11-20-2018, 11:07 AM
The Best Location-based Games on iOS and Android
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.png" width="820" height="423" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p><strong>P</strong><em>okemon Go</em> was a sensation when it first launched, and for many people it may have been their first brush with the idea that the GPS locator in your phone could be used for gaming. But <em>Pokemon Go</em> is not the only location-based augmented reality game out there, and it’s definitely not the one offering the deepest experience.</p>
<p>Here are several other strategy, puzzle and RPG games that will challenge your mind and the soles of your shoes.</p>
<h2>Geocaching</h2>
<p><strong>Platforms:</strong> iOS & Android</p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.png" alt="Best location geocaching" width="820" height="423" /></p>
<p>First of all, why not go back in time to the very first GPS game? Geocaching goes back to the age when GPS units were expensive contraptions primarily of use to forest rangers, not something we forget is built into our phones and constantly monitoring us like SKYNET. It’s a straightforward game of going to a specific GPS location and finding a hidden package … at first.</p>
<p>Each geocache is hidden by another player, and some of them like to set up puzzles first. Unlike most GPS games, geocaching is a curated tour of your surroundings. The standard app is <em>Geocaching</em>, 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. More so than other games on this list, though, Geocaching is the way to really explore your surroundings. It must be noted that there are plenty of different apps that plug into the geocache database, however</p>
<h2>Ingress Prime</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Niantic<br /><strong>Platforms: </strong> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ingress-prime/id576505181?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS Universal</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticproject.ingress" target="_blank">Android</a><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-1.png" alt="best location ignress prime" width="820" height="455" /></p>
<p>If you like <em>Pokemon Go</em>, you should try Niantic’s first GPS game Ingress, which has recently been rebooted as <em>Ingress Prime</em>. In what is a common theme for augmented reality games, there is a secret world hidden behind our everyday lives, with Exotic Matter spewing into our reality at various hotspots. In a clever bit of post hoc justification, these hotspots show up at cultural markers in major population centres because humans are naturally attracted to them.</p>
<p>Also attracted are two rivals conspiracies that will recruit you to use your phone as a scanner to control fields of influence. The old guard is not happy with the new changes to Ingress, but for a brand new player, they may be welcome. The interface is smoother and a bit flashier (at the cost of data usage). Plus, it’s about to be an anime on Netflix!</p>
<h2>Maguss</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Mawa<br /><strong>Platforms: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/maguss-wizarding-mmorpg/id1347246288?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS Universal</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maguss.maguss" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.jpg" alt="Best location maguss" width="820" height="513" /></p>
<p>Another recent GPS MMO is <em>Maguss</em>, which is definitely not trying to make the player feel like they are in the world of <em>Harry Potter</em>. This is a very polished RPG with unique combat and potion-brewing systems. You pick spells like cards and have a limited number of slots for each round, which happen in a timed-turn-based fashion. Then, you use your finger to draw the spells you want to cast.</p>
<p>The devs are apparently working on a magic wand peripheral for when you want to stop just playing games and really go LARPing. <em>Maguss</em> is also unique in having real PvP combat. However, it is definitely not a <em>Harry Potter</em> game. We cannot stress this enough. <em>Maguss</em> may be about a secret world of magic, and have four rival schools, and magic wands, but it is not a way to live out your Hogwarts fantasies in the real world … at least until Niantic’s third game comes out.</p>
<h2>Orna</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Cutless<br /><strong>Platform: </strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=playorna.com.orna" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-2.png" alt="Best location orna" width="820" height="512" /></p>
<p>A new kid on the block is <em>Orna</em>, which basically takes your classic SNES JRPG gameplay and plops it into a map of your actual neighborhood. It’s <em>Dragon Warrior</em>, 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.</p>
<p>This one is only available on Android for now, but hopefully it will gain enough attention to make the jump to iOS. IAPs get you class specializations for more options but aren’t necessary to play the game.</p>
<h2>CodeRunner</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Robot Chicken Interactive<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/coderunner/id463639902?mt=8" target="_blank">iPhone<br /></a><strong>Price:</strong> $1.99</p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-1.jpg" alt="best location coderunner" width="820" height="461" /></p>
<p>A much stronger story is found in this AR game, which puts you in the shoes of a secret agent tasked with hacking suspicious citizens for the state by solving puzzles around town, some left by other players. <em>CodeRunner</em> really goes all-in on the augmented reality through its awesome audio, asking you to plug in headphones to play and giving you immersive spy ‘dialogue’ like instructions to keep your head down and don’t look behind you.</p>
<p>The game demands that you move around a lot as well, which is great if you’re trying to exercise more. It hasn’t updated in a while, and you won’t find many other players, but it’s a lot of fun while it lasts. Best of all, <em>CodeRunner</em> is a premium app, with no questionable IAP nonsense.</p>
<h2>Resources</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> UN3X<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.pala.resources" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-3.png" alt="best location resources" width="820" height="486" /></p>
<p>This Android game puts you in the middle of a war of tycoons. The real-world map gives you various resources to exploit, but after that advancing in the game is mostly up to you. After building mines, you can refine the raw materials with factories and sell them on a standard or black market. Plus lots of other economic trickery, including attacking the facilities of nearby players.</p>
<p>That said, you don’t need too many people playing in your area thanks to the global trading layer that keeps things interesting. If you’re interested in tycooning and walking, give <em>Resources</em> a shot. It’s free to play, and the IAP are more for early boosts or developer tips than for late-game domination.</p>
<h2>DominAnt</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Erik Melkersson<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.melkersson.antdomination" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-4.png" alt="Best location dominant" width="820" height="513" /></p>
<p>Speaking of domination, this is another one-man-developed location-based game on Android. Here, you’ve got a great ant-based theme with three teams to ally yourself with. Build up your anthills anywhere you like, and they’ll expand on their own, gradually overrunning your whole town. Not only this, but the game is truly free-to-play, with IAP only for donations to the developer!</p>
<p><em>Do you have a favourite GPS/Location-based game or experience? Let us know in the comments!</em></p>
</div>
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.png" width="820" height="423" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p><strong>P</strong><em>okemon Go</em> was a sensation when it first launched, and for many people it may have been their first brush with the idea that the GPS locator in your phone could be used for gaming. But <em>Pokemon Go</em> is not the only location-based augmented reality game out there, and it’s definitely not the one offering the deepest experience.</p>
<p>Here are several other strategy, puzzle and RPG games that will challenge your mind and the soles of your shoes.</p>
<h2>Geocaching</h2>
<p><strong>Platforms:</strong> iOS & Android</p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.png" alt="Best location geocaching" width="820" height="423" /></p>
<p>First of all, why not go back in time to the very first GPS game? Geocaching goes back to the age when GPS units were expensive contraptions primarily of use to forest rangers, not something we forget is built into our phones and constantly monitoring us like SKYNET. It’s a straightforward game of going to a specific GPS location and finding a hidden package … at first.</p>
<p>Each geocache is hidden by another player, and some of them like to set up puzzles first. Unlike most GPS games, geocaching is a curated tour of your surroundings. The standard app is <em>Geocaching</em>, 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. More so than other games on this list, though, Geocaching is the way to really explore your surroundings. It must be noted that there are plenty of different apps that plug into the geocache database, however</p>
<h2>Ingress Prime</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Niantic<br /><strong>Platforms: </strong> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ingress-prime/id576505181?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS Universal</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticproject.ingress" target="_blank">Android</a><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-1.png" alt="best location ignress prime" width="820" height="455" /></p>
<p>If you like <em>Pokemon Go</em>, you should try Niantic’s first GPS game Ingress, which has recently been rebooted as <em>Ingress Prime</em>. In what is a common theme for augmented reality games, there is a secret world hidden behind our everyday lives, with Exotic Matter spewing into our reality at various hotspots. In a clever bit of post hoc justification, these hotspots show up at cultural markers in major population centres because humans are naturally attracted to them.</p>
<p>Also attracted are two rivals conspiracies that will recruit you to use your phone as a scanner to control fields of influence. The old guard is not happy with the new changes to Ingress, but for a brand new player, they may be welcome. The interface is smoother and a bit flashier (at the cost of data usage). Plus, it’s about to be an anime on Netflix!</p>
<h2>Maguss</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Mawa<br /><strong>Platforms: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/maguss-wizarding-mmorpg/id1347246288?mt=8" target="_blank">iOS Universal</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maguss.maguss" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android.jpg" alt="Best location maguss" width="820" height="513" /></p>
<p>Another recent GPS MMO is <em>Maguss</em>, which is definitely not trying to make the player feel like they are in the world of <em>Harry Potter</em>. This is a very polished RPG with unique combat and potion-brewing systems. You pick spells like cards and have a limited number of slots for each round, which happen in a timed-turn-based fashion. Then, you use your finger to draw the spells you want to cast.</p>
<p>The devs are apparently working on a magic wand peripheral for when you want to stop just playing games and really go LARPing. <em>Maguss</em> is also unique in having real PvP combat. However, it is definitely not a <em>Harry Potter</em> game. We cannot stress this enough. <em>Maguss</em> may be about a secret world of magic, and have four rival schools, and magic wands, but it is not a way to live out your Hogwarts fantasies in the real world … at least until Niantic’s third game comes out.</p>
<h2>Orna</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Cutless<br /><strong>Platform: </strong> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=playorna.com.orna" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-2.png" alt="Best location orna" width="820" height="512" /></p>
<p>A new kid on the block is <em>Orna</em>, which basically takes your classic SNES JRPG gameplay and plops it into a map of your actual neighborhood. It’s <em>Dragon Warrior</em>, 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.</p>
<p>This one is only available on Android for now, but hopefully it will gain enough attention to make the jump to iOS. IAPs get you class specializations for more options but aren’t necessary to play the game.</p>
<h2>CodeRunner</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Robot Chicken Interactive<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/coderunner/id463639902?mt=8" target="_blank">iPhone<br /></a><strong>Price:</strong> $1.99</p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-1.jpg" alt="best location coderunner" width="820" height="461" /></p>
<p>A much stronger story is found in this AR game, which puts you in the shoes of a secret agent tasked with hacking suspicious citizens for the state by solving puzzles around town, some left by other players. <em>CodeRunner</em> really goes all-in on the augmented reality through its awesome audio, asking you to plug in headphones to play and giving you immersive spy ‘dialogue’ like instructions to keep your head down and don’t look behind you.</p>
<p>The game demands that you move around a lot as well, which is great if you’re trying to exercise more. It hasn’t updated in a while, and you won’t find many other players, but it’s a lot of fun while it lasts. Best of all, <em>CodeRunner</em> is a premium app, with no questionable IAP nonsense.</p>
<h2>Resources</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> UN3X<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.pala.resources" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-3.png" alt="best location resources" width="820" height="486" /></p>
<p>This Android game puts you in the middle of a war of tycoons. The real-world map gives you various resources to exploit, but after that advancing in the game is mostly up to you. After building mines, you can refine the raw materials with factories and sell them on a standard or black market. Plus lots of other economic trickery, including attacking the facilities of nearby players.</p>
<p>That said, you don’t need too many people playing in your area thanks to the global trading layer that keeps things interesting. If you’re interested in tycooning and walking, give <em>Resources</em> a shot. It’s free to play, and the IAP are more for early boosts or developer tips than for late-game domination.</p>
<h2>DominAnt</h2>
<p><strong>Developer:</strong> Erik Melkersson<br /><strong>Platform: </strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.melkersson.antdomination" target="_blank">Android</a></p>
<p><img class="center" title="" src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/the-best-location-based-games-on-ios-and-android-4.png" alt="Best location dominant" width="820" height="513" /></p>
<p>Speaking of domination, this is another one-man-developed location-based game on Android. Here, you’ve got a great ant-based theme with three teams to ally yourself with. Build up your anthills anywhere you like, and they’ll expand on their own, gradually overrunning your whole town. Not only this, but the game is truly free-to-play, with IAP only for donations to the developer!</p>
<p><em>Do you have a favourite GPS/Location-based game or experience? Let us know in the comments!</em></p>
</div>