Pokémon Go is currently the most popular mobile game in history, which come as no surprise as the game / mobile app has become a global phenomenon and is now one of the most used mobile apps, with more than 130 million users globally.
One of the unique points of the game is that users will be able to capture Pokémon in the real world, so it has introduced the augmented reality concept to many for the first time.
However, the game certainly wasn’t the first mobile game to utilise the concept, since a few years ago there were a number of games that already fused the virtual and real world.
But with the Pokémon Go craze going on right now, more and more games with a similar concept and style are starting to appear in the market.
Here are five other mobile games which are similar to Pokémon Go.
1.Zombies, Run
Zombies, Run is an immersive running app where users need to “run away” from zombies in real life. The app is a great way to encourage people to work out while running away from the undead. Basically, via the app, users will be given a series of missions like collecting supplies and evading zombies. While running, users will listen to various audio narrations interrupting their playlist about zombie apocalypse, including a creepy medley of zombie groans! Also the game is hands-free, so while collecting supplies, users just need to pass by certain check points, then it will be automatically collected. Zombies, Run became the highest-grossing Health & Fitness app on Apple's App Store within two weeks of its initial release.
2.Night Terrors
If you are a horror movie lover, the Night Terrors is the perfect mobile game for you.! Like Pokémon Go, the game combines real-life environments with elements from a virtual world, but instead of capturing cute Pokémons, you will be running away from ghosts and ghouls. If you want more excitement, play the game at night with all the lights turned off and put on your headphones for the best sound effects. The game can also manipulate your phone’s operating system, so don’t be surprised when you suddenly received creepy messages and photos.
3.Maguss
Late last month, news that Niantic – creator of Pokémon Go, creating a Harry Potter spin-off of the game; Harry Potter Go, has been going viral on the internet. There have been rumours, fan-made trailers, and even a petition for the game that currently has more than 50,000 signatures. Various news outlets have also reported that the game is currently in early development and that Niantic's senior developer, Marcus Figueroa even confirmed the news in an interview with IGN. However, it was later reported that the news was false as IGN has denied reporting anything regarding Harry Potter Go.
Although Harry Potter Go will not be happening anytime soon in the future, another augmented reality-based Harry Potter-esque game called Maguss has been created, and the idea to create this game came years before Pokémon Go was released. The game allows users to explore the real world and live in fantasy at the same time, as they use magic spells to battle dragons, trolls and other magical creatures. The game even comes together with its very own Maguss Wand, but users can choose to play the game without the wand too. For now, the game company is trying to get a Harry Potter license to develop an AR game as per the publication, and if Warner Bros. is willing to work with them, they might be officially taking on “Harry Potter Go” soon.
4.Ingress
Ingress is probably one of the most similar game to Pokémon Go as it is Niantic’s first augmented reality mobile game. The game is a massive multiplayer location-based online game which has a science fiction back story with a continuous open narrative. Players have to travel to various destinations to hack “portals” in real life locations and build them up after choosing one of the teams to fight against the other side. The mechanism of the game is very similar to Pokémon Go, but the feel is different and it is a bit more serious and complex.
5.City Spirit Go
Since Pokémon Go has not yet been officially released in China, the country had decided to create its own version of the highly popular mobile game called, City Spirit Go. As a total rip-off of Pokémon Go, the Chinese game is also a location-based game which requires users to move around in the real world to catch different monsters that have elemental qualities and can be evolved into different kind of creatures. The game is currently the top free game in China today, but the one thing that is missing from the game is the exciting element of augmented reality because the Chinese government has blocked Google Maps, which probably explains why Pokémon Go still hasn’t been released in China.