How Does Pokemon: Auto Chess Gameplay Work?

Updated

Pokemon: Auto Chess is a fan-made, non-profit auto chess game where you pick Pokemon, build synergies between them, unlock items, and defeat enemy lineups. The core loop is indirect control: you make placement and roster decisions, then battles resolve automatically. This explainer covers how a match actually plays out so you can decide whether the format suits you.

The auto chess format: you decide, the game resolves

Unlike a standard tactics game, you don't issue commands mid-battle. Your job happens before and between fights:

  • Place units on the board in the positions you want.
  • Let the battle play out automatically once it starts.
  • Adjust your board and roster based on the result.

This means your skill expression is in preparation — positioning, roster composition, and timing — rather than real-time inputs. If you enjoy planning over execution, this is the appeal; if you want direct control during fights, the format will feel hands-off.

Building synergies between chosen Pokemon

Synergies are the main lever for making a team stronger. The idea is that certain Pokemon reinforce each other when fielded together, so a lineup of individually strong units can still lose to a lineup with better synergy.

Practically, this shapes your decisions in two ways:

  1. Roster choice matters more than raw power. You're looking for combinations, not just the strongest single Pokemon.
  2. Commitment has a cost. Spreading across too many synergy groups tends to leave you with a weak, unfocused board, so you generally pick a direction and build into it.

Unlocking and using items

Items add a second layer on top of synergies. You unlock them over the course of play and then apply them to your units to shift how a matchup goes. Because items are a separate resource from your Pokemon choices, they give you a way to patch weaknesses or push an existing strength further — for example, shoring up a unit that keeps dying before it can contribute.

The goal: defeat enemy lineups round by round

Matches are structured as a series of rounds against enemy lineups. Each round you field your board, the fight resolves, and you carry the outcome forward into the next round. The overall objective is to keep winning these exchanges and outlast the opposition.

This round-by-round structure is what makes the game a decision loop rather than a single battle: every result feeds back into what you change next.

Who this is for

Pokemon: Auto Chess suits you if you like:

  • Team-building and synergy planning over mechanical execution.
  • Short, repeatable rounds where you iterate on a build.
  • A Pokemon-themed take on the auto chess genre.

It's a fan/non-profit project, with all rights to The Pokemon Company. If you want direct combat control or a fully original IP, that's the trade-off to weigh before trying it.