then there has been no official way to play it, and it has never been re-released on any platform.
Pokémon TV closes (2024)The service behind Pokémon Theater followed. Pokémon TV stopped offering new app downloads on 8 January 2024 and shut down completely on 28 March 2024. Pokémon episodes moved to an official Pokémon TV channel on YouTube, which launched on 6 December 2024.

What came next

Two later apps took over Camp Pokémon’s role as a first step into Pokémon for young children:

Pokémon Playhouse logo
Pokémon Playhouse.
Pokémon Playhouse (2017)The closest successor launched while Camp Pokémon was still on sale. Pokémon Playhouse arrived on 21 September 2017 for iOS, Android and Amazon Fire tablets, aimed at children aged three to five. Fully voiced and free with no in-app purchases, it has children play with and look after Pokémon rather than test their knowledge, and it is still on the App Store.
Pokémon Smile logo
Pokémon Smile.
Pokémon Smile (2020)The Pokémon Company’s next app for children, Pokémon Smile, launched worldwide on 17 June 2020. It turns tooth-brushing into a Pokémon-catching game, using the device’s camera to follow the child’s brushing, and it is still available.

Glitches, exploits and oddities

A Mega pin with no name and a mislabelled sign:

The nameless Mega Aggron pin

In early versions, earning the Mega Aggron pin produced an announcement with a gap where the Pokémon’s name should be. Instead of naming the new pin, the message read ‘Check it out! is now in your Pin Book’. Every other Mega pin was announced properly, so the slip stood out to players working through the Mystery Cave. The missing name was put back in a later update, and the message now reads as intended.

Mislabelled Pokémon Evolutions sign

In version 1.3 of the German release, Pokémon Ferienlager, the label shown for Pokémon Evolutions on the island overview reads ‘Pokémon Sammelkarten-Merkspiel’, the German name of Pokémon TCG Match. Tapping it still opens the evolution quiz, and the activity’s entry in the Pins and Rewards Book carries the correct name, so the error is purely cosmetic. It meant the island briefly appeared to have two card-matching games and no evolution game at all.

Videos & media

Check out this overview video of Camp Pokémon, plus the official German trailer for Pokémon Ferienlager.

Welcome to Camp Pokémon! An overview video.

The official German trailer for Pokémon Ferienlager, as the app was called in Germany.

Trivia & facts

  • Camp Pokémon arrived a month before Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and leaned heavily on Hoenn: the original icon shows Pikachu with Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip, Groudon and Kyogre were the final prizes, and Mega Sceptile, Mega Swampert and Mega Metagross, all newly revealed for the remakes, were among the Mega pins.
  • The boat moored in the Water area of version 1.3 is modelled on Lapras.
  • Unlike most free apps, Camp Pokémon had no in-app purchases at all, though Camp News did carry promotions for other apps.

Further trivia

  • The Pins and Rewards Book in the Cabin has Charmander on its blue cover, while the orange Photo Book shows Pikachu.
  • The official minimum requirements were modest: iOS 7 on an iPhone 5 or iPad 2, or Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Legacy

What came after

  • National Geographic Kids advert – October 2014. First public appearance: a magazine advert promising a free iPad, iPhone and iPod touch app
  • iOS launch (version 1.0) – 21 October 2014. Free in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand; Pokémon Camp on the UK, Australian and New Zealand stores
  • Version 1.1 – 6 August 2015. Added Pokémon TCG Match, Pokémon Theater, Camp News, Mega Charizard X and Y and 11 Energy pins
  • Android launch – 14 April 2016. Arrived 18 months after iOS; iOS version 1.2 (bug fixes) followed on 18 April 2016
  • Version 1.3, the Alola update – 27 July 2017. Generation VII Pokémon, Poké Ball Roll and a day and night cycle; Android got it on 28 July. The final update
  • Pokémon Playhouse launches – 21 September 2017. The Pokémon Company International’s new free app for children aged three to five
  • Removed from the App Store and Google Play – April 2019. Existing installs kept working; the camppokemon.com minisite was redirected to Pokémon.com later that year
  • Pokémon Smile launches – 17 June 2020. A tooth-brushing game becomes the company’s next app for children
  • App goes out of service – around January 2023. No longer playable or downloadable, even for people who still had it installed
  • Pokémon TV closes – 28 March 2024. The service behind Pokémon Theater shuts down; it returns as a YouTube channel on 6 December 2024

Where to play it today

As of October 2026 Camp Pokémon cannot be bought, downloaded or played. It was removed from the App Store and Google Play in April 2019, and copies already installed on phones and tablets stopped working around January 2023. Its Pokémon Theater also relied on Pokémon TV, which closed on 28 March 2024. There has been no re-release on Nintendo Switch or any other platform, so screenshots and video recordings are now the only way to see the island.

How it was made

Camp Pokémon was developed by Creatures Inc., the Tokyo studio best known for its work on the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and published by The Pokémon Company International as a free introduction to Pokémon for children of around six to eight. It was a Western project from the outset and never came out in Japan. The first public sighting was an advert in National Geographic Kids magazine, reported on 11 October 2014, which promised a free download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch and named three of its activities. The app launched on iOS ten days later with its own minisite, a month before Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and its pin list leaned heavily on Hoenn. Version 1.1 followed in August 2015, the Android release arrived on 14 April 2016, and the Alola update of July 2017 was the last.

Camp Pokémon elsewhere

The National Geographic Kids advert for Camp Pokémon
The National Geographic Kids advert, October 2014.
National Geographic Kids advertThe app was first revealed through a print advert in National Geographic Kids magazine in October 2014, ten days before launch. It promoted Camp Pokémon as a free download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, promised games and quizzes, and named Pokémon Evolutions, Battle Matchups and Poké Ball Throw, pointing readers to a companion page on Pokémon.com that was not yet live.
Pokémon TVFrom version 1.1, the Pokémon Theater built Pokémon TV’s free episodes and clips into the camp, so young players could watch the anime without leaving the app. The feature stopped working before the app went out of service, and Pokémon TV itself closed on 28 March 2024 before returning as an official YouTube channel in December 2024.
Pokémon Trading Card GameCamp Pokémon was designed partly as a stepping stone to the card game. Pokémon TCG Match uses real card designs to teach pairs, Energy types and evolution lines, and the Cabin’s card scanner rewarded Fairy and Dragon Energy pins for pointing the camera at the back of a physical card, nudging children towards packs and decks.

Sales & reviews

Price and downloads

Camp Pokémon was a free download with no in-app purchases, so it has no sales figures, and The Pokémon Company International never published download numbers. Its App Store and Google Play listings, along with their download counts, disappeared when the app was withdrawn in April 2019.

  • Freeno in-app purchases
  • 2014–2019on the App Store
  • 60/100Modojo
  • 6–8target age

Review scores

As a free app for young children, Camp Pokémon was reviewed by only a handful of outlets:

  • Modojo scored it 60/100, concluding: “Camp Pokemon is best suited to newcomers to the world of Pokemon or younger players”.
  • Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide, by Amanda Bindel, rated it suitable from age 6 and summed it up as “Simple games, cool graphics ease kids into Pokémon fandom.”
Modojo22 October 2014
60/100
Common Sense MediaAmanda Bindel
Metacritic1 critic review, too few for a score

Camp Pokémon slipped out with little attention from the games press, and Metacritic never gathered enough reviews to give it a score. Modojo rated it 60 out of 100 and saw it as an app for newcomers and younger players rather than seasoned fans. Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide was warmer about the presentation, praising the 3D island and the background information on each Pokémon, and judged it a safe first step for six- to eight-year-olds, with no in-app purchases or privacy worries. Its reservations were that the simple activities soon become repetitive, that the instructions are thin, and that a free app built around collecting pins and stickers works as a gateway to the card game and other merchandise.

Media & artwork

Further reading

More mobile, Hoenn and Alola links on the site: