📱 Android 💻 PC ✅ Updated 2025

How to play Pokémon Fangames on Android and PC

A complete guide to installing and playing fangames on Android with JoiPlay or Winlator, and on a PC in 3 steps. No complicated emulators required.

JoiPlay The latest version is available on the official Patreon page RPG Maker XP Plugin · Google Play (updates automatically)

Download JoiPlay

Minimum Android version

4.4+

Minimum RAM

2 GB

Free space

50 MB+

Processor

ARMv7+

Download the JoiPlay APK

JoiPlay It's not on Google Play. Download the APK from its official Patreon page (stable version) or from ApkPure (previous versions). Before installing, enable Unknown origins under Settings → Security.

💡 Disable "Unknown Sources" after installing JoiPlay for added security.

Install the plugins from Google Play

Without the JoiPlay plugins, the app won't run any games. Search for them and install them on Google Play:

RPG Maker XP Plugin for JoiPlay Required

Ren'Py Plugin for JoiPlay Recommended

Download and unzip the fangame

Download the fan game in .rar o .zip from a trusted source. To extract it on Android, use ZArchiver o RAR by RARLAB (both free on the Play Store).

⚠️ Save the files to the microSD card so as not to fill up the internal memory. Fangames are usually less than 300 MB.

Open the game on JoiPlay

On JoiPlay, tap +, navigate to the extracted folder and select Game.exe. Give it a name, and you're ready to play with customizable touch controls.

💡 Use Save Status to pause at any time, even in the middle of a battle.

Video tutorial

If the games don't start

If JoiPlay doesn't run any fangames, it may be incompatible with your device (low-end). If only one specific game doesn't work, the problem is with that game, not the app.

Basic Tips

01 Download only from trusted sources. Legitimate fan games have a thread on PokéCommunity or are listed in the Pokemundo catalog. Avoid unverified third-party repositories.

02 Set up the controls before you begin. In the JoiPlay settings, you can assign touch buttons and adjust the sensitivity of the virtual joystick.

03 Adjust the graphics settings for your device. On low-end devices, reduce the graphics resolution in the JoiPlay settings to improve performance.

04 Use "Save State" often. You can pause and resume your progress exactly where you left off, even in the middle of a battle.

05 Try out some fan games. JoiPlay has varying levels of compatibility. Just because one doesn't work doesn't mean the rest won't either.

Winlator v11.1.0 APK Only · GitHub / winlator.com (the OBB is no longer required) Android 9.0+ · ARM64 · Vulkan 1.1+ · At least 4 GB of RAM

GitHub

Snapdragon (Adreno)

Use the driver Turnip + Zinc for better performance.

MediaTek / Exynos

Use the renderer VirGl. Avoid Kirin (Huawei) devices.

Download and install the APK

Go to the page for releases on GitHub or go to winlator.com and download the APK for the latest version. Install it as usual (you'll need to enable "Unknown sources").

💡 Starting with version 6.0, the OBB file no longer exists. If you come across an older tutorial that mentions it, just skip that step.

Create a Windows container

Open Winlator and click + to create a new container. Choose the graphics driver based on your GPU (see the table above).

Copy the fangame to internal storage

For best performance, save the game to the internal storage (not on the SD card), inside the Downloads folder.

Run Game.exe from the container

In the Winlator Windows environment, navigate to the fangame folder and double-click on Game.exe.

Video tutorial

⚠️ This tutorial is for an older version that required installing an OBB file. Starting with version 6.0, you only need the APK, but the rest of the process is still valid.

📖 Looking for a more detailed guide? The Complete Guide to Winlator by EricLostie (in Spanish).

System

Windows XP / 7 / 10 / 11

Minimum RAM

128 MB

Space

~300 MB

Compressor

WinRAR (free)

Download the fangame

Download the file from the Pokemundo catalog or from the creator's official thread on PokéCommunity or WhackAHack.

Extract with WinRAR

Right-click on the downloaded file → "Extract here". Make sure you have the correct version of WinRAR (32-bit or 64-bit, depending on your version of Windows).

⬇ Download WinRAR (free)

Run Game.exe

Open the extracted folder, and look for Game.exe and double-click it. No installation, no emulators.

💡 If Windows locks the file: right-click → Properties → check the box Unlock.

Common Errors and Solutions

The Most Common Problems and How to Solve Them Quickly.

When you unzip the files, some system files are lost. Find the exact name of the missing .dll file and download it. Copy it to the same folder where it is located. Game.exe.

🔍 Search on dll-files.com

Android · JoiPlay

Not all fangames are optimized for JoiPlay. Try another game: if it works, the problem is with that specific fangame. If no games work, it may be an incompatibility issue with your device.

Android · JoiPlay

Lower the graphics resolution in the JoiPlay settings. Low-end devices may have trouble running resource-intensive games. Make sure your plugins are up to date on Google Play.

General

Download it again from the official source. Trusted fan games have links in the creator's thread on PokéCommunity or WhackAHack. Avoid unverified third-party repositories.

Android · Winlator

It's a cursor capture bug. In the container settings, disable the option "Mouse Movement Cancellation" (Mouse Override). Restart the container, and the cursor should respond normally.

Android · Winlator

Go to the container settings → DX components → change DirectSound a "Native Windows". Apply the changes and restart the container. Most fan games will have their audio restored immediately.

Fangames compatible with JoiPlay

These apps have been tested and work well on Android.

Pokémon Fire Ash

Pokémon Realidea

Pokémon Iberia

Pokémon Fates

Pokémon Argentina

Pokémon Trainer Champion.

Pokémon Opal

Pokémon Titan

Not sure what to play? Explore the full catalog using filters for platform, language, and development status.

View the complete catalog of fan games

JoiPlay