Ten years after launch, Pokémon GO is still the best AR game on mobile. Monster Hunter Now is the pick if you want action, Pikmin Bloom if you want a gentle reason to walk, and Jurassic World Alive if you’d rather collect dinosaurs. Runners should try Zombies, Run!, which turns a jog into an audio adventure. Nearly all of today’s popular “AR” games are really location games: they use your phone’s GPS to put the game on a real map, and the camera view is an optional extra.
What counts as an AR game? #
Augmented reality means the game adds something to the real world around you. On phones that happens in two ways:
- Camera AR draws game objects over your camera view, so a Pokémon appears to sit on your kitchen table.
- Location play turns your real neighborhood into the game board. You walk to a park to find creatures, fight monsters or claim territory.
The games that lasted lean on location and treat the camera as a fun extra you can switch off. That’s no accident. Camera AR drains the battery fast, and pointing your phone at things gets old. Walking around with a reason to explore doesn’t.
The best AR and location games at a glance #
| Game | What you do | Released | Price model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon GO | Catch, trade and battle Pokémon | 2016 | Free, with in-app purchases |
| Monster Hunter Now | Hunt big monsters in short fights | 2023 | Free, with in-app purchases |
| Pikmin Bloom | Walk to grow Pikmin and plant flowers | 2021 | Free, with in-app purchases |
| Jurassic World Alive | Collect dinosaur DNA and battle | 2018 | Free, with in-app purchases |
| Ingress Prime | Capture territory for your team | 2018 (original Ingress 2013) | Free |
| Zombies, Run! | Run through an audio story | 2012 | Free to start, subscription for more |
Pokémon GO: still the one to beat #
Pokémon GO launched in July 2016 and set off one of the biggest crazes in mobile history. You walk to find and catch Pokémon, spin PokéStops for items, join raids against powerful Pokémon with other players, and trade with friends. The AR+ camera mode puts Pokémon in your surroundings for photos, but you can turn it off and play on the map alone.
The game changed hands in 2025. Niantic sold its games business, including Pokémon GO, Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom, to Scopely for $3.5 billion, and the deal closed on May 29, 2025. Events and updates have carried on under the new owner.
Wrong for: people who can’t get out much. You can do some things from home, but the game is built around walking.
Monster Hunter Now: the action pick #
Capcom and Niantic released Monster Hunter Now on September 14, 2023. Monsters appear on your real-world map, and tapping one starts a fight that lasts up to 75 seconds. You collect materials to craft better weapons and armor, the same loop the console series is known for. If you spot a monster at a bad moment, you can mark it with a paintball and fight it later.
Wrong for: anyone who dislikes grinding. Getting strong gear means repeating a lot of hunts.
Pikmin Bloom: the gentle one #
Pikmin Bloom from Nintendo and Niantic is barely a game, and that’s the appeal. Your steps grow little Pikmin, and as you walk you plant a trail of flowers on the map. There’s no combat and no pressure, just a pleasant nudge to go for a walk and a daily record of where you went.
Wrong for: players who want a challenge. There’s very little to win or lose.
Jurassic World Alive: dinosaurs on your street #
Ludia’s Jurassic World Alive came out in 2018 and is still getting updates. You fly a drone over the map to collect DNA from wandering dinosaurs, combine it to create hybrids, and battle other players in an arena. The camera mode lets you photograph dinosaurs in your backyard.
Wrong for: people who dislike player-versus-player. The arena is where the game’s depth is.
Ingress Prime: the original #
Ingress was Niantic’s first location game, and Pokémon GO’s map was built on it. Two teams fight over portals at real landmarks, linking them to claim territory. It suits players who like teamwork and strategy. Ingress didn’t go to Scopely: it stayed with Niantic Spatial, the mapping company Niantic spun off after the sale.
Wrong for: solo players. Ingress works best when you have a local team to coordinate with.
Zombies, Run!: AR for your ears #
Zombies, Run! doesn’t use the camera at all. It layers a story over your run: you’re Runner 5, gathering supplies for a survivor town, with radio chatter and missions playing between your music. Your phone’s GPS tracks your pace, and optional zombie chases make you speed up. It launched in 2012 and has been free to start with a subscription since 2015. In 2026, co-creator Naomi Alderman bought the game back and relaunched it with a new season.
Wrong for: people who’d rather not run. You’ll get far more out of it if you’re already jogging a few times a week.
Which AR games shut down? #
| Game | Ran | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Minecraft Earth | October 2019 to June 30, 2021 | Mojang blamed the pandemic’s effect on real-world movement |
| Harry Potter: Wizards Unite | 2019 to January 31, 2022 | A big license wasn’t enough to keep players walking |
| NBA All-World | 2023 to June 29, 2023 | Closed within months of launch |
| Peridot | Pulled from stores May 14, 2026; servers closed August 31, 2026 | Niantic’s virtual pet didn’t survive the sale |
When an online game shuts down, everything you bought in it disappears with it. That’s a good reason to keep spending modest in any live-service game. Our guide to spotting pay-to-win games shows what to look for in the shop before you get invested.
Why haven’t AR games taken over mobile gaming? #
AR games had one enormous hit and a lot of misses. The reasons are practical:
- Battery and heat. Running the camera and GPS together drains a phone faster than almost anything else. Many players turn AR mode off for exactly this reason.
- Weather and daylight. A game that needs you outdoors loses players every winter and every rainy week.
- Where you live matters. Cities are full of stops and landmarks. Rural players can walk for miles and find very little.
- Safety. Staring at a map while walking is how people trip over curbs. Look up when you cross a street, and never play while driving. Pokémon GO shows a warning if you’re moving too fast for a reason.
- Privacy. These games need your location to work. Set location access to “While Using the App” rather than “Always” unless you need step tracking in the background, and check the settings before handing a location game to a child.
- Time. Most mobile gaming happens in short breaks: a bus ride, a queue, the couch. A game you need to walk around to play doesn’t fit those moments.
That last point is the big one. Most people play on their phones in places where going for a walk isn’t an option.
When you can’t go outside #
For the bus, the waiting room or a rainy evening, you want a game that works in seconds and doesn’t need a map or a signal. Flappy Kittens (Flappy Cat on Google Play) is built for exactly that: tap to fly a cat through gaps, collect fish treats, and spend them on 14 cats and 8 worlds. A run lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, and it plays fully offline. For more quick picks, see our list of the best casual mobile games or games like Flappy Bird.
Frequently asked questions #
What is the best AR game on mobile? #
Pokémon GO, for most people. It has the most players, the most events and years of content. Monster Hunter Now is the better pick if you want real-time combat, and Pikmin Bloom if you want something relaxed.
Can you play AR games without walking? #
Partly. Pokémon GO and Monster Hunter Now let you do a few things from one spot, like fighting a monster you marked earlier or joining some raids. But these games are designed around movement, and you’ll progress slowly if you rarely leave home.
Do AR games drain your battery? #
Yes, more than most games, because they use GPS and often the camera at the same time. Turning off the AR camera mode, lowering screen brightness and carrying a small power bank all help on long walks.
Are AR games safe for kids? #
They can be, with some supervision. Location games send players to real places, sometimes with strangers around at raids and events. Check the game’s age rating, set location sharing carefully, and agree on where your child is allowed to play.
Is Pokémon GO still owned by Niantic? #
No. Scopely bought Niantic’s games business, including Pokémon GO, Monster Hunter Now and Pikmin Bloom, in a $3.5 billion deal that closed in May 2025. Ingress stayed with Niantic Spatial.