Eevee Expo News

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Hey everyone! Ranko here! Note the Judge Spotlight tidbit above, because technically there can be more winners with the Community Spotlight. Here are the full results for the Game Jam here: https://eeveeexpo.com/game-jam-10/results/

Of course, the Community Spotlight won't be chosen until after you, the players, vote on their favorite games (other than these two). Until that happens, let's talk about the current winners, Pokémon Covenant and Tower of Ashes! This article will go a little more depth into each of these games as Game Jam winners!


Pokémon Covenant is a very beautifully made game in the Generation 2 style, albeit with entirely modern Pokémon game design (Physical/Special Split, modern moves/'mons, EXP.Share). Notably, the game focuses a ton on a cognition based region, building off a truly unique world where the protagonist is trying to reacquire pieces of their shattered heart across a region where people who have fallen psychologically end up, including you. Some areas include a town and bathhouse full of people who are too stricken by sloth to move or function, a casino area where people become obsessed with greed, and things of that nature. It takes a very unique storybuilding opportunity and gradually tries to build the pieces to why the player needs to be redeemed in the first place.

Of course, the game is also immensely polished, with strong setpieces and a wide array of custom tiles (while the game is Generation 2 style, it does not pull punches in making the game look good with custom buildings and fogs), a handful of new forms for players to toy with, important trainers will cut-in between battles and shower the area with coins or give their Pokémon stat boosts, clever writing with lots of fun wordplay and themes...it's a very strong and well-rounded package that very much deserves the spot it's been given. I didn't find a very difficult game either, and depending on the kind of Pokémon player you are, that could be a pro or a con, but I think there's a ton here that the average player will appreciated. One thing I really loved about the game was the minor attentions to detail to keep their entire world and story together at all times. In fact, I have some theories on the game that some important NPCs might have been able to graduate from the Varia Region (and become redeemed) while our protagonist stays chained to their past a little while longer.

As a bonus, the game runs for a few hours but is actually awaiting additional updates featuring more Vices for the story, so make sure to pay attention to future updates for this game!

Tower of Ashes might as well be the other side of the coin. Covenant focuses a ton on its world and story, and while it is definitely has a good grasp in the gameplay department, it's definitely more poking at storytelling and worldbuilding as its strength comparably. Tower of Ashes has a huge focus on its gameplay, and actually features prominent roguelike features! The player enters the Tower of Ashes every day, a structure that changes its interior every time you enter selecting two from a set of Pokémon to enter the tower (temporarily). The goal is to climb all the floors in on sitting to get to the top.


Of course, getting to the top is intentionally quite difficult, and the player will need to assemble a strong squad from within the tower as well as Relics that will boost the party and upgrade various attributes. For example, some Relics will boost the strength of certain kinds of moves, some Relics have activation requirements that make the game a little safer, some straight up boost your damage but boost the damage you take as well...It's very well crafted and extremely fun to experiment with. My team for Tower of Ashes was entirely made of Ghost-Pokémon, abusing some of the type specific relics along with damage boosts to be really difficult to hit and hit very hard back. It sounds easy, but the bosses of Tower are very strong, and have multiple health bars, requiring some level of management of your team, which includes making necessary sacrifices and setting up combos for the rest of your team. I actually played 2-3 more runs after I beat the game instead of moving to another game, just because I wanted to see what other funny combos I could come up with. It's great!

It is a fantastically fun game with tons of variation, and it had a ton of thought put into it. However, I definitely want to still give props to the world-building of the game! The game features a ton of beautifully sprited characters, tilesets, and a stellar and wonderful looking UI design that really captures and makes the game look and play smoothly at the same time. The reoccurring characters, in their wonderfully and endearingly sprited forms, and all these factors together a very unique flavor and life to a game that without, would just be in essence, a bunch of numbers and RNG rolling at the screen rather than a fully crafted experience.

Both of these games were fantastic games in their own right, with tons of positive qualities between them! While I loved aspects of every jam game this year (yes, I played every single one of them to completion), I definitely wanted to highlight parts of these games as a token of their victory. Congratulations again to both development teams for their achievement!

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That wraps up the second edition of Eevee Expo Selects! We hope these articles help shine a spotlight on some of these amazing creations!

Special thanks to Ranko & the Eevee Expo Team for the opportunity to write this month's edition. This is my first Eevee Expo Selects article - any feedback is appreciated!

Thank you all for reading!

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➤ What is the Eevee Expo?
The Eevee Expo is an annual event showcasing indie games and related projects. It welcomes all varieties of indie games, from monster-taming projects to custom game engines. These showcases bear a resemblance to Nintendo Directs, aiming to highlight and provide a platform for the diverse array of creations within the Pokémon fan development and indie game community, encompassing both small and large projects.

➤ What Do I Submit?
If you're accepted into the showcase, we ask that you submit a good-quality trailer that we can include in the showcase video! We will also be checking that your project meets our QA standards. There's more specific information on this in our Terms of Service, which you'll have to agree to before submitting your application.

➤ What If I Don't Have Enough To Show Yet?
There's no harm in applying, and if we determine your project has enough content to justify a placement as a trailer or as a clip in the sizzle reel, we will get in contact with you! Or, you can always wait to apply for the next Eevee Expo!

➤ What Does the Eevee Expo Look like?

Our last presentation looks a bit like this:

- You do not need to formally register or make known of your participation. You can start making a game right now. Like now now.

- You can have up to 4 people in one development team to submit a game jam project, and no more. Making projects with your friends can be fun and less stressful, sometimes!

- The game engine of choice does not matter. Although most people use Pokemon Essentials and PSDK, there are actually no limitations on how you make your game, including Romhacks. You don't even have to make a Pokemon game, although most people do.

- If you're using public resources, like tilesets and external sprites from Deviantart, you MUST CREDIT them!! In fact, we HEAVILY RECOMMEND you start your credit list right now and start adding to it as you require more assets for your project. Make sure you try to ask permission if they don't explicitly say they are for public use as well.

- Manage your time wisely, and don't run too fast or waste effort that isn't needed! The 40 days will seem too short or too long depending on your time management. You absolutely do not want to burn out, especially during the last 2 weeks of the jam, where most people end up dropping out. I personally recommend using the first few days to plan extensively of what you want your project to be, and what it will contain.

- Presentation and execution will always be a bigger way to make your game pop rather than pure skill or finesse (you don't need fancy ultra detailed art or custom music to be a great project). If you can do both, pretty awesome!

- Try your best to leave some time to playtest things! You won't be able to add major updates to your game until after judging is over once you submit it, so make sure everything is properly tested so people can complete the game with as few major issues as possible (though sometimes, it is inevitable).

- Have fun, and keep your head help up! Game development will be really stressful and sometimes very difficult mentally, so use any mishaps or issues as a learning experience rather than a reflection of yourself, especially if you're new. We're prepared to see the ups and downs of every project as they get submitted.

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Pokémon Reloaded is a Spanish fangame (playable in English) by FER, that has been in development for over 15 years using Game Maker. Unlike traditional Pokémon games, which rely on turn-based combat, Pokémon Reloaded lets you control your Pokémon in real-time and move/attack in 8 directions, offering a dynamic and engaging battle experience.

After spending the last month immersed in the first region of Pokémon Reloaded, I have to say, the gameplay blew my mind! How have I not heard of this game until now?

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The gameplay system is implemented exceptionally well, making every battle exciting and engaging. In real-time combat, many moves take on new dynamics. For instance, Double Team creates a clone of your Pokémon to trick your opponent, while Dig renders your Pokémon invulnerable for a few seconds before launching an attack from below. Teleport grants you crazy mobility around the battlefield, and no-miss moves like Aura Sphere automatically follow the enemy.

The translation of these moves into real-time battles is masterful. Experimenting with different movesets is a blast, and each Pokémon feels distinct and unique to play!
The game is also incredibly challenging, especially the gym leaders, truly testing your skills. The AI is really well programmed, making every fight against a strong trainer feel like a battle with a real player. There was never a moment where the AI felt too easy or predictable.

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Thanks to frequent updates over the many years of development, Pokémon Reloaded has a plethora of content. The game includes Pokémon from Generations 1 to 8, as well as Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, regional forms, and even Fakémon! Players can challenge a staggering 40 gyms and explore five regions, including Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh! If that's not enough, there's also a Battle Frontier and local multiplayer to keep you entertained.


The story incorporates most of the villainous teams from the official games. While the plot is not the game's focus, the gameplay more than makes up for it. However, if you're not a fan of the combat, this game may not be for you, as it doesn't introduce many new elements outside of battles. That said, the Star region does feature some decent mapping and some pretty challenging ice and strength puzzles!

Overall, Pokémon Reloaded is a highly innovative game that definitely deserves more recognition, especially beyond the Spanish community! You can tell that a lot of effort went into the game, particularly in the battle system. If you're a Pokémon fan looking for a fresh take on the gameplay formula, this game is a must-try!

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Special thanks to @ranko & The Eevee Expo team for giving me the opportunity to write this article! Also thanks to @Ayrei for recommending this game on their Youtube!

~ KennyCatches

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Pokémon Litharreon focuses on a lot of small touches and a clean, but definitely fresh Pokémon experience. The game focuses heavily on Double Battles and is balanced around it as well! By exploring the world, you'll be able to find trades, TMs, and more to supplement the Doubles formula.

The game's story follows and features three new regional forms as secondary partner Pokémon, and the crime syndicate attempting to make off with Professor Cedar's research on them! Some bonus features that I found cute include different sprite poses depending on the Pokémon gender, hidden grottos scattered throughout the world, and a personality quiz at the beginning of the game!


I think one of the biggest things to point out about Litharreon is how it sticks to the tried and true Generation 3 style and tileset, and stays extremely consistent with excellent presentation throughout the project with merely the authentic Generation 3 tileset. I think it stands as an incredible case study for new and budding developers who may be discouraged or believe that projects require extremely detailed custom graphics to create a good game.

If you're looking for a firm, faithful project with plenty of tastful touches that keep the formula fresh in a meticulously chosen and thoughtful fashion, you wouldn't go wrong following this exceedingly polished project.

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Righteous Red is one of the results of efforts and breakthroughs in the Generation 1 romhacking community, and aims to create an enhancing experience to the original Kanto region! The focuses on not only adding to the original GBA games, but fixing major issues, bugs, and exploits while keeping the original game's identity intact. For example, modern typings such as Steel, Fairy, and Dark have been added to the game, but critical hit rates are still based on Speed (albeit at a much more reasonable rate)!

There are many kinds of new events and even a slightly different progression system (the first Gym Leader is NOT in Pewter City for example!), while trying its best to not step on the toes and quirks that made Generation 1, Generation 1. It also comes with an excellent amount of documentation, allowing a player to better organize their playthrough for potential challenge runs.
Righteous Red is a enthusiastically made project that does more than just "fix" Generation 1, it embraces and respects the legacy of the original Pokémon games with regards to its unique mechanics and style, allowing one to still experience how Generation 1 feels while making sure it doesn't pass as frustrating and dated. Not only that, it is a wondrous achievement of the strides and efforts made in the Generation 1 romhacking scene, of which I believe is underrepresented in the fangame scene! If you're looking to replay the original titles but not sure about the decades old sludge, I heavily suggest you to try this out.

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That concludes the very first edition of Eevee Expo Selects! We hope you give every single one of these projects a try and enjoy, and also give proper accolades and constructive feedback for these developer teams who were able to make it to the finish line! Thank you all so much for reading!

Signing off, until next time~

I'm sure most of you all have heard of PokéRogue by now, a roguelite live-service fangame that has amassed an incredible following by content creators and players alike over the past month! And if you haven't, well... https://pokerogue.net/

I covered the game briefly on Eevee Expo's Twitter the very day it came out, arriving as a recently playable project by Sam, aka FlashfyreDev on social media pages. I wanted to talk a little about how the game as grown over the very brief time it has been made playable!

PokéRogue took off really quickly for a new fangame, probably faster than most larger completed releases in recent times.

It's such a well-rounded, well-executed, and polished concept that's incredibly fun to play with a very smart gameplay loop to entice multiple playthroughs, especially as players unlock more and more game modes.

It can be frustrating at times, it can be fun at times, but most importantly, as is with most roguelike/roguelite titles, you have the ability to become unstoppable through perfect item combinations and Pokémon. Some of its truly unique additions include crazy egg moves, a Gachapon system for new starters, and a ton of new battle effects through select upgrade during your runs.

It's a fangame that allows players to really test and experiment with their level of understanding with Pokémon, while being something that anyone can reasonably pick up and play.



Through incredible word of mouth as well as extensive coverage from many popular content creators not only in the fangame scene, but in the general Pokémon scene as well, PokéRogue had grown to 100 players online, to 500, to 1000, to... Well, uh, how many players are online right now? No tricks here, let's boot up the game and check...

I can't stress enough, that PokéRogue is not only one of the most popular and successful fangame projects in recent times, it might be one of the most successful Pokémon fangames ever. Although I am more than happy to see a fangame find its audience, PokéRogue is something truly special. It's not just found a footing in the fangame community, but it has eclipsed it and rose to something greater, and arguably become something akin to Pokémon Showdown in terms of becoming ingrained in the great expanse of the Pokémon community's subconscious.

I gotta say, for a project so young that's gone this far, I can't wait to see where PokéRogue goes from here, and more importantly, I hope Sam and his team is handling it all well. You all should be at the very least proud for what you've achieved.

Signing off, until next time~

It is that time! After much effort, the merge between Eevee Expo and the previous website's staff has finalized!

Here in this section SPECIFICALLY, us at the Eevee Expo staff will be covering select fangame projects and other topics relating to Eevee Expo and the fangame scene. This may include special events, including but not limited to the Eevee Expo presentation!

What's the Distinction Between the Expo Staff and the Forum Staff?

The Eevee Expo staff focuses mostly on Eevee Expo specific events and branding, while the forum staff (which are made up of the staff from the previous fangame website) takes care of forum moderation and maintenance, including but not limited to approving new fangame projects and regular updates to the website itself.

We hope that you enjoy the new website, and look forward to seeing news and updates about the happenings in the fangame scene! Thanks!