Pokemon games are still hugely popular despite their sometimes challenging difficulty spikes from time to time. Granted, the challenge doesn't always feel intentional, and Pokémon as a series is still hugely accessible, but if you're worried about the difficulty of a particular game, this list is designed to help.

Whether you've got a soft spot for the older generations or prefer the modern games, we've brought every mainline Pokémon game together in one tidy list and ranked them all based on how easy they are to complete. We've factored in the challenge of filling out the Pokédex, the gym leader battles, the strength of the Pokémon League, puzzle solutions, and any other obstacle the games can throw our way.

Updated on August 30, 2026, by Niall Walsh: We've revisited this list to clean it up and ensure it's still the most comprehensive ranking of Pokémon games by difficulty.

This revisit to Kanto on the Nintendo Switch changes many parts of the usual Pokémon formula. Wild battles are a thing of the past, and the games have rarely been this accessible to the youngest of the young.

That said, the games are sorely lacking in difficulty. Not only do they hand you an extra-powerful Pikachu or Eevee as your starter, but you can even teach them powerful moves of any type you want by visiting a few NPCs in Pokémon Centers. It's totally viable to play the entire game with one Pokémon, and it almost seems to encourage it.

Keep in mind these games were never meant to be a challenge.

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