Pokémon Eclipse is an online Pokémon fangame in which players may capture, battle, and trade Pokémon. The majority of canon Pokémon exist on the site alongside a number of fan creations, and it is possible for Pokémon to have special appearance modifiers such as Golden, Dark, or Crystal. Many of these special Pokémon are both rare and available only during a limited timeframe, giving them great value to collectors.
To catch Pokémon, the player must search one of the several maps available, each with their own set of available wild Pokémon. Once a Pokémon has been encountered, the player may choose to either defeat it or capture it to add to their collection. Other methods of obtaining Pokémon include buying them from in-game shops or other players, winning them from side modes, or resurrecting them from DNA samples found on the map.
Pokémon can gain levels and evolve by battling wild Pokémon and AI-controlled teams. It is also possible to customize a Pokémon’s moveset by spending points earned from trainer battles. Pokémon can normally learn few moves outside of their own type, though special varieties often come with more abnormal movesets. One of the primary reasons to train Pokémon is the Battle Area, a story mode in which the player challenges a gauntlet of NPC trainers in order to win exclusive Pokémon and, eventually, unlock a new set of maps.
Other areas of the site include a mining minigame where players can search for items, rare stones and gem shards that can be traded for special Pokémon, and wild Pokémon that typically have an appearance modifier. Another area called the minigame center hosts a different collection of minigames that award a special currency with which to buy rare Pokémon. Lastly, players may opt to collect avatars, called plushies, that are found randomly on the main set of maps. Each player is randomly assigned one of three teams upon opening an account, which determines which of these plushies are available to them. The only way to complete one’s plushie collection is to trade with players on different teams.