10 Best Pokémon Fan Games 2022

18 Best Pokémon Fan Games

Pokemon has reigned over the hearts of its fans for over two decades. People belonging to different generations, countries, and backgrounds love Pokemon and everything that has to do with it. The original game, to this day, has an immense fan following globally, and it is still enjoyed by many.  

 If you are a diehard fan of Pokemon, you must already be aware of the multiple games, anime, and movies in the franchise. Are you still trying to master Pokemon? Or have you advanced already? The developers of the Pokemon game have expanded the gameverse by building upon the winning concept of the original and sticking to similar features. Fans have also shown their love and dedication for the game by fan-made games that are inspired by the creative idea of the OG Pokemon games.

In the last few years, there have been multiple fun and engaging fan-based Pokemon games that take you on an thrilling adventure around the virtual Pokemon world. This article shares the best Pokemon games, including fan-made Pokemon games with concept art characters in different styles.

What is the Best Pokemon Game?

Developed by Nintendo and released in 1996 in Japan, Pokemon is a worldwide famous animated series. The best Pokemon fan games include more than 120 Pokemon fan games developed by Pokemon developers and Pokemon fans. These games are based on the Pokemon game line, centered on battling, capturing creatures, adventurous stores, and more. Most of these Pokemon fan games offer multiple mission stages to help you become a Pokemon master.

18 Best Pokemon Fan Games

Pokemon fan games are a massive success globally because they are highly engaging and thrilling. In this article, you will find the ten best Pokemon fan games that you should definitely try.

  1. Pokémon Reborn
  2. Pokémon Uranium
  3. Pokémon Insurgence
  4. Pokémon Rejuvenation
  5. Pokémon Phoenix Rising
  6. Pokémon Sage
  7. Pokémon Clockwork
  8. Pokémon MMO 3D
  9. Pokémon Fire Ash
  10. Pokémon Radical Red
  11. Pokémon Zeta & Omicron
  12. Pokémon Infinite Fusion
  13. Pokémon Ash Gray
  14. Pokémon Gaia
  15. Pokémon: The Rise of the Darkrai
  16. Pokémon 3D
  17. Creepy Black Pokémon
  18. Pokémon Prism

1. Pokémon Reborn

Pokémon Reborn

An RPG Maker XP engine-based Pokemon game is an excellent choice for anyone needing a game that isn’t ROM-based. As the name hints, Pokemon Reborn offers an entirely new and unique experience that differs significantly from a majority of Fan-made Pokemon games featured on this list, which makes it a must-try for any Pokemon game fan. The game treats players with high-resolution graphics, the option to customize their Pokemon, and many colors and edge choices. 

The high-quality graphics lend to a more vividly colored world to explore. The game has over 55 hours of gameplay, so there is a ton to go and see in this game. You will be playing as the hero or the protagonist of the game in an acidic water surface world enveloped in eerie smog. You need to defeat the criminal and stop the thriving crime. 

2. Pokémon Uranium

Pokémon Uranium

Considered by many hardcore Pokemon game fans as the most captivating fan-made Pokemon game of all time, Pokemon Uranium is a treat to play. It is evident that a lot of effort, love, and care has gone into developing this game. It took the developers nearly nine years to complete, and it shows. 

Although this game was released five years ago, it still ranks as the most popular Pokemon fan game. Pokémon Uranium play plot is focused on a nuclear blast in Tandor that you have to uncover, as the protagonist, a Pokemon trainer. 

You will discover 150 pokemon types as you play, plus a rare, unique nuclear pokemon. The rich world provided in the game and the fun adventures ensure that you will have hours of fun playing as you figure out a uranium abnormality to protect the inhabitants of Tandor. This is another RPG Maker XP engine-based game.

3. Pokémon Insurgence

Pokémon Insurgence

Released in 2020, Pokemon Insurgence is still considered one of the newer Pokemon games that use the RPG Maker XP engine. Insurgence was developed by the same people who gave us Pokemon Zeta and Omicron. The game features fantastic graphics and great attention to detail. In the game, you will begin your journey in Torren and then make your way around the world torn due to a Pokemon war. 

You will have to overcome many complex challenges and go on thrilling adventures that will keep you captivated. Pokemon Insurgence doesn’t top our best pokemon fan games list, but it is fun and a good one to play after you are done with our highly rated suggestions.

4. Pokémon Rejuvenation

Pokémon Rejuvenation

After the success of Pokemon Reborn, the same developers released Pokemon Rejuvenation, which has many similarities with its predecessor but offers better graphics. The game’s plot is also different and is based in Aevum, which was devastated by a Storm-9 calamity.

The inhabitants of Aevum are trying to rebuild and rejuvenate the area, and your job is to help them in the process. The playtime and gameplay are similar to Pokemon Reborn, so if you are a fan, give this one a go!

5. Pokémon Phoenix Rising

Pokémon Phoenix Rising

This one is for all you RPG lovers who want a fan-made Pokemon role-playing game. Based on the Pokemon essential engine, the Pokemon Phoenix Rising is full of fun adventures and hours of gameplay to keep you entertained. Your task in the Pokemon game is to bring Ho-oh back to life and save Hawthorne, ruined by war, using his powers.

To keep things consistently enjoyable, the developers have incorporated quest systems, skill trees, and the elite PokeStrap. With an engaging plot and a unique Pokemon to collect, this game deserves the good reviews it received. 

6. Pokémon Sage

Pokémon Sage

It is one of the most beloved Pokemon games, as well as among the top-rated games in the current years. Pokemon Sage gives you the fantastic crafting ability to develop a unique collection of Pokemon. You will be taken to Urobos, where your character will have to successfully pass various tasks and puzzles to become a Pokemon master.

Pokemon Sage is full of charm and fun gameplay that is thoroughly engaging. If you want hours of entertainment playing in the world of Pokemon, this game comes highly recommended by many other Pokemon game lovers and us.

7. Pokémon Clockwork

Pokémon Clockwork

Talking about the popular Pokemon fan games, Pokemon Clockwork is a must-try. The storyline will take you to the Rosari region, where Pokemon and humans live harmoniously. With your Pokemon – the legendary Celebi – you will journey through time to prevent a dangerous event and to stop Epsilon.

Epsilon has an evil plan that could devastate Rosari. So you are on a mission to stop Epsilon and protect the Rosari region from devastation. The game has appearances from Pokemon generation 1 to 4. It also has several unique features, including time travel, quest, new moves, day and night cycle, and poke evolution during battle are some of the prominent features. 

8. Pokémon MMO 3D

Pokémon MMO 3D

If you are a Pokemon fan, the Pokemon MMO 3D will take your love to the next level. Unlike most Pokemon fan games on the 2D platform, Pokémon MMO 3D is based on high-quality 3D; therefore, you will experience a far more superior gameplay experience. 

Pokémon MMO 3D deserves top marks for its top-notch control over movements and attacks. You will enjoy every second of this Pokemon fan game because of its highly engaging battle situation and the engaging game environment. During battles, you can choose to cool down or even escape if your battle player is weak. All-in-all, Pokémon MMO 3D offers one of the best gameplay and gaming experiences.

9. Pokémon Fire Ash

Pokémon Fire Ash

If you are a fan of the Pokemon FireRed fangame, you will surely enjoy playing Pokémon Fire Ash. This customized ROM-hack is similar to the Pokemon game that focuses on the exploits of Ash Ketchum, a popular character in the Pokemon series. 

In Pokémon Fire Ash, you will be the primary character Ash Ketchum, and you’ll be On a mission to win the Indigo league and become a Pokemon master. You will travel across the region to challenge more than 50 gym leaders and other people. You also get to experience the presence of more than 800 Pokemon from generation 1 to 7, and also Pokemon’s new forms, evolutions, and cameo roles from Ash’s Greninja.

10. Pokémon Prism

Pokémon Prism

Pokemon Prism is a ROM-hack of Pokemon crystal. It is amongst the most commonly recommended Pokemon fan games. This game is a follow-up to the Pokemon brown story, making you the Prism character, who is a Lance child and a renowned Dragon trainer. 

You will get Pokemon from generation 1 to 4 and get to train various Pokemon during your journey towards the Naljo district. What makes Pokémon Prism highly engaging is the addition of several mini-games

11. Pokémon Radical Red

Pokémon Radical Red

Radical Red is an excellent experience for any Pokémon player who enjoys the Kanto game series. It is a ROM hack of Pokémon: FireRed, which is itself a remake of Red, just one of the best Pokémon video games. The gameplay in Radical Red is significantly more challenging despite the fact that the story is mainly identical to that of its official counterpart.

In addition, players will be able to encounter a large variety of Pokémon native to various locations. Pokémon Radical Red is a fantastic option for gamers looking for a new challenge within a series they are already familiar with.

12. Pokémon Zeta & Omicron

Pokémon Zeta & Omicron

The one-of-a-kind Pokémon Zeta & Omicron has both an intriguing new tale and an engaging gameplay experience. Players have access to every Pokémon that debuted in the first five generations of the game, in addition to several that came out in later generations. Players are also allowed to select difficulty settings for their initial challenge runs, which is yet another exciting facet of the game’s gameplay.

Zeta and Omicron include many features that fans want to see included in the official Pokémon games, such as Mega Evolutions and exciting new ways to get Legendary and Mythical Pokémon.

13. Pokémon Infinite Fusion

Pokémon Infinite Fusion

When it comes to playing Pokémon games, a number of enthusiasts are concerned that the gameplay will get repetitive with time. However, they do not have to worry about this because they now have Infinite Fusion. The key feature of this fan-made Pokémon game is the ability for players to combine two different Pocket Monsters, resulting in the creation of a new, unique, and occasionally terrifying creature.

Due to the large amount of permutations that are possible, it is quite improbable that fans will exhaust all of the Pokémon that are available to them while playing the game. Playing Infinite Fusion is an experience that is consistently enjoyable due to the fact that other aspects of the game also provide opportunities for amusement. Just seeing all of the amusing Pokémon combinations in one place is worth the time it takes to play the game.

14. Pokémon Ash Gray

Pokémon Ash Gray

Many fans first became familiar with the Pokémon franchise while watching the television series. Many viewers were dissatisfied when they eventually played the game, just to discover that Ash was not a playable character. The anime follows Ash Ketchum as he strives towards his goal of becoming a Pokémon master. Although he is present in the game unofficially, his name is never mentioned in any of the early entries.

It is precisely this matter that Pokémon Ash Gray is going to settle here. The game is a ROM hack of Fire Red, and it follows Ash as he travels through the story from the show. The fans finally had a shot at playing the game they’d been fantasizing about since they were kids, thanks to this game. Ash Gray has amassed a loyal fan following over the years and enjoys ever-increasing notoriety at this point in his career.

15. Pokémon Gaia

Pokémon Gaia

Another ROM hack based on Pokémon: FireRed, Gaia adds new features that are an improvement over the game’s original design. These features include an upgraded Pokédex that goes up to Generation VI, Mega Evolutions, improved move pools, and a variety of other enhancements. In addition, there have been some minor graphical tweaks implemented in order to bring the game up to speed.

Gaia, a ROM hack, has a similar feel for players who like FireRed, but it also gives a new experience that lets fans realize that they are playing an entirely different game. Players who enjoy FireRed will enjoy Gaia.

16. Pokémon: The Rise of the Darkrai

Pokémon: The Rise of the Darkrai

The difficulty levels of the Pokémon games are, for the most part, balanced. The games begin easy but get increasingly challenging as the player advances, forcing them to start leveling up their squad in order to continue playing. On the other side, Pokémon Dark Rising thrusts you headfirst into the action with battles that are more challenging than anything ever seen in these games.

Because there isn’t much time to get acquainted with the mechanics, the most challenging part of Dark Rising is undoubtedly reserved for gamers who are already reasonably well acquainted with the gameplay of this franchise. In this innovative and highly challenging entry, players are continuously kept on their toes by a variety of challenges, from gym leaders to unexpected encounters.

17. Pokémon 3D

Pokémon 3D

When other popular Nintendo games started to implement the transition to 3D, most fans anticipated that Pokémon would also make the transition at the same time. In spite of the fact that this wouldn’t be possible for several more years, enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to develop a realistic 3D Pokémon game to enjoy the interim.

The ARK: Survival Evolved engine has been heavily updated for use in Pokémon 3D. The well-known characters are rendered in three dimensions with the help of brand-new sprites explicitly created for this game. Even though there were 3D Pokémon titles on the Nintendo 64, many were disappointed because they did not provide the classic Pokémon experience they were looking for. Although there are now official 3D analogs, a lot of people still adore this game since it has everything that the fans desire in a game and more.

18. Creepy Black Pokémon 

Creepy Black Pokémon 

Gaming urban legends have been around for as long as the gaming industry has; from Luigi appearing in Mario 64 to the alleged NSFW code on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, these rumors have been passed about among gamers for years.

Among the most infamous is the tale of a cursed Pokémon cartridge with a case and label that are entirely black. Despite the fact that the story hardly amounts to more than a creepypasta, people were so enthusiastic about the concept that a working version of the game was eventually developed. 

Even while the game fails to be the most terrifying thing in the world or even the most terrifying Pokémon ROM Hack, it’s still a lot of fun to play, making it an excellent companion to a good story.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is it possible to play Pokémon fan games on Android?

It is dependent upon whatever fan games you wish to participate in. Many fan games are designed just for PC players, and Android users won’t be able to play those games. However, there are also quite a large number of ROM hacks that cannot function without using GBA emulators.

There is a plethora of Game Boy Advance (GBA) emulator software available for Android. Downloading the emulator, locating a ROM hack depending on your choosing, and beginning play are the only things you need to get started. 

Can you recommend some of the best Pokémon ROM hacks?

What constitutes the “best” Pokémon ROM hack is relative to the specific criteria that are being evaluated. While some ROM hacks simply add new Pokémon to an existing game, others fully revamp it. 

We have included a list of some of the very best Pokémon fan games, some of which are ROM hacks; therefore, we encourage you to test out all of these games and decide for yourself which one is your favorite. 

Is Pokémon Insurgence a modified version of a ROM?

No. Many gamers have moved on from ROM hacking and are now developing games using the RPG Maker game engine on their computers. Without the constraints of having to hack a ROM, this provides them with the flexibility to build the game precisely how they want it to be played.

Insurgence was developed using RPG Maker XP and thus does not require a GBA emulator to be played on a personal computer. 

Is there no more Pokémon Phoenix Rising to play?

Nope. It has not yet reached its final form. Nevertheless, the stuff produced up to this point is intriguing and deserving attention. 

Conclusion: Best Fan Made Pokemon Games

So now you know the top 18 Pokemon fan games. All the games come with highly engaging storylines, but you get the same nostalgic feeling since they are based on Pokemon games. If you are a hardcore Pokemon fan and have not tried the ten best Pokemon fan games, you are missing out big time. 

Without a single doubt, several Pokemon fan games are worth trying. So, if we have skipped your favorite Pokemon fan games, please share them with Reviewsed and Pokemon fans in the comments section.

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Abdul Wahab is a Software Engineer by profession and a Tech geek by nature. Having been associated with the tech industry for the last five years, he has covered a wide range of Tech topics and produced well-researched and engaging content. You will mostly find him reviewing tech products and writing blog posts. Binge-watching tech reviews and endlessly reading tech blogs are his favorite hobbies.