Augmented reality games were always around but it wasn’t until Pokemon Go that people started to take them seriously.
With the power of being licensed after one of the biggest entertainment franchises of all time, Pokemon Go pushed the concept to the next level and allowed seamless gameplay that caused an influx of people going to parks and landmarks with their phones to catch Pokemon and participate in battles all over the world.
Whether you’re a fan of Pokemon Go and are looking for more or just someone generally interested in augmented reality, it can be very time consuming to find the best AR games as the market is filled with mediocre and gimmicky clones.
That’s why we’ve created a list of the 10 Best AR Games Like Pokemon Go for Android & iOS for you, and to make it even easier for you we’ve attached gameplay videos and direct store links as well. Let’s get started.
What are the best AR Games for Android and iOS
Apart from being exceptional Pokemon Go alternatives, these are the best AR games to play on your device right now.
1. Zombies, Run!
Zombies, Run! is an experimental game that throws you in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and kind of acts like an intense fitness game in away.
The game relies on good sound design, which gives you a hint of where you might face a threat, and you have to run away from the zombies when they finally find you. It’s a full package with scares, fun gameplay, and innovative augmented reality, so you’ll find yourself having a great time.
When someone says ‘best AR game’, Zombies, Run! is one of the first titles to pop up in my mind.
2. Minecraft Earth
Minecraft Earth is not only one of the best Pokemon Go alternatives, it’s arguably one of the best-augmented reality games ever made. It has most of the main features you would expect from a Minecraft game, such as building, collaborating, exploring, and discovering secrets – but you can do this in AR and change the real world around you.
The game features great graphics that truly feel like you’re actually creating holes through the real world and filling it with your Minecraft creations. It’s fun through and through and will keep you and your friends busy for a long time.
3. Ghostbusters World
Ghostbusters World is one of the most closely resembling games like Pokemon Go for Android and iOS because of two main reasons: it’s from a licensed franchise and your job is to catch powerful beings. The game is tons of fun regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the Ghostbusters movies, as you will have to go around in the real world and catch tons of ghosts both original and from the source material.
Something that sets Ghostbusters World apart is the fact you can team up with your friends in the multiplayer feature and fight Raid Bosses, such as the iconic Stay Puft, providing a quality ghost-busting time for everyone.
Download on Cnet.
4. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is everything you’d expect from a Harry Potter-themed game, which is casting spells, encountering licensed characters, discovering mysterious objects and artifacts, and even finding different kinds of animals and beasts that you’ve seen in the series on your phone.
You have to pick a wizarding house, your wand, and one of three different classes, and then you’ll be fighting different beasts and players to progress.
It’s one of the best Pokemon Go alternatives because it has several features similar to it too aside from the many original things, such as fighting powerful animals, recharging at inns that act like Pokestops, and so on.
5. Ingress Prime
Ingress is a very unique experience that you’ll find on every list that has the words ‘best AR game’ because of its unique concept and the fact it’s developed by the studio responsible for most decent AR games of our time – Niantic. The game uses your GPS to locate portals close to your range, which will be often found in places such as landmarks, statues, unique architecture, and so on.
When a player reaches one of these portals, they will find several pieces of lore and story-line to the game’s fictional setting and follows a kind of a ‘capture the flag’ structure as you mark down locations before anyone else does and are given the ability to harness the power within the portals or to fight it.
It’s hard to explain the games in words, it’s best to experience it yourself and get immersed in the game’s unique concept. It also allows players to communicate with each other, so you can even make new friends through it.
6. The Walking Dead: Our World
The Walking Dead: Our World! is another zombie AR game, but it’s quite different in comparison due to a long list of features instead of a minimalistic approach.
The game allows players to fight zombies in the real world and explore the areas around them which will be altered within the phone’s screen. You can find valuable items, upgrade your characters and weaponry, and even create clans to collaborate with other players similar to the show.
You can even build shelters, save survivors, and complete co-op challenges for large rewards. It’s one of the best collaborative AR games and still a blast if you play alone as well, and is one of the best games like Pokemon Go for Android and iOS that feature zombies as a central theme.
7. Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs
You’ve played Angry Birds; we’ve played Angry Birds. The game lasted us hours of entertainment with its endless updates, sequels, spin-offs, ports, and even a movie on the big screen. You can only play the same type of gameplay for so long before finally saying goodbye, so that’s why Angry Birds has crossed into the augmented reality territory as well.
The game has everything that you’d expect – there are the birds to control, pigs to kill, crazy levels full of fun physics and things to do, but this time it’s in the real world.
To make things more fun, your movement will make a difference in which way you’ll swing at the objects, so a lot of strategy and planning is required to get the swings right. It’s not the best AR game, but Angry Birds has always been more about having relaxing fun instead of an out-of-the-world experience, so you’ll still have a good time with it.
8. The Machines
The Machines is one of the highest produced AR games and allows you to battle your friends in an augmented world full of action-packed gameplay, immersive audio, and great graphics.
You can create a team of robots and level them up with the best weapons and abilities, and then take on friends and enemies as well as settlements in the form of towers, to increase your stronghold in the game’s leaderboards.
What makes the game more fun is that your strategies extend to your movement, so you’ll have to adjust your device for better placements when setting up weaponry and machines into battle. That extra detail makes quite a difference in the depth of the gameplay, and you’ll find yourself addicted in no time.
9. Run an Empire
Run an Empire is a unique augmented reality experience where you catch the territory you run through, which encourages you to take larger parts of your city as you go and acts as something that will contribute to your fitness as well. You will be competing with other players for territory as they will be running around too, so you’ll need to push yourself to have a bigger stronghold than them.
The game will keep you busy and fit, and that’s what makes it one of the best Pokemon Go alternatives in the market right now.
10. Army of Robots
Army of Robots is one of the simpler augmented reality games, which is closer to what you might be used to playing on one of those classic Nokia touch phones compared to something big-scale like Pokemon Go – but the simplicity is part of the appeal. The gameplay is that of a shooter, as your world is being invaded by robots that wish to kill humans and take control of the planet, and your goal is to find and destroy them with your phone before they get you.
While it’s fun to go outside to play the game, it’s still fun even if you prefer staying indoors. So, this is the best AR game for you if you’re not in the mood to go out and run around to have fun, with simpler gameplay that will immerse you anyway.
Those were the 10 best AR games like Pokemon Go for Android and iOS. Did you find your favorite game on the list? Did we miss any cool AR games that you know of? Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments, and don’t forget to check out some of the other helpful lists on the website.
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