Pokemon Violet shares its open-world Paldea setting and core Pokemon-catching, training, and battling systems with its counterpart version, distinguished by its own version-exclusive creatures and a different flavor of story content. Players are free to pursue its major storylines in an order of their choosing.

The open structure encourages wandering off the beaten path to catch and battle wild Pokemon, while gym-style challenges and a rival storyline give shape to progression. Trading and online battles let players compare their teams with others.