Welcome to Pokemon Recordkeepers – a new roguelite GBA ROM hack based on Pokemon Emerald, playable on various devices and platforms including Android, Windows, iOS, and more, through emulators or built-in system cores that support Game Boy Advance.
Pokemon Recordkeepers Basic Info
| Game Name | Pokemon Recordkeepers |
| Developer(s) | Turtleye & Hedara |
| Platform | Gameboy Advance |
| Genre | Roguelite, Tactical RPG |
| Type | Battle-focused ROM hack |
| Release Date | September 28, 2025 |
| Latest Version | v1.1 |
| Status | Completed |
| Last Updated on | October 05, 2025 |
| Download | Download Page |
What is Pokemon Recordkeepers?
Pokemon Recordkeepers is a battle-focused romhack based on Pokemon Emerald, made using pokeemerald-expansion. The game was developed to participate in the rom hacking event of Team Aqua’s Romhacking Competition 2 within a short timeframe, which opens the door for future updates and new additions.
Pokemon Recordkeepers is an experimental hack featuring a new battle system in a roguelite experience, with beautiful aesthetics, clean UI, a solid theme, and great visuals. The game uses completely new tiles and a redesigned UI that looks very polished, and the overall visuals and aesthetic have been widely praised by fans upon its release. It also includes a custom-developed region with sub-regions designed specifically for boss battles in the roguelite format.
The game also introduces several unique features, such as Pokemon being able to have up to four abilities, with opposing Pokemon also capable of having four abilities. It adds 80+ new abilities, 14 new moves, and a unique asymmetrical battle system.
Plot of the Game
You play as Tiana, a new Recordkeeper on a mission to uncover the truth behind ancient myths and folktales from across the Pokemon world. Each tale becomes a self-contained run, offering a fresh challenge with unique bosses, mechanics, and environments inspired by legendary stories.
Instead of traditional catching and training, your focus is on strategic battles. You’ll unlock powerful abilities and equip Pokemon moves in creative ways, building unique loadouts to fit your playstyle. Combine moves and abilities never seen before to gain the upper hand in combat.
As you progress, each run will test your skill and strategy. Failures are part of the journey—but with each attempt, you’ll grow stronger and more prepared. It’s a blend of classic Pokemon mechanics with the replayable, challenge-driven structure of a roguelite dungeon crawler.
Key Feature
1. New Custom Region & New Storyline
The game is set in a small, custom-made area (not a full region—regions are actually too big) with a new plot that focuses on roguelite elements like exploring different areas and sub-regions, battling multiple Pokemon, and facing off against the bosses of each sub-region. In the end, you’ll challenge the final, biggest boss of the entire region.
2. New Unique Battle System
The game introduces a unique asymmetrical battle system that increases the difficulty and dynamic nature of boss battles. The rules aren’t the same for bosses—they have extra buffs and add-ons, so they can’t be taken down easily.
What is an Asymmetrical Battle System?
An asymmetrical battle system refers to a format where the two sides are not equal in terms of rules, roles, or resources. This differs from the traditional battle system where both players or sides have the same number of Pokemon, follow the same rules, and generally start on equal footing.
3. New Additions of Abilities and Moves
The game introduces 80 new abilities along with 14 new moves. This greatly increases replayability and gives you full control over what abilities your Pokemon should have for better performance. Tackle the game’s difficulty using different variations and combinations.
4. Roguelite Gameplay
You will play through multiple self-contained storylines, each based on folklore or myth, with roguelite-style gameplay—where a single loss sends you back to the start. Every boss battle is critical, and a single defeat ends your streak, forcing you to replay the entire run, adding a lot of replayability.
5. Random Pokemon for Every Player
At the start of each run, the game gives you a random team of 3 different Pokemon, unique to every player. This system adds to the replayability and ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and different, making the gameplay experience more dynamic and unpredictable.
6. Each Pokemon Can Have Up to 4 Abilities
One of the game’s most unique features is that Pokemon can now have four different abilities at a time. This improves the reusability of each Pokemon and lets players experiment with new variations in boss battles to progress further.
7. New Aesthetics, Clean UI, and Great Visuals
The game is aesthetically beautiful and features stunning visuals. Every UI element is made from scratch, with entirely new maps and custom graphics used throughout. Each area, character, and part of the game has been designed with utmost care, and fans loved it upon initial release.
8. Various Plotlines and Stories to Witness
Explore multiple story arcs, each based on different myths and folktales. These stories offer fresh experiences and rich lore across different runs.
9. In-Built Tracking System
The game fully tracks your runs and their outcomes, showing whether you won or lost. All of this is displayed in a custom tracking screen that shows how many runs you’ve played, total wins, total losses, and more—all updated automatically.
10. And a Lot More in the Game
There’s much more to discover—including hidden mechanics, secrets, and surprises waiting in every corner.
Who should play the Game
- Competitive players who enjoy deep strategy and buildcrafting
- ROM hack fans looking for a unique, fresh experience
- Roguelite/lite fans who like progression through failure
- Players who enjoy stories rooted in myths and mysteries
Game Progress
The game is feature complete, but future updates may include new bosses, additional abilities and moves to acquire, and new team archetypes to explore.
While the game is playable, it may contain bugs, as there was limited time for playtesting before the competition deadline. Future versions are expected to include bug fixes and other improvements.
Gameplay Screenshots
Credits
Development: Turtleye & Hedara
Playtesting: artisansystem, Belle
Multi-ability branch: Bassforte
pokeemerald-expansion: RH-Hideout
Mystery Dungeon portraits: PMD Sprite project – full credits list in pmd_credits.txt (Github repo files)