Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Top Five Games like Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go is without a doubt insanely popular these days as people can now live their dreams as a real-life Pokemon master. With over a hundred million downloads around the globe and generations of Pokemon still awaiting to be included into the game, there is absolutely zero indications that the game will slow down anytime soon.

There are also a lot of other games that make use of augmented reality in their gameplay. Whether it involves you going places or simply pointing the camera, or both, these titles take advantage of your smartphone’s capabilities to deliver a truly fun and unique experience. We’ve collected four games that rely on augmented reality, plus one upcoming title, so check out this list if you’re on the hunt for games like Pokemon Go.

Top Five Games like Pokemon Go

5. Ingress

games-like-pokemon-go-ingress Ingress was released last November 2012 for Android and July 2014 for iOS and was developed by Niantic, the same guys behind Pokemon Go. The game’s plot deals with the scatter of Exotic Matter (XM) all around the globe which is linked to the mysterious extraterrestrial Shapers.  Two factions namely the Enlightened and the Resistance have polarizing views regarding the alien matter and are now at war.

Players are asked to choose between the two factions. The Enlightened believe that humanity will benefit from embracing XM while the Resistance thinks otherwise. Gameplay involves walking around and visiting Portals which are usually on landmarks. Players must hack these Portals to obtain items and Action Points (the game’s experience points). They can also claim it for their faction by installing Resonators and defenses like Turrets and Shields, while enemy Portals can be neutralized with XMP Bursters. Players do not have a health bar and cannot be killed in any way; they can only run out of XM which prohibits actions until it is refilled. XM can be easily found scattered everywhere as you walk.

Ingress attracted thousands of players around the globe. In-game special events called Anomalies propel the plot and give unique rewards to participating players. There are also instances when the lines between the two factions blur and their members cooperate for the greater good. Ingress is great especially when you have a bike and live near a lot of landmarks.

4. SpecTrek

games-like-pokemon-go-spectrek Want an augmented reality game where you hunt down ghosts? Well SpecTrek is for you.

SpecTrek spawns ghosts in a specific search radius. Players must visit these locations and capture the paranormal entities before the set time limit expires. The game uses the device’s camera as the primary means of capturing ghosts.  As the game progresses the radius becomes larger and things become more challenging. Unfortunately some ghosts might spawn in locations that might be difficult to reach like a lake or inside an abandoned building. There are also instances when ghosts run away when you fail to catch them properly.

Fear not as the ghosts here are the “frightening” floating bedsheets with two holes for eyes, so don’t expect a screamer or something scary that will take you by surprise. The game recognizes your efforts through achievements, and there is also a possibility of finding hidden items while you’re out hunting. SpecTrek makes a good alternative to Pokemon Go that you can play while jogging with your kids.

3. Zombies Everywhere

games-like-pokemon-go-zombies-everywhere The seventh season of The Walking Dead is still three months away, and if you’re hankering for some zombie-slaying action then Zombies Everywhere is a must for your iOS device. Yes, Android users do not get the chance to play this.

Zombies Everywhere (or Zombies GO) uses your device’s camera to spawn zombies and you must tap them to death with your guns. The zombies rush towards your position and can actually kill you if they manage to land a couple of hits. You are first equipped with a handgun that contains unlimited ammo, and later on you can pick up better firearms like a minigun or a flamethrower. You can opt to turn on your camera’s flash to add a bit of strobe effect to every shot you make.

You can choose to play in augmented reality or in a virtual cemetery. The “Safe” mode allows you to walk around and kill zombies without them retaliating. They’ll just stand around waiting for you to put them out of their misery.

The game usually has a crazy visual glitch where zombies spawn literally anywhere. Point your camera on your desk and you might see a miniature ghoul crawl out. Sometimes they can even spawn inside your computer’s monitor when you aim the camera there. Regardless they can still run towards you and attack.

Zombies Everywhere is a pretty fun game for its price tag of 99 cents. Give it a shot if you can.

2. Run An Empire

games-like-pokemon-go-zombies-run-an-empire Run An Empire turns your daily morning jog into a game of establishing and capturing territories. It was first conceived as a Kickstarter in 2014, and is being constantly developed and geared up for release.

Players capture territories by jogging around a certain location. Expand your empire by stretching your trek towards farther locations. You are required to be active as the territories you obtain falter with each passing day and you must jog around them again to prevent other players from easily capturing your piece of land. It is also heavily encouraged that you pass through the territories of your neighbors and carve your empire’s reach there. The game only works when you’re on foot thanks to your device’s accelerometer. This prevents the use of cars or motorcycles in an attempt to quickly subjugate territories.

Run An Empire is currently available for the iOS in New Zealand while a select number of players around the globe are playing through a private beta. Developer PAN seeks to release the game for all markets this 2016. Get your running gear ready and your legs in shape because, in this game of jogs, you capture or you lose.

1. Night Terrors

games-like-pokemon-go-night-terrors Night Terrors turns your device and your camera into a source of nightmares.

The game is still under development. Based on the footages that surfaced, Night Terrors spawns nightmarish creatures that you can see with your camera. The audio also plays out depending on which direction they are standing. It is also reported to be able to send fake text messages and incoming calls to your device which further fuels the terror.

The plot deals with a little girl who is trapped in a different dimension that’s fortunately near wherever you are currently standing. For some reason this causes supernatural occurrences to manifest. So you’ll be having spiders crawling on your screen, ghosts charging towards you, whispers calling you out by your first name, and even text messages that contain threats on your life. It is also compatible with your Apple Watch which can monitor your heartbeat. Not scared enough? That will make the game amp up its NOPE meter and attract unwanted attention.

Night Terrors has been developed for many years and was originally thought to be cancelled. Good thing developer Novum Analytics announced that they will be releasing the game on Halloween this year. It is slated for a $5.99 price tag and you can pre-order the game in their Indiegogo page.

There we go with the top five games like Pokemon Go. Have you tried any of these titles? Do you have other recommendations that are worthy mentions? Let us know in the comments below.

Anthony Coyle
Anthony Coyle
I write about anything and everything that catches my fancy, but mostly I try to provide the answers to the questions our readers ask every day. I'm also the guy who's always glued to an LCD screen of some sort.
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