23+ Best Games Like Pokémon GO to Try in 2025 [Top Picks]

Pokémon GO redefined how we play games outdoors by blending real-world locations with AR adventures, community events, and rare creatures to catch. But it’s far from the only GPS-based game out there. Many developers have created fresh spins on location-based gameplay, from hunting monsters and dinosaurs to exploring fantasy worlds on foot.

In this guide, you’ll discover the best games like Pokémon GO you can still play in 2025, plus some legendary AR experiments that are no longer live but changed the genre forever.

When you’re looking for a Pokémon GO alternative, it’s not just about catching virtual creatures. The best games usually share a few key features:

• Location-Based Gameplay: Real-world maps and GPS movement shape how you progress.
• AR or Immersive Elements: Augmented reality overlays or interactive visuals bring your surroundings to life.
• Community or Competition: Many top picks include global factions, co-op play, or PvP battles.
• Daily Motivation: Good AR games get you moving and reward you for going outside, or at least faking it smartly.

1 Ingress Prime

Ingress Prime is Niantic’s first location-based AR game where players split into two global factions to capture and link real-world portals, forming massive control fields. Its gameplay laid the foundation for Pokémon GO’s map system and community style. The game is more strategy-driven and competitive than casual monster catching.

Ideal for players who love team-based strategy, real-world exploration, and large-scale territory control.

2 Monster Hunter Now

Monster Hunter Now turns your neighborhood into a hunting ground for iconic monsters from Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. Players track creatures, forge weapons, and battle huge beasts in AR, either solo or with friends. The combat keeps the franchise’s signature feel but simplified for mobile.

Perfect for Monster Hunter fans who want short daily hunts and AR encounters on real-world walks.

3 Pikmin Bloom

Pikmin Bloom is a gentle AR walking game where your steps grow cute Pikmin and plant flowers along your paths. The focus is on daily activity, simple tasks, and a relaxing atmosphere with no battles or complex gameplay loops. It turns walks into casual gardening.

Great for families, kids, or anyone wanting a stress-free companion to motivate more walking.

4 Peridot

Peridot lets you adopt magical AR pets called Dots, raise them, play in AR, teach tricks, and breed unique new creatures. Unlike Pokémon GO, there’s no battling. It’s about bonding, nurturing, and collecting different appearances and personalities.

Perfect for players who love virtual pets, casual AR interactions, and daily check-ins.

5 Jurassic World Alive

This game turns your city into a dino safari where you find, catch, and create hybrid dinosaurs. There’s a PvP arena, DNA collection, and real-time battles. Think Pokémon GO but with T-Rexes and raptors roaming your map.

Best for Jurassic Park fans and players who want a more intense collection battle system.

6 Dragon Quest Walk

Square Enix’s hit GPS RPG in Japan lets you battle classic Dragon Quest monsters in the wild, complete quests, and collect gear. Its JRPG mechanics blend turn-based combat with location tasks and seasonal events.

Perfect for Dragon Quest fans or players who enjoy traditional RPGs with map exploration.

7 Zombies, Run!

Zombies, Run! is an immersive audio fitness game. As you run or walk, you hear a zombie story that unfolds through missions and chase scenes. While not strictly AR visual, it uses GPS to track your route as you “escape” threats.

Great for runners and walkers who want storytelling and motivation on real-world routes.

8 Orna: The GPS RPG

Orna is a retro-style location RPG where you battle monsters, conquer real-world areas, and upgrade classes and gear. Unlike Pokémon GO, it’s more combat-heavy with old-school RPG systems layered on GPS play.

Perfect for classic RPG lovers who want more depth than just catching creatures.

9 Geocaching

Often called the original real-world treasure hunt, Geocaching is a global GPS hobby where players hide and find containers (“caches”) in hidden spots worldwide. There’s no AR but the spirit of exploration is pure Pokémon GO.

Ideal for outdoor adventurers, hikers, and families who want real-world treasure hunts.

10 Draconius GO

Draconius GO is basically a Pokémon GO clone with dragons and magic creatures instead of Pokémon. You catch, battle, and explore, with some extra features like dueling wizards and unique local content.

Best for players who want a similar feel to Pokémon GO but with a fantasy twist.

11 The Walking Dead: Our World

This AR game overlays zombie infestations onto your map. Players find, fight, and clear walkers, rescue survivors, and build safehouses. It’s a mix of location-based combat and collectible cards.

Good for zombie fans who want a darker, combat-focused spin on AR maps.

12 Ghostbusters World

Ghostbusters World lets you spot and capture ghosts in AR around your neighborhood. You collect different ghost types, battle bosses, and join PvP ghost battles.

Best for fans of the Ghostbusters franchise who enjoy ghost-hunting with AR gadgets.

13 Monster Park AR

Monster Park AR is a small AR app that places life-size dinosaurs in real locations via your camera. It’s less about collecting and more about seeing realistic dinos “in your park” for photos and fun.

Great for dinosaur lovers or parents looking for quick AR fun with kids.

14 GPS Monster Scouter

An indie monster radar app for Android that mimics a “monster scanner” overlay on your surroundings. It’s very simple but scratches that old-school “find creatures nearby” itch.

Fun for nostalgic anime fans or those who want a playful monster radar.

15 Clandestine: Anomaly

A story-driven AR sci-fi game where you defend your city from alien threats. Players interact with the environment to complete narrative missions in real locations.

Perfect for players who enjoy AR with a deeper story and tactical missions.

16 Knightfall AR

Knightfall AR is a medieval AR experience where you complete missions, spot AR targets, and protect your kingdom by placing virtual fortresses on real-world spots.

Good for history buffs and fans of quick AR tasks.

17 Turf Wars

Turf Wars is a real-world crime game where you claim territory, build criminal empires, and fight rivals for control of your city blocks. Think Ingress, but with a gangster theme.

Fun for players who want competitive area control with an underworld twist.

18 SpecTrek

SpecTrek is one of the oldest AR ghost-hunting games for Android. Players find ghosts on a map, physically walk to them, and capture them using your phone camera.

Ideal for fans of retro AR concepts and simple outdoor exploration.

1 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was Niantic’s ambitious AR game that brought the Wizarding World into real streets. Players cast spells, find magical traces, battle Confoundables, and complete wizarding challenges on a shared map.

Despite a strong launch, it struggled to keep players engaged and shut down in January 2022 due to low retention and costly live ops.

Perfect for Harry Potter fans curious about how AR spellcasting worked or studying how big IPs adapt location games.

2 The Witcher: Monster Slayer

This location-based RPG let players hunt monsters from The Witcher universe in their neighborhoods. It mixed first-person AR combat with story quests and alchemy, creating a darker Pokémon GO feel.

Released in 2021, it couldn’t maintain a big enough player base and shut down in 2023 after the studio shifted focus to core Witcher titles.

Great for Witcher fans who enjoyed monster hunting on foot — and a lesson in niche AR sustainability.

3 Minecraft Earth

Minecraft Earth was an experimental AR sandbox that let players build life-size Minecraft creations outdoors and see them in real environments. Players could collect resources, craft, and collaborate on giant AR structures.

Launched in 2019, it ended in mid-2021, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic making real-world exploration and group builds impractical.

Ideal for Minecraft fans who love imagining what mobile AR building could look like today.

4 Catan: World Explorers

This was Niantic’s take on transforming the iconic Catan board game into a massive multiplayer location game. Players gathered resources, built settlements, and competed for real-world map hexes.

Despite its potential, it faced design challenges blending board game economics with AR exploration. It was shut down in 2021 during extended beta.

Interesting for Catan players who want to see how classic tabletop games can experiment with AR.

5 NBA All-World

NBA All-World was Niantic’s attempt at merging basketball culture with real-world AR play. Players recruited NBA stars, challenged others at local courts, and customized characters with branded gear.

Launched on January 24, 2023, it struggled with low engagement and lack of a strong daily loop. Niantic discontinued it in June, 2023 to refocus on more scalable AR projects.

Curious for sports fans who want to see how AR sports gaming could evolve.

Many AR games are tied to your local area, which means you might miss out on rare monsters, regional quests, or limited-time events in other cities or countries. With AnyTo, you don’t have to.

AnyTo is a powerful location changer that lets you move your GPS instantly to anywhere on the map. Want to hunt dragons in Tokyo today and catch rare Pokémon in New York tomorrow? No problem. With routes, multi-spot jumps, and joystick modes, you can explore global hotspots, unlock exclusive spawns, and progress without walking endless miles in real life.

Players worldwide use AnyTo to:

• Go Global Instantly: Jump to any city or hotspot to catch regionals, rare spawns, or join local events from home.
• One-Click Route Planner: Simulate real walking routes with adjustable speeds to hatch eggs, complete quests, or farm items faster.
• Safe & Private: No root, no jailbreak. AnyTo keeps your real location hidden while you adventure freely.
• Perfect for All GPS Games: Pokémon GO, Monster Hunter Now, Jurassic World Alive, Ingress — explore every AR world with zero limits.

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You can choose to download the PC version and change your phone's location by connecting your phone to your computer. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app version to modify your location with just one tap! Here are the steps:

1-Click Change GPS Location with AnyTo!

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Choose your platform and install (iOS, Android, PC).

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Select a location mocking mode.

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1．Are there any games better than Pokémon GO?

It depends on what you like! Some players prefer Ingress for faction battles, Monster Hunter Now for AR hunts, or Zombies, Run! for fitness storytelling. Pokémon GO remains the biggest but there’s plenty worth trying.

2．Can you still play Harry Potter: Wizards Unite?

No. Wizards Unite officially shut down in January 2022. Some fans still discuss it, but there’s no way to play the live game now.

3．Is using a location spoofer allowed in Pokémon GO or similar games?

Many GPS AR games don’t officially allow spoofing, so always use tools like AnyTo wisely and at your own risk. It’s a popular workaround for exploring global content.

4．What’s the best free AR game like Pokémon GO?

Ingress Prime and Pikmin Bloom are great free picks from Niantic. Draconius GO also has a free version with fantasy creatures.

5．Do I have to walk to play AR games?

By default, yes, but location spoofers like AnyTo help simulate routes and steps if you can’t go out or want to explore rare spots far away.

Whether you’re a trainer who wants a fresh twist on GPS adventures or someone who simply loves turning the real world into your gaming playground, there’s no shortage of games like Pokémon GO to try. From monster hunting to treasure hunting to battling zombies, the AR gaming world keeps evolving.

If you want to break through location limits and play smarter, don’t forget to grab AnyTo. Wherever you want to go, your next adventure is just one tap away.

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Article by Ryan Miles

Ryan Miles is a seasoned gamer and mobile strategy writer with over 5 years of hands-on experience in Pokémon GO spoofing and GPS-based games. Known for breaking down complex location tricks into beginner-friendly guides, Ryan’s mission is simple: help you explore more, catch faster, and play smarter without ever leaving home.