Check out the first Pokemon GBA ROM hack of 2025, released on January 1st. This game is all about the escape room idea, made for experienced players who want to test their skills with tricky puzzles. Featuring Pokemon from Generations 1 to 9, you’ll need to think smart and use strategy to solve puzzles and beat tough trainers. Your goal is to escape the cave where the game begins before time runs out. Ready for the challenge? Explore Pokemon Cave Escape and see if you can make it out in time!
General Information
| Rom Name | Pokemon Cave Escape |
| Creator | Ketchupplant |
| Base Rom | Pokemon Emerald |
| Rom Type | GBA |
| Available Language | English |
| Released on | January 1, 2025 |
| Status | Completed |
| Patch File | Official Patch (.bps) |
Description
This ROM is inspired by escape room games, like The Pit by Wiz1989 and Freezai’s Mountain by Freezai, and is designed for experienced players who want a tough Pokemon challenge. It uses classic Pokemon gameplay mechanics to create puzzle-like tasks that players must solve to progress. The game features challenging overworld puzzles and tough trainer battles that require creative thinking to move forward. The ultimate goal is to escape the cave where the game begins.
Note: This ROM is quite difficult, as it challenges players to escape the cave as quickly as possible. Completion times vary, but experienced players can expect to finish in 3-5 hours of gameplay.
Creator’s Note
This is the creator’s first hack, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. Please share your thoughts in this THREAD
Features List
- Pokemon from Generation 1 through 9 are available.
- Battle mechanics and moves are up-to-date with Generation 9.
- The game includes 3 overworld puzzles and 6 tough trainer battles, requiring a mix of items and game mechanics to solve.
- Battle RNG (Random Number Generation) has been removed, ensuring more predictable outcomes (for example, a 70% accuracy move always hits, and a second use of Protect will always fail).
- None of the battles rely on the AI making mistakes; no battle strategy relies on the AI playing poorly or ignoring important moves.
- There’s an NPC who can offer hints, but each hint adds more time to your in-game clock.
- You won’t get stuck unless you actively try to do so (like by discarding items).
- Every puzzle step is fair, and any solution that’s not immediately obvious will be hinted at in some way.
Some Screenshots
Conclusion
To wrap things up, Pokemon Cave Escape is a great challenge for experienced players who enjoy tough puzzles and strategic battles. Inspired by escape rooms, the game lets you solve tricky puzzles and face strong trainers using Pokemon from Generations 1 to 9. Your main goal is to escape the cave before time runs out, adding extra excitement to the adventure. Whether you’re a long-time Pokemon fan or just love a good challenge, Pokemon Cave Escape will test your skills in new ways. Are you up for it? Jump in and see if you can escape!
Credits
This project was created using the Pokeemerald-expansion decomp by pret and RH Hideout. The tools used during development included Porymap, Poryscript, GraphicsGale, and Tilemap Studio. The concept was initially inspired by SmallAnt’s Pokemon escape room idea, with further development and features like the Hintmaster contributed by @wiz1989. Special thanks go to Accidental and Datoneman for their help in fleshing out ideas, as well as to everyone who tried out the initial versions.
