15+ Greatest Pokemon Games Created by Fans

Fans can create truly awesome content. These Pokemon games and rom hacks offer things like new Mega Evolutions, more difficult battles, and more. And here are the top 15+ Greatest Pokemon Games Created by Fans that you shouldn’t ignore.

Because many Pokemon fans also want to be game programmers, Pokemon serves as both a creative outlet and a series of video games. The countless number of fan-made video games available serves as evidence of such. Naturally, certain fan games for Pokemon rise to the top more than others, but those that do are truly jewels.

Also, you are aware of the fact that the official games occasionally become monotonous. So one of these Pokemon fan games might just satisfy your need to spice things up and experience the Pokemon phenomenon in a brand-new way.

Updated September 15, 2023, by Jack Pierik: Maybe you already got your fill of Pokemon Sword & Shield, Legends: Arceus, or even Scarlet and Violet. Perhaps there is something stirring within that yearns for more of an indie or passion project vibe. If that’s the case, the modding and fan-made communities have you covered with three fresh and unique takes on the Pokemon formula. From completely rearranging the typical game loop into something highly replayable, to new, custom regions, side quests, and Pokedexes combining Pokemon from numerous generations, this could be the spark you need to get back into one of Nintendo’s most successful JRPG series to date.

18. Pokemon Emerald Rogue

It’s time to launch that outdated GBA emulator you haven’t used in months if you enjoy the roguelike genre. Pokemon Emerald Rogue by Pokabbie transforms the standard game loop into a mainly randomized, extremely replayable roguelike experience, as the name implies.

You’ll get out of that familiar moving truck once everything is set up and the game starts up, but things will seem drastically different. Locate the Professor in the south, where you can select one of three starters at random. The run starts here. After that, you’ll eventually be sent to a globe map. I wish you luck and may RNG always be on your side.

17. Pokemon Infinite Fusion

Pokemon Infinite Fusion by Schrroms was created in RPG Maker XP and is based on the idea that any two Pokemon might be combined to create a brand-new species. This game is a must-try if you enjoy the idea of trial and error and creating your own tiny “Franken-mon” until a truly awesome one is created.

You may play Pokemon Infinite Fusion on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS thanks to the website’s numerous download choices. Although the game has a strong Kanto influence, it includes DS period graphics and an extensive, Johto-inspired post-game that you can explore.

16. Pokemon Daybreak

Pokemon Daybreak by mizzypd is a gorgeous Gen 3-inspired game set in a fictional territory called Armira. It’s interesting to note that the Pokedex includes Pokemon from every generation, up to Gen 9, instead of simply Gen 3 Pokemon.

You can capture up to 400 Pokemon in total, some of which have new regional variations and can mega evolve. If the roughly 20 hours of material and extensive exploration aren’t enough to pique your attention, you might be interested in the Eevee evolution improvements that enable multi-type Eeveelutions.

15. Pokemon Ash Gray

A lot of other Pokemon rom hacks are based on the initial release of Pokemon FireRed, just as Pokemon Ash Gray. The events of the Pokemon anime are followed in the game instead of those from the original gen 1 and gen 3 games, and players are given control over Ash Ketchum.

Despite the fact that there are many Pokemon fan games featuring Ash, many people believe Ash Gray to be the best. It is obvious that a great deal of effort and some great ideas went into making it. Several of the sprites and tiles have been enhanced, and HMs have been substituted with things like rafts and hatchets.

14. Pokemon Godra: Remastered Version

The first six generations of Pokemon video games are included in the Pokemon Godra roster, which grants players an unprecedented level of freedom. The game offers two possible starting places, the option to choose to get a job, and the assignment of a starter Pokemon based on your responses to a series of questions.

The mid-2020 release of the remastered edition improved the quality of life and brought the graphics more in line with those of Gen 4 games. Whether you choose to begin your tour in East Godra or West Godra, the places you visit will vary, and your decisions will guarantee a truly unique adventure for you.

13. Pokemon Creepy Black

A Creepypasta that described a player’s encounters with a haunted Gen 1 Pokemon game served as the inspiration for Pokemon Creepy Black. Since then, numerous variations of the game have been produced, but without a question, the Pokemon FireRed-based version is the best of these fan-made games.

The game has many of the topics covered in the original Creepypasta, and the author does a fantastic job of conveying a frightening atmosphere through both the conversation and the graphics. It differs significantly from some of the other fan-made Pokemon games that are available in that regard, but it is still a lot of fun.

12. Pokemon Dark Rising

One of the more ambitious Pokemon fan games ever made, Pokemon Dark Rising adds a variety of new elements to the series, including new skills, items, and features. Players can travel to the first five regions from the original five areas of the Pokemon games, which total 386 Pokémon.

The game turned out to be so well-liked that it inspired two direct sequels in addition to a Kaizo version for gamers seeking a true challenge. In light of this, the Dark Rising trilogy is a solid choice if you’re looking for a series to tide you over until the release of the next mainline Pokemon game.

11. PokeMMO

As the name might suggest, PokeMMO is an online version of Pokemon that allows players to share their Pokemon journey with other players from all over the world. It boasts four different regions, hundreds of Pokemon, and an incredibly helpful and welcoming community that’s more than happy to offer tips and advice to new players.

The game has come an awfully long way since it was first released back in 2012, with its developers constantly making improvements. At this point, it’s difficult to say which is more impressive: the ridiculous amount of work that has gone into developing the game or the fact that it has existed for almost a decade without Nintendo shutting it down. Either way, it’s a must-play for fans of the series.

10. Pokemon Emerald Kaizo

Most of the games on this list will be wholly original, but there’s another angle that some fan-game developers went for: simply making the official games more difficult. If that’s what you’re looking for, Pokemon Emerald Kaizo is for you.

Its PokeCommunity post describes it best: Pokemon Emerald on “super hard mode”. The enhancements this ROM hack gives to Pokemon Emerald are pretty straightforward. More Pokemon to catch, a few more boss battles, and most importantly, much, much more difficult AI. It’s become infamous in the Pokemon community, especially among Twitch streamers, for being one of the hardest games to Nuzlocke. That AI will willingly pounce on every mistake you make.

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9. Pokemon Light Platinum

This is one of the original Pokemon ROM hacks, and despite newer fan games appearing and even new mechanics in the official games, it still stands up fairly well. The setting of Pokemon Light Platinum is the Zhery region, where you can catch Pokémon from Kanto to Unova.

Other than being a properly executed original ROM hack, Pokemon Lite Platinum isn’t very noteworthy. The game has brand-new, glossy tilesets with just the perfect amount of pop and a succinct plot that will hold your interest. Even the postgame, which takes you to a different area, is decent.

8. Pokemon Prism

Pokemon Prism and Pokemon Brown are hacked versions of games from the pre-GBA era. If you’re used to playing newer games, it could be a little startling to take the graphical step back, but once you get used to it, the content is incredible.

With Prism, you may access Pokemon up to Generation 4, experience five incredible locales, and learn the Gas and Sound kinds (three if you count Fairy, which the original ROM did not have). Since the game’s quality was so similar to the originals, Nintendo really issued a cease-and-desist order.

7. Pokemon Reborn

This is one of the most extensive Pokemon Essentials games out there. Pokemon Reborn takes place in the Reborn region, and the plot revolves around you, the player, bringing it back to its glory days after crime and destruction ruined it.

Aside from the interesting story and compelling characters, Pokemon Reborn comes with Pokemon and mechanics updated to Generation 7, a Gym Leader for every type, and the all-new Field Effects which give battles a nice added twist. Safe to say, there’s almost nothing you can’t do in this game, and it’ll have you hooked for a while.

6. Pokemon Fire Ash

Many a Pokemon fan has thought about being Ash Ketchum for a day, either because they wanted to replicate their childhood hero, or because they wanted to rescind a stupid decision he made. A lot of fan games went that route, but Pokemon Fire Ash is arguably the best to do so.

At the very least, it’s the most complete and content-heavy, following Ash’s journey all the way up to the Sun and Moon seasons of the anime. It has all the features you’d need, such as Pokemon from Generations 1 to 7, Pikachu following you, battles with Ash’s rivals and companions, and special Pokemon formes like Ash-Greninja and Mega Evolutions.

5. Pokemon Radical Red

Pokemon Radical Red is another hack that falls under the “difficulty hacks” category of Emerald Kaizo while adding some brand-new features.

For ROM hacks, this FireRed hack is the only widely distributed one that has full-on Generation 8 mechanics. This extends from the Pokemon to the new abilities (and even a few original ones) to the new moves to the quality-of-life features. It even has Max Raid Battles that, functionally, are identical to those in Sword and Shield. Of course, the game itself, being a difficulty hack at heart, is still incredibly hard, so prepare your competitive strategies when playing through it.

4. Pokemon Uranium

Similar to Pokemon Prism, Pokemon Uranium followed the typical Pokemon blueprint so closely that its creators received DMCA takedown notices from lawyers straight out of Nintendo. That’s how close it is to the quality of a real Pokemon, if that’s what you’re looking for.

As alluded to, Pokemon Uranium acts as a de facto new generation of Pokemon, with completely original Fakemon that comprise the new region of Tandor. The game follows the basic Pokemon formula in terms of Fakemon creation and plot but has a nice added wrinkle: the new Nuclear type and Nuclear-type variants of real Pokemon. The official website’s been taken down, but you can still check out the Wiki with download links.

3. Pokemon Clover

Of course, a disclaimer: this game is infamously crude and politically incorrect, parodying the blatantly offensive tendencies of 4Chan servers. The creators have fortunately toned it down in recent updates, but its crass nature remains. If you don’t support such material, that’s completely understandable.

Regardless, that hasn’t denied Pokemon Clover its popularity as one of the most well-thought-out ROM Hacks ever. If you’re willing to look past the excessively dark humor, you’re looking at a game that’s packed with content, infinitely creative, and incredibly difficult. All the Fakemon across both of the game’s regions are completely original, and the AI is pretty decently close to replicating real competitive strategies.

2. Pokemon Phoenix Rising

This is certainly the most ambitious fan-made Pokemon game ever, as it changes up the mechanics of the whole campaign quite a bit. Pokemon Phoenix Rising was made with a goal in mind: to create as close to a PC game experience as possible from the Pokemon Essentials template.

Even if they didn’t achieve it, the developers of Phoenix Rising came pretty close. Just a few of the features that make the game so unique are Skyrim-style skill trees, a traditional RPG quest system, and most crucially, a choice-driven plot. The new, beautifully designed Mega Evolutions and Relic Forms are just gravy.

1. Pokemon Insurgence

All things considered, it just seems fitting for Pokemon Insurgence to top this list. It’s incredibly popular in the Pokemon community, and rightfully so; it’s the whole package in terms of what you would look for in a fan-made Pokemon game.

A new region? Check. An extensive list of Pokemon? Double check. Quality-of-life features? Yup. New Mega Evolutions? You betcha. A riveting plot to keep you hooked? Of course. And the cherry on top? Delta Species, which are official Pokemon given a new coat of paint with all-new types, abilities, and designs. If you want something close to a real Pokemon game but also want to experience something new, this is the way to go.

“Thegamer”