What is Pokemon Auto Chess and how to play it?

The Pokemon series' overwhelming popularity has led many fans to create games of their own in one way or another. Some fans have created entirely new stories and creatures by hacking and editing the series' existing game ROMs, while others have created entirely new titles built from the ground up. Such was the case with Pokemon Auto Chess.

Auto battle/auto chess games have gotten quite a bit of buzz in recent years. They are considered a subgenre of strategy games where players use pieces/characters/creatures and place them tactically on a map or grid and then initiate battle automatically against opponents. Pokemon Auto Chess follows many of the same genre conventions.

But what is Pokemon Auto Chess exactly? And how can fans play it themselves?

Everything players need to know about Pokemon Auto Chess

A game created on Github by two dedicated fans, Pokemon Auto Chess sees players purchasing Pocket Monsters and placing them in team compositions on the map before they face off against teams created by others.

In most matches, up to eight players can face off in auto-chess battles. Their Pocket Monsters will fight their foes without any input on the player's behalf. Trainers simply set their lineups and allow the creatures to do their job.

Fans of other auto battler games like TeamFight Tactics should be somewhat familiar with the way that Pokemon Auto Chess is set up.

Games are played in a series of rounds, either against other players or AI-controlled bots. Between rounds, players can use their gold to purchase new Pocket Monsters, align them in specific formations, select battle items that enhance abilities, and more. Once the preparation for the round has run out of time, the creatures placed on the field will battle until one side is victorious.

If a player loses a bout, they'll lose some of their total trainer health. When this health total reaches zero, the player is eliminated. After each round, trainers will also send their avatars into the middle of the arena to collect a held item. However, they must compete with other players to get the one they want.

The game then returns to the cycle of buying Pokemon, upgrading them, and collecting money after battles. The fights will continue each round until one player remains and is declared the winner.

Since Pokemon Auto Chess' matches are timed, part of the challenge is setting up the right team synergies based on a Pocket Monster's type (including their elemental type and new types like Baby, Monster, Field, Artificial, etc.) and equipping the lineup with the right held items to beat out the opposition each round.

In multiplayer matches, depending on how many players are in the lobby, trainers will face different players each round until all of them are eliminated and the victor is crowned.

Over the course of the match, trainers will be able to place more Pokemon in their formation as well as use their coins to level themselves up and improve the teams they can deploy on the field.

There's a surprising amount of strategy, but the only way to learn the nuances is to dive into the game's site and play some matches. Players can also read up on the wiki and check the meta rankings, all of which are located in the same UI that allows fans to host and join games in just a few clicks.

Here's how to play Pokemon Auto Chess:

Head to the URL https://pokemon-auto-chess.com/ and sign in with your preferred credentials including Google, Email, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also log in as a guest if you'd like.
After logging in, you'll be brought to the main lobby screen. From here, check the available rooms list at the center of the page. When a player's lobby pops up, press the join button to jump into their lobby. Alternatively, you can click the "Create Room" button to make your own game session.
You'll be brought to the room screen no matter which option you pick. Once you're ready to begin, click the "Ready" button at the bottom of the room menu. If you created the lobby, make sure that all players are ready (bots will be ready automatically if you added them) and then select the "Start Game" button. All that's left is to dive into battle and enjoy!

That's all there is to it! This fan game is fully operational from within a player's web browser, so there aren't any downloads or installations required. If players have logged in with their credentials, they'll be able to battle, check their ELO score, and save their progress as they add Pocket Monsters, emotes, and even shiny variants to their collection.