Pokémon Crystal Clear

What it is

Crystal Clear is a long-running hack of Pokémon Crystal by ShockSlayer, first developed in 2017 and still updated: version 2.6.0 arrived in March 2026. It keeps the original 251 Pokémon and the Gen 2 battle system, but throws away the linear route through the game.

What's changed

• Open world: you pick your starting town anywhere in Johto or Kanto and travel freely, with HM roadblocks such as cut trees removed
• Gyms and trainers scale, so the badges can be earned in any order
• A wide choice of player characters and starter Pokémon
• A following Pokémon, palette and character customization and many quality-of-life touches
• Two builds, with and without a color filter, that play the same

Updating from an older version takes a few steps to keep your save; the creator's documentation explains them.

Playing it

ShockSlayer distributes the patch only through the project's Discord, linked from the page; apply it to your own copy of Pokémon Crystal. The creator warns that copies found on other sites are outdated or unsafe.