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The 2021 list of free Pokémon fan games featured five very different ways to play: a battle simulator, a story-led adventure, an MMO, and two broader fan-game experiences. The picks were Pokémon Showdown, Pokémon Insurgence, Pokémon Planet, Pokémon Uranium, and Pokémon Vortex. The ranking reflects Jack Boreham’s editorial judgment in a March 13, 2021 article—not a measured comparison or a guide to what is available today.
How to read this 2021 list
These games are not five interchangeable story RPGs. Boreham’s list spans competitive team battles, a journey through a new region, MMO play, and open-world exploration. The descriptions below reflect what his article reported, with project-controlled details noted where available. Current service status and safe, working downloads are not established for every title.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Pokémon Pokopia - Nintendo Switch 2 | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Pokémon Legends: Arceus - US Version | $54.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Pokemon Shining Pearl - Nintendo Switch Shining Pearl Edition | $52.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Nintendo Switch | $53.87 | Buy on Amazon |
The five games
Pokémon Showdown: Build teams and battle
Boreham describes Pokémon Showdown as a fan-created online battle simulator focused on building teams and battling, making it the list’s clearest pick for competitive play rather than a conventional region-spanning adventure. The sources reviewed do not independently establish its current uptime or feature set, so this 2021 description should not be taken as a guarantee of present-day access. Source: Jack Boreham, HackerNoon, March 13, 2021.
Pokémon Insurgence: A Torren-region adventure
The 2021 article presents Insurgence as a story-led journey through the Torren region, with Delta Pokémon, challenge modes, and new Mega Evolutions. The project homepage also describes a Torren-region fan game featuring Delta Pokémon and advertises Windows downloads and a Mac guide. Its version 1.2.7 archive lists a core ZIP dated January 5, 2021, a patch ZIP dated June 10, 2020, and setup.exe dated March 15, 2021. Those archived file dates document historical releases; they do not establish that downloads still work or that the game is currently supported.
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#1 Best Overall
- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
- Use other Pokémon’s moves, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage, to revitalize and navigate the world around you.
- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
Pokémon Planet: An MMO-style option
Boreham describes Planet as a 2D MMO using sprite assets from generations 1–3, with classic regions, additional areas, and clans. Those are the 2021 article’s descriptions; current service status and features were not independently verified in the sources reviewed. Source: HackerNoon, March 13, 2021.
Pokémon Uranium: Original Pokémon in Tandor
The 2021 article describes Uranium as an adventure set in the Tandor region, with 150 original Pokémon, a Nuclear type, and challenge modes. The project homepage advertises “150+ Original Pokemon” and a Nuclear type. The project’s history says version 1.0 was released August 6, 2016, and official support ended a month later; fans subsequently continued development independently. That history matters when assessing support: later fan continuation is not uninterrupted official support.
Rank #2
- Action meets RPG in this new take on the Pokémon series
- Study Pokémon behaviors, sneak up on them, and toss a well-aimed Poké Ball to catch them
- Unleash moves in the speedy agile style or the powerful strong style in battles
- Travel to the Hisui region—the Sinnoh of old—and build the region’s first Pokédex
- Learn about the Mythical Pokémon Arceus, the key to this mysterious tale
Pokémon Vortex: Open-world battles and collection
Boreham describes Vortex as an open-world fan game, formerly called Pokémon Crater, with NPC and online battles and a Pokédex-completion loop. His 2021 article also says it contains over 2,000 Pokémon, but that count was not independently confirmed in the sources reviewed and should be treated as the article’s account, not a current audited specification. Current service status and features were not independently verified. Source: HackerNoon, March 13, 2021.
At a glance
| Game | Format described in 2021 | Story or setting | What the sources establish about availability or support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Showdown | Online battle simulator | Competitive team building and battles, rather than a story-led journey | Current uptime and specific features not independently verified; see the 2021 article. |
| Pokémon Insurgence | Downloadable fan adventure | Torren region, story, and Delta Pokémon | Project homepage advertises Windows downloads and a Mac guide; archive lists version 1.2.7 files dated 2020 and 2021. Working downloads and current support are not established. Homepage; archive. |
| Pokémon Planet | 2D MMO | Classic regions, additional areas, and clans, according to the 2021 article | Current service status and features not independently verified; see the 2021 article. |
| Pokémon Uranium | Fan-created region-based adventure | Tandor, a Nuclear type, and original Pokémon | Project history records version 1.0 on August 6, 2016, official support ending a month later, and subsequent independent fan continuation. Project history. |
| Pokémon Vortex | Open-world fan game with NPC and online battles, according to the 2021 article | Pokédex completion; the article’s claim of over 2,000 Pokémon is not independently confirmed | Current service status and features not independently verified; see the 2021 article. |
Which one fits the way you want to play?
- Choose the format, not just the franchise: Showdown is the match-focused pick in this list; Insurgence and Uranium are the region-based adventures; Planet is the MMO entry; and Vortex is described as open-world play.
- Check current access before committing: The list dates to 2021. For Insurgence, the project site provides platform information and a release archive, but old archive entries are not proof of a working download. For Showdown, Planet, and Vortex, the sources reviewed do not establish current service status.
- Understand Uranium’s support history: Its project history distinguishes the short period of official support after the 2016 release from later independent fan continuation.
What “best” means here
The five names and their order come from Boreham’s 2021 editorial list. The reviewed sources do not document a controlled test, an objective ranking method, or a current consensus. Treat the list as a snapshot of recommendations published in 2021, not as proof that one title is universally superior or currently playable.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Don the role of a Pokémon Trainer as you travel through Kanto
- Discover a new species of Pokémon with the Pokémon Lets Go series
- Catch Pokémon in the wild using a gentle throwing motion with either a Joy-Con controller or a Poké Ball Plus accessory, which will light up, vibrate, and make sounds to bring your adventure to life
- See the world in style by customizing Pikachu and your Trainer with a selection of outfits
- Connect to Pokémon GO* to transfer caught Kanto-region Pokémon, including Alolan and Shiny forms, as well as the newly discovered Pokémon, Meltan, from that game to this one
Rank #3
- Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Pearl Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
- The Pokémon Shining Pearl game brings new life to this remade classic with added features
- Explore the Grand Underground to dig up items and Pokémon Fossils, build a Secret Base, and more.
- Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show
- A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
