What I checked
I opened the itch.io page and the public HTML5 build 20070350 on 2026-10-28. The title screen reads “Build a deck of moves. Catch a team. Beat the Gym Leaders.” The store page has no long description; its meta line is “Pokemon with Slay the Spire mechanics.”
I did not clear a full run. The map, energy, and catch numbers below come from that public build plus the four official screenshots, then I checked the Hoenn devlog and the Reddit launch thread against them.
What you actually do
A run is a route of nodes. You play one Pokémon at a time, spend energy on move cards, and try to catch wild Pokémon into a team of three. Gym leaders sit on fixed floors. The champion ends the region.
- Build a deck: the public build lists 244 card entries, 242 of them playable (build-only, checked 2026-10-28).
- Catch a team: the battle screen shows a party of three and a Poké Ball that spends 1 energy.
- Beat the gym leaders: eight per region, then an Elite Four and a champion.
Single publisher / developer sources: S5 · Public HTML5 build 20070350; S4 · Official itch screenshots. Checked 2026-10-28.
Three regions
Kanto is open immediately. The in-game hint says “Become Kanto's Champion to open Johto,” and the Hoenn devlog says Johto’s champion opens Hoenn. Dex sizes in build 20070350 are Kanto 151, Johto 100, and Hoenn 135.
| Region | Dex entries | Opens when |
|---|---|---|
| Kanto | 151 | Available at the start |
| Johto | 100 | After you become Kanto champion |
| Hoenn | 135 | After you become Johto champion |
Dex counts: build 20070350. Hoenn’s 135 also appears in the Hoenn devlog. Checked 2026-10-28.
Single publisher / developer sources: S5 · Public HTML5 build 20070350; S2 · Devlog: Hoenn. Checked 2026-10-28.
Latest update
On 2026-10-27 the developer posted two devlogs: Bug fixes, and Hoenn. Hoenn adds the third region, weather, eight gyms, an Elite Four, champion Steven, and rival May. The same date is the itch publish date and the day of the Reddit launch post.
Single publisher / developer sources: S3 · Devlog: Bug fixes; S2 · Devlog: Hoenn. Checked 2026-10-28.
Is this Pokemon Auto Spire?
No. PokeSpire is a turn-based card game by barbecue-citrus-varmint. Pokemon Auto Spire is a different browser game by Fish, built as a mod of Pokemon Auto Chess. They share a Pokémon theme and a Slay the Spire-like map. Their public pages identify different creators and separate places to play; saves belong to their respective sites.
Search results still mix the two names. The comparison is on PokeSpire vs Pokemon Auto Spire. Other projects that use a similar name are listed on Which PokeSpire?
Sources (individual reports where noted): S1 · itch.io game page; S9 · Pokemon Auto Spire site. Checked 2026-10-28.
Keep reading
- Download?
There is no installer. The game runs in the browser. - How to play
Energy, catches, gyms, and a first-run route. - Region guides
Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn in order. - Cards
The playable list from build 20070350. - Starter notes
What the developer and players actually said. - Updates
Hoenn and the bug-fix devlog from 2026-10-27. - FAQ
Mobile, saves, Steam, and a page that will not load. - Spire-like games
Auto Chess, Auto Spire, Pokelike, and this game.
Sources
- S1 · itch.io game page · checked 2026-10-28
- S2 · Devlog: Hoenn · checked 2026-10-28
- S3 · Devlog: Bug fixes · checked 2026-10-28
- S4 · Official itch screenshots · checked 2026-10-28
- S5 · Public HTML5 build 20070350 · checked 2026-10-28
- S6 · r/pokemonbrowsergames launch thread · checked 2026-10-28
- S25 · itch embed player · checked 2026-10-28
- S9 · Pokemon Auto Spire site · checked 2026-10-28