The Best GPS & Location-based Games on Mobile

Augmented Reality is, in simple terms, our real world that’s supplemented with computer-generated objects. Someone heard about AR only recently, and someone even today has no idea what it is and what it is eaten with, which may give the impression that this is a fairly new and not yet completely tested technology, but this is far from so.

Pokemon Go was a sensation when it first launched. But it is not the only location-based augmented reality game out there – here are several other strategy, puzzle and RPG games that will challenge your mind and the soles of your shoes.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Developer: Niantic
Platforms: iOS & Android

In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite you have to go into the world of magic and explore it with your friends. You’ll meet characters and visit places familiar from the main Harry Potter series and the Fantastic Beasts film series.

The plot is as follows: a certain disaster occurred, because of which magical artifacts, creatures, and even memories began to appear in the Muggle world. Magicians from all over the world must unite, uncover the secret and defeat opponents. Similar to Pokémon GO, you will see traces of magic on the map. They can appear anywhere, but some things will only appear in certain places, such as parks, libraries, zoos, banks, government buildings, universities, monuments, art galleries. It will be possible to overcome magic with the help of suitable spells. For this you will receive rewards.

Magical energy is needed to cast spells. You can replenish it with food and drinks in the tavern, which are located in the Muggle world. In the same place (as well as in greenhouses and on the map) you will find ingredients for making potions and potions. An interesting use of augmented reality are bags with portals. Opening them, you will be transported to the famous places of the Harry Potter universe. For example, Ollivander’s shop.

There will also be multiplayer battles. The map shows the fortresses in which the tests are being carried out. You have to shoulder to shoulder with other players to defeat the Death Eaters and Dementors in real time. In addition, users will be able to choose their specialty: Aurors, Magozologists and Professors. Each of them has its own skills and abilities.

So far, it doesn’t look like Wizard’s Unite has taken off in the same way Pokemon GO did, but it’s still proven a popular game amongst fans.

Ingress Prime

Developer: Niantic
Platforms:  iOS Universal, Android

Ingress was released in 2012 and, according to Niantic, has been downloaded over 20 million times. It offered Augmented Reality (AR) gameplay similar to Pokémon Go, but with more emphasis on cooperative action and a cyberpunk setting. Instead of teams of coaches, Ingress divided players (agents) into two factions: “Enlightened” and “Resistance”. Members of each were tasked with finding and capturing “portals” around the world, which actually referred to public places and landmarks.

Ingress Prime will bring a completely redesigned user interface and improved sound design. The game will also use the same technical platform as Pokémon Go, allowing core-level improvements and fixes to be made to both games.

The new version of Ingress will be released on iPhone, iPad and Android devices in 2018, and will start with a new story arc, accompanied by anime inserts, designed to make the game more accessible to new users. Niantic also confirmed that the global game map Ingress will be removed, but existing agents will keep all their in-game progress – level and items.

Maguss

Developer: Mawa
Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

Another recent GPS MMO is Maguss, which is definitely not trying to make the player feel like they are in the world of Harry Potter. It’s an augmented reality online role-playing game that lets you walk around and be in a living fantasy world at the same time.

The classic RPG-mechanics of character development, many tasks, PvE-mode and storyline are announced. Trade, fight each other in PvP, find ancient treasures, craft your own items, explore and learn, or go on cooperative raids.

The main difference between the game and others in a similar genre is the development of a special magic wand connected to a smartphone by Bluetooth. The wand will read gestures and hand movements to display this in the application itself (spell casting, alchemy, etc.) The developers honestly warn that the gameplay, scenario, scenery or characters of the game are not created as copies of these from the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter) . Any possible references are not intended to profit from someone else’s work.

Orna

Developer: Cutless
Platform:  Android

A new kid on the block is Orna, which basically takes your classic SNES JRPG gameplay and plops it into a map of your actual neighborhood. It’s Dragon Warrior, but instead of wearing out your thumbs stomping around looking for random encounters you’ll wear out your actual feet. There’s also some multiplayer aspects where characters can grow strong enough to become Duke of their area and be challenged by other players, and the ability to form parties to cooperate.

Geocaching

Platforms: iOS & Android

Among the smaller games that rely heavily on GPS, I would like to highlight Geocaching. There are many containers hidden on the real map that you need to find, and then hide and leave clues about their location for other players. Thanks to the flexible setting of the “quest”, you can choose the difficulty, type of terrain and size of the container, and for the most agile daredevils, they offer to climb mountains. It’s a straightforward game of going to a specific GPS location and finding a hidden package.

Unlike most GPS games, geocaching is a curated tour of your surroundings. The standard app is Geocaching, based on geocaching.com. The game has a freemium model where a lot of caches are free to find, but some you’ll need a subscription for. ocation-based AR has found wide application among tourists and just people who love to explore the area.