VDex Project is an online Pokémon fangame based around catching wild Pokémon and building up a collection of them. The game takes place in the world of the core series games, in a future in which all Pokémon have mysteriously taken human form. In order to recreate the world as it once was, scientists started the VirtualDex Project, a virtual reality world in which trainers and Pokémon may journey together, just as it was in the old days. The player is a human who has entered the virtual world, accompanied by a Poké-human partner. There are many different partners to choose from, all of whom provide a specific gameplay bonus, and the active partner may be switched for a different one at any time.
Basic gameplay involves traveling a map of the Pokémon world. The regions from the first five generations have been recreated in VDex Project, including accurate encounter tables. The player may choose a map location, and then hunt for wild Pokémon using their Pokéradar. Once they see one they want, they may choose to throw a Poké Ball at it. The chance of a successful capture is determined by the Pokémon’s base capture rate, any multipliers assigned to the chosen Poké Ball, and partner bonuses if applicable. It is also possible to obtain Pokémon by breeding them or trading with other players.
Pokémon in this game may display any sprite used in the core series games. The sprite an individual uses is generated when they are first encountered, with shiny Pokémon and sprites from earlier games such as Yellow being less likely to appear. VDex-exclusive sprites may be encountered during special holiday events, generated with the use of certain items, or purchased from an in-game shop. A Pokémon’s nature, used in the core series to partially determine stat growth, is used here to further customize a Pokémon once it has been captured. Special items may change a Pokémon’s nature to a randomly-selected one, allowing Pokémon to have personalities such as “Cynical,” “Affectionate,” or “EXTREME”.
Other gameplay features include a battle system, a dungeon exploration minigame, and a Gacha corner in which players may adopt Pokémon abandoned by other users while gambling for the chance to win rare items.
