The closest games like Pokémon GO are its two sister apps, Pikmin Bloom (walk to grow Pikmin and plant flowers on the map) and Monster Hunter Now (hunt Monster Hunter monsters around your town), plus Ingress, the landmark-capture game that has been on the App Store since 2014. If you want to catch creatures that aren’t Pokémon, try Jurassic World Alive for dinosaurs or Draconius GO for dragons. For a deeper RPG on a real map, Orna and Magic Streets are the picks.
All 12 games below were live on both the US App Store and Google Play when we checked on October 31, 2026 (15:30 UTC). The developer matched on both stores, and every feature we mention comes from the official store listing or the game’s own site. Pokémon GO itself is still a top earner: it was #9 in the US App Store’s top-grossing games chart at 15:30 UTC that day.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: the best games like Pokémon GO
- Same idea, different series: Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now, both published by Scopely Explore, the same publisher Pokémon GO is now listed under.
- Like Pokémon GO and Ingress: Ingress itself (two factions fight over real landmarks).
- Catch and battle creatures that aren’t Pokémon: Jurassic World Alive (dinosaurs, hybrids, PvP) and Draconius GO (200+ creatures, dragons, duels).
- A full RPG on the real map: Orna (50+ classes, dungeons, raids) and Magic Streets (quests, companions, your own settlement).
- A real-world treasure hunt: Geocaching.
- Turn walks or runs into a game, with no map to chase: Zombies, Run!, Walkr and Fantasy Hike.
- Another Pokémon app that tracks real life: Pokémon Sleep.
All 12 games at a glance
| Game | Developer | Closest to Pokémon GO in | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pikmin Bloom | Scopely Explore | Walking, collecting, friends | 4.8 (70K) | 4.8 (257K), 5M+ |
| Monster Hunter Now | Scopely Explore | Monsters on a real map, co-op | 4.7 (49K) | 4.5 (313K), 5M+ |
| Ingress | Niantic Spatial | Landmarks, teams, territory | 4.5 (5.5K) | 4.1 (439K), 10M+ |
| Jurassic World Alive | Ludia | Catch on a map, battle, AR photos | 4.5 (129K) | 4.2 (671K), 10M+ |
| Draconius GO | Elyland | Catch and evolve creatures, AR | 4.1 (2.1K) | 4.5 (40.1K), 1M+ |
| Orna | Northern Forge | GPS map, raids, guilds | 4.7 (5.1K) | 4.6 (75.3K), 1M+ |
| Magic Streets | Frank Slofstra | GPS map, companions, AR battles | 4.8 (1.9K) | 4.6 (12.7K), 100K+ |
| Geocaching | Groundspeak | Finding things outdoors | 4.8 (66K) | 4.6 (155K), 10M+ |
| Zombies, Run! | Zombies, Run! Ltd | Exercise as the game | 4.8 (24K) | 3.9 (27.1K), 1M+ |
| Walkr | Sparkful | Steps power progress | 4.5 (8.1K) | 4.2 (76.9K), 1M+ |
| Fantasy Hike | Forge7 | Steps power progress | 4.8 (15K) | 4.6 (4.2K), 100K+ |
| Pokémon Sleep | The Pokémon Company | Pokémon, real-life tracking | 4.5 (25K) | 4.4 (137K), 10M+ |
Ratings with the number of ratings in brackets; Google Play adds the download badge. All 12 are free to download, and all of them sell in-app purchases or a subscription. For comparison, Pokémon GO was rated 4.0 on the App Store (656K ratings) and 3.5 on Google Play (500M+ downloads) on the same day.
What makes a game feel like Pokémon GO?
Pokémon GO’s store listing boils it down to a few things: Pokémon appear on a map of where you actually are, you catch them to fill a Pokédex, you battle at Gyms, you team up for Raid Battles, and Adventure Sync counts your walking even when the app is closed. Nothing else has all of that with Pokémon, so this list is grouped by the part you want more of. If you’re still playing GO this week, our Pokémon GO Halloween Part 2 guide Super Max Mega Level explainer and November 2026 events calendar cover what’s live now.
Pikmin Bloom plants a flower trail on the map as you walk, and other players' flowers show up too. Image: Scopely Explore / Nintendo (App Store)
The same idea in another world
1. Pikmin Bloom
The gentlest swap. In Pikmin Bloom your steps grow seedlings into Pikmin, and the more you walk, the more seedlings and fruit you find. The store page lists more than 150 types of Decor Pikmin to collect, mushroom battles you take on with friends, and a trail of flowers you plant on the map as you walk. Weekly Challenges let you share a step goal with friends who live far away. It counts steps through Apple Health with the app closed, much like GO’s Adventure Sync.
New this week: Nintendo’s Pikmin Day Direct on October 31 announced Secret Caves for Pikmin Bloom, where your Pikmin explore a cave and bring back treasure. There’s no release date yet; our Pikmin Day Direct recap has what’s known. Pikmin Bloom was last updated on October 22 (version 156.0). Google Play.
2. Monster Hunter Now
Monster Hunter Now swaps catching for hunting. What spawns depends on the habitat around you (Forest, Desert or Swamp), each hunt lasts up to 75 seconds with tap controls, and you forge weapons and craft armor from what you carve. You can hunt solo or team up with other hunters for the big monsters, and an AR camera mode puts monsters in your street. The feature GO players will like most: with Adventure Sync, your Palico marks passing monsters with Paintballs while the phone is in your pocket, so you can fight them later from home. Want more Monster Hunter on your phone? See our games like Monster Hunter Outlanders list. Google Play.
3. Ingress
The answer to “games like Pokémon GO and Ingress” is partly Ingress itself. Ingress turns public artwork and landmarks into Portals. You pick one of two factions, the Enlightened or the Resistance, then capture and link Portals to draw Control Fields that can cover whole cities. It’s more strategy and teamwork than collecting, and there are live events where agents coordinate on the map. Ingress is now listed under Niantic Spatial, not Scopely, and was updated on October 14 on both stores. Its store page says agents must be over 13 (16 or local consent age in the EEA). Google Play.
Catch and battle creatures that aren’t Pokémon
Jurassic World Alive puts dinosaurs on a map of your area; you collect their DNA to level them up. Image: Ludia (App Store)
4. Jurassic World Alive
The most-reviewed creature hunt on this list that isn’t Pokémon. In Jurassic World Alive from Ludia, dinosaurs appear on a map of your area. You collect their DNA, level them up and combine them into hybrids in the Lab. Teams of dinosaurs fight in real-time PvP arenas, Supply Drops near you work like PokéStops, and you can post AR photos and videos of your collection. There’s an optional $9.99 monthly membership (US price on the App Store listing). It was updated on October 8 on iOS and October 12 on Android. Google Play.
5. Draconius GO: Catch a Dragon!
The most direct copy of the Pokémon GO formula, with dragons and fantasy beasts. Draconius GO has more than 200 creatures that each evolve. You hatch eggs you find outside, catch winged horses and unicorns on the way to Elemental Dragons, and unlock spells and duels against other players from level 5. AR portals and treasure chests add a camera layer. One caveat: updates are slower than the big names. The last one on both stores was June 9, 2026. Google Play.
A full RPG on the real map
Orna draws dungeons, towns and monsters over the real streets around you. Image: Northern Forge Studios (App Store)
6. Orna
If GO feels too light, Orna from Northern Forge turns your GPS location into a turn-based fantasy RPG. Monsters, dungeons, quests and bosses are spread around your neighborhood. The store page counts more than 50 classes, plus raid bosses you fight with players worldwide, Kingdoms (Orna’s guilds) with Kingdom Wars, and an Origin Town you build up as a home base. It gets monthly updates; the latest arrived on October 23 on iOS and October 30 on Android. Google Play.
7. Magic Streets
A smaller studio, a lot of systems. Magic Streets turns streets and landmarks into a world of monsters, quests and treasure maps. Combat is turn-based with timed presses, and you can switch to optional AR battles on supported phones. Beaten monsters can be unlocked as companions. You choose Warrior, Archer or Mage, and you build a settlement at a real location that other players can raid. Guild portals and watchtowers let you travel a little without walking. Last updated October 2 (iOS) and September 28 (Android). Google Play.
Real-world adventures without monsters
8. Geocaching
The classic “go outside and find things” hobby. The official Geocaching app from Groundspeak points you to real containers, called geocaches, hidden in almost every country. You can also move trackables, small game pieces that travel from cache to cache. Easy Traditional caches are free to find. Geocaching Premium unlocks every cache, filters and offline maps. If you liked GO for the walks rather than the battles, this is the one. Google Play.
9. Zombies, Run!
Zombies, Run! makes every run a story mission: you’re Runner 5, and the story plays through your headphones between songs from your own playlist. The store page lists 500+ missions across 11 seasons and a Couch to 5K program. It also says it works at any pace, on a treadmill or in a wheelchair. You can try it free; a subscription unlocks every mission. Google Play.
Step games and another Pokémon app (no map needed)
10. Walkr
In Walkr from Sparkful, your daily steps become fuel for a spaceship. You use it to discover 100+ planets and finish 30+ missions, with friends joining as co-pilots or fleet members. There’s no map, so it works wherever you walk. Sparkful’s optional subscription is $7.99 a month per the App Store listing. Google Play.
11. Fantasy Hike
Fantasy Hike turns your total walking distance into progress along a fantasy quest to Mount Fire, and you can race your friends there. It runs in the background, syncs with Apple Health and Apple Watch, and the developer lists Fitbit and Garmin support. Dog walks and office laps count too. Google Play.
12. Pokémon Sleep
Want Pokémon without the walking? Pokémon Sleep tracks your sleep with your phone by the pillow (or a supported smartwatch). Pokémon with your sleep type gather overnight, and you research their sleep styles to fill a Sleep Style Dex while raising Snorlax. It links to GO too: per The Pokémon Company, the Pokémon GO Plus + device logs the PokéStops you spin in GO and turns them into Berries in Sleep. Google Play.
Games like Pokémon GO without walking
Most location games need you outside, but a few give you a way around it. Here’s what each store listing says:
| Game | Play without walking? |
|---|---|
| Pokémon Sleep | Yes: it runs on your sleep |
| Zombies, Run! | Treadmill and wheelchair workouts count |
| Walkr, Fantasy Hike | Any steps count, indoors too; no map to visit |
| Magic Streets | Limited virtual movement, watchtowers and guild portals |
| Monster Hunter Now | Monsters your Palico marks can be fought later from home |
| Pikmin Bloom | Weekly Challenges with faraway friends (steps still count) |
Older picks you won’t find on the App Store
Older lists still recommend Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Minecraft Earth, The Walking Dead: Our World and Niantic’s Peridot. None of them came up in a US App Store search on October 31, so we left them out. Also left out: anything that pays out crypto or NFTs for walking.
FAQ
What is the closest game to Pokémon GO?
Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now. Both come from the same publisher as Pokémon GO (listed as Scopely Explore on both stores), run on a real-world map and count steps with the app closed.
Are there games like Pokémon GO but not Pokémon?
Yes. Jurassic World Alive (dinosaurs) and Draconius GO (dragons and fantasy creatures) keep the catch-and-battle loop. Orna and Magic Streets add a full RPG to the map.
Is Ingress still running?
Yes. Ingress was updated on October 14, 2026 on both the App Store and Google Play. It’s now published by Niantic Spatial.
Sources: App Store and Google Play listings for every game (ratings, versions and update dates checked October 31, 2026, 15:30 UTC), Apple’s US top-grossing games chart (October 31), Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, Ingress, Draconius GO, Orna, Zombies, Run!, Geocaching, Walkr, Fantasy Hike, Pokémon.com.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
