Fan Games

What Are Fan Games?

Fan games (often called "fangames") are unofficial video games created by enthusiasts as tributes to existing franchises, such as popular series from Nintendo, Sega, or other developers. These projects are typically non-commercial and made for fun, creativity, or to fill gaps in official content—like imagining "what if" scenarios or remaking old titles with modern twists. Fans use tools like game engines (e.g., Unity, Godot, or RPG Maker) to build them, often incorporating elements inspired by the originals while respecting fair use guidelines.

Unlike official games, fan games aren't sold for profit and can face legal challenges if they infringe on copyrights (e.g., using protected assets without permission). However, many thrive in communities like itch.io or Game Jolt, and some even get developer blessings or inspire professional work. On this wiki, we document them to preserve their history and encourage collaborative editing.

Brief History of Well-Known Projects

Fan games have roots in the early modding scene of the 1990s, when players modified games like Doom (1993) or Quake (1996) to create new levels or total conversions. These mods were precursors to full fan games, as tools became more accessible.

In the 2000s, software like RPG Maker enabled easier creation, leading to projects inspired by series like EarthBound (e.g., early fan remakes around 2000). The internet helped distribute them, fostering communities.

Notable modern examples include:

• Black Mesa (2012, full release 2020): A fan remake of Half-Life (1998) that updated graphics and gameplay, eventually sold on Steam with Valve's approval.
• AM2R (Another Metroid 2 Remake) (2016): A polished remake of Metroid II (1991), praised for its quality but taken down by Nintendo—highlighting the legal tightrope fan creators walk.
• Pokémon Uranium (2016): A complete fan-made Pokémon game with original regions and creatures, developed over nine years by a small team.
• Pizza Tower (2023): Started as a Wario Land fan game but evolved into an original indie hit, showing how fan projects can launch careers.

Browse Fan Games

For more exploration across the wiki, check out these sections:

• Fan Games by Series - Fan games organized by the series they are based on.
• Fan Games by Developer - Fan games organized by their respective developers.
• Fan Games by Platform - Fan games organized by the platform they run on natively.
• Fan Games by Engine - Fan games organized by the engine/framework/sdk they were made using.
• Fan Games by Status - Fan games organized by completion status.