Augmented reality gaming is still a new concept. The first seriously popular AR games on mobile were Ingress and Pokemon Go. Before that, it was mostly proof of concept games and stuff like that. It hasn’t changed much. Most augmented reality games are still proof of concept and time killer style games. However, Google’s ARCore and general interest seem to be pushing things along. There were actually several big AR releases in 2018 and this list filled out quite nicely after that. Additionally, there were some games that added some AR elements into the game and we thought that was kind of neat too. Here are the best augmented reality games for Android!
The best augmented reality games for Android
DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition
Price: Free
DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition is a pretty good example of what AR games can do. It’s a relatively short game with ten missions, ten mini-games, and some other content. The missions use your camera to project the game map into the real world. The mini-games use AR as well. The extras include eight face filters and ten sticker packs so you can take selfies and decorate them if you want to. It’s a free game with no in-app purchases or ads. That makes it a good budget option to check out AR stuff.
Egg, Inc is a clicker farming game. You build a farm, collect resources, and upgrade your stuff. The game play is very casual. There isn’t much thinking required. Most of the game takes place on your smartphone. However, there are a few AR elements within the game play. It uses Google’s ARCore. Your device also needs to support ARCore for the augmented reality stuff. It’s a fun little time-waster even without the AR stuff, though.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Price: Free to play
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is Niantic’s latest AR game. It plays a lot like Pokemon Go and similar titles. Players walk around the real world, collect various things, and do battle with various foes. Players collectively deal with a calamity that has affected wizards everywhere. You and everyone else must help solve it. Expect cameos from popular characters from the series along with a variety of new characters as well. It’s a decent game overall, especially for Harry Potter fans.
Ingress Prime was one of the first really good AR games on Android. It was developed by Niantic. It had a huge buzz when it first came out. The way it works is that you go out into the real world. The game shows you where some portals are. You hack the portals for your team and then build them up so that the other team can’t. You’ll have two teams to pick from and that’s where the challenge comes from. The game underwent a huge change in late 2018 and re-branded to Ingress Prime. The core mechanics are intact, but the app portion saw a huge overhaul. You can still play the classic experience if you search for Ingress(REDACTED) in Google Play if you don’t like Ingress Prime, but still want to play regular Ingress.
Jurassic World Alive
Price: Free to play / $9.99 per month
Jurassic World Alive is an AR game similar in mechanics to games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Pokemon Go. Players roam the real world in search for various dinosaurs for them to collect. From there, players battle it out with other players and they can even create hybrid dinosaurs in the game’s lab mode. The game had some bugs early in its development and it made the game difficult to recommend. However, it seems to have hit its stride. This one is also unique because you can subscribe to the game to get additional rewards instead of relying solely on in-app purchases. Whether or not the subscription is worth it is entirely up to you.
Kings of Pool is a billiards game with a unique premise. The app superimposes a pool table on top of any flat surface in your house. You can then play pool there. It features online multiplayer with 8-ball as the main game type. Additionally, there is a global chat, a player profile with all of your stats, and some more stuff. There are some bugs and the developers are actively working on this one at the time of this writing. It worked relatively well in our testing.
Knightfall AR
Price: Free
Knightfall AR is another AR game by A&E. Like the previous game, this one is a short game that is more proof of concept than anything. It’s basically a board game that you play through your mobile device. You find a flat surface and the game imposes itself there. The controls need some work, but it’s a really neat way to leverage ARCore for gaming. It does have flaws. However, it’s also completely free with no in-app purchases.
Pokemon Go is the biggest mobile game ever. It has captured the hearts of fans worldwide by allowing them to catch and collect their favorite Pokemon, including those on the elusive list of mythical Pokemon. It also turns out to be one of the largest AR games ever. Like Ingress, the basic premise has you going out into the real world. You’ll capture Pokemon, hit up Pokestops, and battle Gyms. The game is still very much in development. That means its features are evolving. It had a ton of hype when it first came out. The hype isn’t quite what it used to be. However, the game still has a wicked loyal following. Recent updates in 2018 brought trainer battles, Pokemon trading, and some other highly requested features. Other augmented reality games are measured by Pokémon Go.
The Walking Dead: Our World is an AR style game similar to Pokémon Go and Ghostbusters World. You roam around the real world while killing zombies. The zombies change based on your location and plenty of social elements. You clear out zombies, put your mark on the map, and other players find it. It also has gacha elements. You can collect various characters from the show to help you kill more zombies. It also ties into the TV show a little bit and there are a ton of story missions to play as well. It’s a freemium game and it has a few bugs. Otherwise, it’s not too bad. Jurassic World Alive is another excellent AR game that works a lot like this one.
Zombies, Run!
Price: Free / $3.99 per month / $24.99 per year
Zombies, Run is a fitness game. It bills itself as an immersive audio adventure game. The way it works is that you go for a walk or a run. As you go, you’ll unlock various pieces of the story. The drama involves you in a creative way that helps motivate you to keep going. The game will even work on treadmills in case you don’t want to go outside. It’s a popular game and it’ll help you stay in shape. You can play the first four missions for free and you can unlock new missions each week. Alternatively, you can pay for the subscription service and unlock everything.
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