Over the last few years, Pokémon fans have been craving more content to feed their “catching ’em all” addiction. They simply can’t bear to wait a couple of years for a brand new Pokémon game to be released.
As a result, some of the most creative and technical-minded fans have been producing their own fan-made Pokémon games packed with brand-new characters, unique gameplay mechanics, intriguing new Pokémon and some gripping new storylines. Even better, all of these titles can be played on a budget gaming PC and don’t require any expensive hardware.
In addition to creating their own game, many fans tend to modify existing games in the series in order to create something known as a ROM-hack.
In this guide, we will be highlighting the top 10 best Pokémon fan games that you should most definitely be playing in 2020. Before we get into it, do note that the following developers are not responsible for the legitimacy of any links you may use to download their game. With that being said, let’s get into it, shall we?
Note: It’s legal to download and play all of the games on our list. The only people who might get in trouble for using the Pokemon name and assets are game developers.
#1 Pokémon Uranium
Pokémon Uranium is a game that took nine long years to develop before it was officially released in 2016. Right before its release, Nintendo attempted to ban the game from further development as the company was far from happy with its arrival.
While the game received an official cease-and-desist letter from the company, Pokémon Uranium re-emerged and was once again available to download in no time. Today, Pokémon Uranium remains as one of the most well-known Pokémon fan games on the market, with well over 1.5 million downloads since its release.
Set in the Tandor region, Pokémon Uranium follows a young Pokémon trainer seeking to discover the mystery of a nuclear explosion. With over 150 original and rare Nuclear Pokémon to catch, your main quest in Pokémon Uranium is to obtain all 8 gym badges before defeating the Tandor league.
In terms of the art style and gameplay, it’s as you’d expect from any classic Pokémon game: it’s charming, colorful and extremely addictive. The question is, are you brave enough to take on the adventure and attempt to catch ’em all?
#2 Pokémon Insurgence
Created using RPG Maker XP, Pokémon Insurgence is a Pokémon fan game from the creators of Pokémon Omicron and Pokémon Zeta—two fan-made Pokémon games that we highly recommend. Compared to the official Pokémon games, Insurgence features a much darker storyline that we believe will appeal to fans old and young.
As a matter of fact, Pokémon Insurgence has already attracted thousands of players across the globe, gamers who enjoyed taking on the dark adventure set in a brand-new location. Based in the war-affected Torren region, you’ll encounter never-before-seen cultish leaders and strange Pokémon experimentations.
Aside from the dark storyline, Pokémon Insurgence brags some new and intriguing features such as a range of new Pokémon species, Mega-Evolutions, in-game extras, and customizable Pokémon trainer profiles. Furthermore, Pokémon Insurgence introduces an all-new, never-before-seen Delta species which is essentially a different typing and coloration of the Pokémon species they were modified from. As you play through the various game modes in search of the 722 Pokémon, your options in Insurgence truly feel endless.
#3 Pokémon Reborn
Another Pokémon fan game that uses the RPG Maker XP engine is Pokémon Reborn. As a result of using this software, Pokémon Reborn is full of custom Pokémon, bright colors, a gigantic world and roughly 55 hours of exciting new gameplay.
When it comes to the mechanics of the game, Pokémon reborn presents Field Effects that can alter how you battle in the game which will benefit specific types of Pocket Monsters. To say you’ll have a good time in this fan-made Pokémon game is simply an understatement. That said, what exactly can you do in Reborn?
Pokémon Reborn is a fan-made game set in the decaying Reborn City, a metropolis troubled by widespread crime and pollution. Your main goal in Pokémon Reborn is to restore the region back to its glory days by creating a strong bond with the other Pokémon trainers.
As a trainer yourself, you’ll also have the task of defeating the evil that controls the Reborn City. Unlike some of the other games on our list, Pokémon Reborn is one of the longest as it features 18 different gym challenges for you to defeat.
#4 Pokémon Clockwork
Pokémon Clockwork is a fan-made game set in the region of Rosari where Pokémon and humans happily exist together. Your main goal in the game is to save the city in need of repair from Team Epsilon. How will you do this? By bringing back peace to the region of Rosari.
What’s unique to Pokémon Clockwork is the addition of a day/night cycle alongside quests that can boost the level of your Pokémon. In addition to this, time-travel, brand-new Pokémon evolutions, and a gripping storyline are all features that keep things fresh as you play Pokémon Clockwork.
The question is, are you up for the challenge? Are you brave enough to save the Reborn Region? With over 800 different types of Pokémon from generations 1 to 4 and over 50 gym leaders for you to challenge, Pokémon Clockwork is a game that will test out how effective your in-game skills truly are.
As with Pokémon Reborn, Pokémon Clockwork brags around 55 hours of thrilling gameplay, so you certainly won’t become bored playing this fan-made title.
#5 Pokémon Prism
If you enjoyed playing Pokémon Crystal as a youngster, then we think you’ll enjoy the next fan-made game on our list. This has to do with the fact that Pokémon Prism is a ROM-hack of one of the most groundbreaking Pokémon games, Pokémon Crystal. Prism is also the sequel to Pokémon Brown, a classic ROM-hack of Pokémon Red.
With that being said, you will require an emulator or a cartridge in order to play this Pokémon fan game. If you don’t have either of these things, you sadly won’t be able to play Pokémon Prism. Thankfully, emulators aren’t that difficult to set up on your PC or mobile device, so if you’re interested in playing Pokémon Prism, we suggest installing one right away.
This fan-made Pokémon game follows Prism, the child of a well-known Dragon-trainer known as Lance. At the beginning of the game, you see Prism playing in a minecart that abruptly loses control, sending the pair darting down an unknown trail.
The track eventually lands them in the Naljo region where you will find over 100 Pokémon from gen 1 to 4. As a whole, Pokémon Prism offers a range of unique features, brand-new mini-games and over 20 gym badges throughout the Rijon and Naljo regions. The best thing about Pokémon Prism? You can play as your Pokémon!
#6 Pokémon MMO 3D
The first 3D Pokémon fan game that most definitely deserves a spot on our list is Pokémon MMO 3D. This fan-made game fittingly features some original and more recent 3D environments full of adorable Pokémon and Pokémon trainers that you can interact with in real-time.
In Pokémon MMO 3D, you have complete control over the movement and attacks of your Pokémon when in battle. How awesome is that? What’s more, every move in the game has a different cooldown, an interesting feature that will surely test your skills in battle.
As with the classic Pokémon games, you have the option to run away from any wild Pokémon you may encounter if your Pocket Monster is close to fainting in battle. After all, nobody likes to lose in a game of Pokémon: fan-made or not.
In addition to the already mentioned features, you can also play with Pokémon fans from across the globe thanks to the addition of online multiplayer. In this online game mode, you can battle with your friends or internet strangers from around the world. Do you have what it takes to challenge your friends in real-time, 3D Pokémon battles?
#7 Pokémon Fire Ash
Much like Pokémon Prism, Pokémon Fire Ash is a ROM-hack of a classic Pokémon game. Appropriately named, Pokémon Fire Ash is a ROM-hack of an enhanced remake of Pokémon Red fittingly known as Pokémon FireRed: a game that more or less follows the Pokémon anime.
As to be expected, Pokémon Fire Ash is a game in which you take control of Ash Ketchum as you attempt to defeat the Indigo League and accomplish your dream of becoming a Pokémon master. So if you want to take a trip down memory lane, then this fan-made game may just be for you.
In Pokémon Fire Ash, players are able to travel to every single region in the history of the Pokémon series and challenge more than 50 gym leaders, enemies, and travel companions. In addition to this, players are able to capture over 800 Pokémon from generations 1 to 7.
What’s more, this Pokémon fan game includes Mega-Evolutions, Alonal forms, and even Ash Greninja. Consequently, Pokémon Fire Ash is one of the largest and most interesting Pokémon fan games on the market.
#8 Pokémon Light Platinum
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play a Pokémon game that includes both old- and new-generation Pokémon? Then we’ve got the game for you. Pokémon Light Platinum version is a fan-made ROM-hack based on the very famous Pokémon Ruby version.
In Pokémon Light Platinum, you have the opportunity to earn up to 16 gym badges and battle two Pokémon leagues right before reaching the Pokémon world Championship. This is something that is sure to keep fans entertained for hours on end. Just, make sure to go out and get some sunlight if you do end up playing Pokémon Light Platinum all day long.
On the other hand, you could stay up past dark in an attempt to catch all of the Pokémon Legendaries found in this Pokémon fan game. Apart from the typical features found in almost every game in the franchise, Pokémon Light Platinum brags fantastic graphics, a stunning soundtrack, a number of seriously interesting events, and a large range of Pokémon for you to catch. It truly doesn’t get any better than this.
#9 Pokémon Rejuvenation
Pokémon Rejuvenations comes from the creators of Pokémon Reborn, another fan-made Pokémon game that we simply can’t get enough of. While Rejuvenations include many of the same features found in Reborn, such as the extremely dark storyline, an intriguing battle system, and its enormous locations, Pokémon Rejuvenations is clearly different in its own way.
This fan game features more content, a brand-new setting, a region known as Aevium and an intriguing new storyline that you won’t find in Reborn. What’s more, if you thought Pokémon Reborn was long, expect to put at least 70 hours into this game if you want to fully complete it.
As with Pokémon Reborn, Rejuvenation features 18 gym badges and 8 elite battles, allowing enough room for error before refining your skills in battle. In terms of the story, Aevium, once a united nation, eventually fell into decline thanks to Storm-9.
Ever since then, the people of Aevium have been working hard to rebuild the city to what it once was. As to be expected, things don’t go to plan after an organization known as Team Xen devises a plan to destroy the work the inhabitants have made. The question is, do you have what it takes to stop Team Xen?
#10 Pokémon Sage
If you’re looking for a short adventure, this Pokémon fan game is certainly for you. Pokémon Sage is a fan-made Pokémon game that began as a collaborative project between artists on a 4chan Pokémon board with the goal to design a set of original Pokémon.
The great thing about this game is that the Latin-American influenced design, as well as all of the locations, trainers and Pokémon in Sage are entirely original. With that being said, at this very moment, Pokémon Sage is a short demo with 3 different gym badges to earn. While there are rumors of a final version with some fresh Pokémon to catch, nothing has yet been confirmed.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap! The top 10 best Pokémon fan games that you should definitely consider playing in 2020. As many passionate fans are continuing to develop fan-made Pokémon games, we can expect some new and exciting releases in the near future.
With that being said, we here at Game Gavel have chosen our top 10 favorites for our list, though I’m sure there are many fan-made titles out there that we haven’t included. If that’s the case, feel free to let us know what your favorite Pokémon fan game is in the comment section below.
If you’re a huge fan of the Pokémon series, then you may be interested in learning about every Pokémon game in order. In our guide, we’ve listed ‘em all: including the main Pokémon games, Pokémon mobile games, and some Pokémon spin-offs we’re sure you’ll know and love.