7 Best Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Games, Ranked

I remember being captivated by the idea of being a Pokémon – that simple question really stuck with me as a child. It sparked a lifelong love for the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. When the first games came out for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo emphasized how unique it was to play as a Pokémon, and I was immediately hooked. From that moment on, I always pictured myself as Pikachu.

Looking for the best Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games? Whether you’re just starting out or are a longtime fan, I can help! While there aren’t a ton of games in the series, they’re all fun and worth playing.

Let’s briefly acknowledge the Japan-exclusive WiiWare Adventure Squad games most of us haven’t and likely won’t get to experience. Now, let’s move on to the games we can play.

7. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates To Infinity

The Token “Meh” Entry

Many Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games are fantastic, offering addictive gameplay, emotionally resonant stories, and a compelling mix of luck and strategy as you guide a team of Pokémon through ever-changing dungeons. Considering that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates To Infinity consistently ranks as the lowest-rated entry, it might seem like a poor game. However, it’s more accurately described as simply average. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t really stand out either – it’s just… okay.

Around the fifth generation of Pokémon games, the series began to focus more on branding, and Gates to Infinity unfortunately reflects that. It heavily features Pokémon from Black and White, even limiting your starter choices to those generations. While the story is enjoyable, it doesn’t always feel genuine, and the randomly generated dungeons often create strange and clunky layouts. I had fun playing it at the time, but it’s telling that I’ve revisited every other Pokémon game on this list except for this one.

6. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team

Just Like How It All Started Back in the Day…

I’d love to see more Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games come out. It would be great to properly separate the older titles, like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, from the newer ones like Gates To Infinity. It feels odd comparing those classic games to the more recent releases – it’s like offering cheap donuts right after serving high-quality ones. The original Rescue Team games are where the series really began, and they’re still enjoyable to play even now.

If you haven’t played a Mystery Dungeon game before, this is a great place to start to learn the original gameplay. Also, these games feature really charming character designs. Blue Rescue Team was slightly overshadowed by a similar game released on an older system.

5. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

…But With A Twist.

Okay, so the original Rescue Team games are where everything started for the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, and they totally hooked me! You begin the game waking up as a Pokémon, but you have absolutely no idea how you became one – you’ve lost all your memories! The only thing you remember is your human name. Luckily, another Pokémon finds you and asks for help because there’s been a bunch of natural disasters and everyone’s having a hard time. You help them out, and before you know it, you’ve joined forces to become a Rescue Team! It’s such a cool way to start the adventure.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team are very similar games. The main differences are that Blue Rescue Team uses the DS’s dual screens to display more information and has improved sound quality. Red Rescue Team generally received better reviews because critics felt Blue Rescue Team didn’t offer enough new features. Which version you choose is really a matter of personal preference. Both Rescue Team games are fantastic and were my introduction to the roguelike genre – and the series only gets better from there!

4. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness

Another Win For Gen 4

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness on the Nintendo DS was a fantastic sequel. It took everything players enjoyed about the original, improved it, and added even more depth. The story was truly memorable, expanding on the world and lore established in the first game, and introducing a cast of characters that players quickly grew to care about. While the ending followed a similar structure to the original, it was far more impactful and emotionally resonant – just mentioning it brought someone to tears.

Pokémon Explorers of Time and Darkness added new features like Wi-Fi battles, collectible Treasure Boxes and Gummies, and a standby adventure mode to keep the gameplay going even when players got stuck in the main story. The game included almost all Pokémon from the fourth generation and broadened the selection of starter Pokémon for fans of Diamond and Pearl. While people don’t often discuss this game now, there’s a good reason for that – it was exceptionally well-made and memorable.

3. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Everything From The Original Made Mega

While critics had mixed reactions, as a longtime Pokémon fan who’s played all the games, I really enjoyed Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. It’s a fantastic game, especially for newcomers or those who prefer a more modern look over pixel art. The art style is beautifully done, clearly inspired by the original game’s box art and bringing that same feel to everything you see – the shading, the overall warmth, it all matches perfectly. Gameplay-wise, it’s largely the same as the original, but updated for a modern audience.

Rescue Team DX mostly enhances the original game with additions like Mega Evolution, Treasure Boxes, and Gummies. What really stood out to me were the fantastic cutscenes that appear during key story moments. However, if you’re new to the Rescue Team series, you might not appreciate these scenes as much as a returning player.

2. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

The Biggest Adventure Of Them All

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, like its predecessor Gates to Infinity, relies heavily on branding and promotion. However, it also builds upon the successful elements of previous Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, significantly improving upon them.

Super Mystery Dungeon features a compelling story where you play as a human transformed into a Pokémon. You join an exploration team and work to solve an ancient mystery that could endanger the world, meeting many legendary Pokémon along the way.

The game introduces a lot of fresh and interesting ideas, building on the gameplay established in previous titles on the Game Boy Advance and DS. For example, Harmony Scarves let you and your partner Pokémon reach your strongest forms during boss battles, Mega Evolution works on Pokémon that are already fully evolved, and a long-standing series tradition gets a surprising twist at the end. Oh dear, it seems I’ve done it again – gotten everyone emotional!

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My main issue with this game is that the tasks you’re asked to do become very repetitive and uninteresting. While I understand the intention – allowing you to collect every Pokémon from generations one through six – it makes the side quests feel like simple ‘catch ’em all’ challenges, which quickly loses its appeal. Essentially, collecting Pokémon is the only thing to do after finishing the main story, and that gets tiresome quickly.

1. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

Only the Best Offers the Best of the Best

Okay, so for me, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is hands-down the best. If you’ve ever played these games, especially Sky, you get it. It took everything great about Time and Darkness and just…made it even better. Honestly, nothing since has quite hit that same level.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky built upon the foundations of previous games, adding features that made gameplay smoother and more enjoyable. It introduced memorable places like Spinda’s Cafe and Shaymin Village, and included all Pokémon available at the time. As you play, you can unlock Special Episodes that offer unique stories and let you experience the game from the perspective of various Pokémon characters.

Explorers of Sky really delivers a fantastic and immersive Pokémon Mystery Dungeon experience that’s incredibly addictive. It’s packed with content and offers a gameplay loop that keeps you hooked for hours – it’s no wonder it’s remained a favorite for 17 years! While a new PMD game would be welcome, it would be a huge challenge to surpass everything Sky has to offer, but I’m eager to see what they come up with.

2026-05-30 17:40