Best Geolocation Games to Play in 2024 [Ultimate Review]

Pokémon Go introduced the excitement of location-based gaming to the masses back in 2016, seven years ago. A lot has changed since then. Imagine playing Subway Surfers in your current city while traveling, or transforming your neighborhood into a real-world game board—battling for territory, renting storefronts, or even becoming the virtual mayor of your town.

The location-based gaming landscape now allows you to blend your surroundings with captivating gameplay experiences like never before. Read on to discover the top geolocation games of 2024, featuring monster hunts, hidden treasures, and building virtual empires.

Part 1: What is a Geolocation Game?

Geolocation games use your smartphone’s GPS to merge the digital world with your surroundings and turn every step you take into an adventure.

• Your footsteps shape the game: Geolocation game’s map isn’t just on your screen — it mirrors your actual city, street, and even your backyard. As you explore the real world, your in-game characters will move with you.
• Virtual Interactions: The games are designed to place virtual creatures, treasure chests, battle zones, or interactive points at specific locations in the real world. Parks might become enchanted forests, street corners might hold treasure chests, or your local coffee shop could be the battle arena.
• Real-World Gameplay: To achieve in-game goals, you will have to physically go to certain places. Some also allow you to interact with other players around you.

Part 2: Top Geolocation Games That Are Worth Playing In 2024

Pokemon Go

Pokemon Go brought a seismic shift to the gaming industry and introduced a phenomenon that sent millions onto the streets. If you haven’t tried it yet, you definitely should – trust me.

The thrill of finding and capturing your favorite Pokemon may have gotten old — but Pokemon Go continues to evolve and captivate players. Now, it’s about strategizing your team, powering up your Pokemon, taking on gyms (real-world landmarks transformed into battle arenas), and joining epic raids with friends and fellow players.

Monster Hunter Now

Building upon the legacy of the Monster Hunter storyline, Niantic and Capcom collaborated to take monsters from your computer screen to your streets. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the series or someone who has no idea of the Monster Hunter world, MHN will captivate you.

Iconic creatures from the mainline games roam your augmented map. You can expect a mix of familiar favorites and new beasts. While it is simplified compared to the other Monster Hunter titles, it retains the focus on learning monster patterns, weapon mastery, and timing your attacks.

Geocaching

Geocaching isn’t your typical video game — it’s the world largest treasure hunt. People hide containers (geocaches) around the world, with GPS coordinates marking their location. You, the geolocator, can find these hidden games.

That’s what makes Geocaching different than any video game — there’s a real sense of accomplishment in unearthing a well-hidden cache. There’s a lot of excitement, given you will never know what the terrain or clues you will encounter along the way. If you are serious about geolocation games and just don’t like a namesake game — Geocaching is the game for you. Unlike the other games in this list, it does not just force you to get off your couch and go to the backyard — rather exploring new places with fresh eyes.

Ingress Prime

Ingress Prime, from the creators of Pokemon GO, allows you to taste geolocation games with a sci-fi twist. The sci-fi twist — well, the world is infused with Exotic Matter (XM), a mysterious energy shaping and influencing humanity. Now there are two factions for supremacy:

• The Enlightened: Seek to harness XM’s potential for the evolution of mankind.
• The Resistance: Believe XM poses a danger and must be contained for humanity’s safety.

As soon as you install the game, you will have to choose your side — your faction choice will impact how you view the game. Once you make your choice, it will turn your surroundings into a hidden warzone. Points of interest become Portals — the primary objective. Once you control a Portal, you will deploy the Resonators and link them together to create Control Fields — claiming territory (like your city, country, or the world).

Dragon Quest Walk

Dragon Quest Walk brings the beloved JRPG gameplay and fuses with a real-world twist. Somehow it manages to be both nostalgic and fresh. If you love Dragon Quests and do not mind encountering them in your neighborhood — give it a try! And you will see how addictive a little walk can become.

Harry Potter: Wizard Unite

Harry Potter launched with a promise that all the fans could finally live aversion of their Hogwarts dreams — and it did deliver on that promise. You will have to collect real world ingredients to brew powerful concoctions for battles. You will have to cast spells. Similar to classes in the book, the game offers professions based on your specialized abilities and playstyle. What’s more: you can team up with friends to tackle challenging foes.

Its storyline is simple: a mysterious magical event scattered “Foundables” (magical objects, creatures, people) across the real world. Your job is to return them via spellcasting and battles. Real-world points of interest become locations for potion brewing, strategic team battles, and resource gathering. And the most important aspect: characters from the books appear — and offer quests and rewards — imagine meeting Hagrid and Dumbledor!

Landlord

Landlord transform your neighborhood into a virtual real estate market. You can buy, manage, and upgrade actual properties, earning profits in a gamified take on property investment. Its gameplay loop is simple: whenever you are near a property, you can check in to claim ownership — if it is owned. Or, you can collect rent from your holdings. However, its thrill lies in the strategic choices you make — yes, it really mirrors your real world into a virtual one and allows you to train for real-time investments in the future.

Tuff Wars

If you love head-on-head battles and territorial controls, Tuff Wars is the game for you. It’s not as strategic as Monster Hunter Now or Pokemon Go — but still it requires you to manage your resources and deploy units.

Why I included this in the list? Gritty vibe, foul language, and ruthless tactics — so, if you are a parent reading this, hide this game from your child. If you are an adult, you cannot miss the fun!

GPS Mission

GPS Mission allows you to design your own game. It comes as a blank canvas that allows you to use their web-based tools to design a sequence of locations and place some Objectives at different points. Objectives can include taking photos, reaching a spot, answering trivia, scanning QR, and so on. You can share the designs with the community or keep it private for your selected group of players.

Magic Streets

Magic Streets takes the familiar GPS-based formula and adds a layer of city building along with RPG combat and community cooperation. Like other games in the genre, your movements in the real world mirror your character’s movement on the map. The Construct buildings will provide resources, buff, and enhance your city. You will encounter monsters and can engage in a simplified, turn-based combat system for loot and experience.

Part 3: How to Spoof Your Location on Any Geolocation Game iPhone/Android

You’ve discovered the world of geolocation games, but maybe you don’t have the time or freedom to physically travel to exciting locations. Don’t worry — there’s a way to bend the rules and explore the world of these games from the comfort of your home — enter “location spoofing.” Here’s how to do it:

Method 1: Spoof Location On Geolocation Games iPhone Using iWhere Professional Location Changer

Geolocation games take your real-world map and translate it into their in-game world. So, imagine exploring the whole world from the couch! iWhere iPhone Location Changer empowers you to do just that. A single click, and you can teleport your in-game location to any city, country, or even the other side of the globe. For instance, you can cycle through Parisian streets or cruise the New York Grid — all in mere seconds.

Advanced Movement Modes:

iWhere iPhone Location Changer goes beyond simple teleportation. It offers a suite of movement modes to enhance your spoofing experience:

• One-Stop Mode: Jump directly to a specific location.
• Multi-Stop Mode: Plan a virtual route through a different city, complete with stops along the way for maximum realism.
• Joystick Mode: Trace your desired path on the map with a virtual joystick or keyboard keys (A, S, W, D).

iWhere can not only change your location in-game, but also expand your date matching locations on social and dating apps. It is an advanced location change software that cannot be missed. Here’s How to use iWhere iPhone Location Changer:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the computer using the lightning cable.

In the iWhere interface,click  “Start” and locate the Joystick Mode option.

Step 2: Choose Your Control Method. Free Mode: Use your keyboard’s arrow keys (or WASD keys) to control your virtual movement; Mouse Mode: Click and drag on the map in the direction you want to move.

Tip: Locate the speed slider. Choose your desired pace: Walking Speed, Cycling Speed, or Driving Speed.

Step 3: Click the “Start Move” button.Use your keyboard or mouse (depending on your chosen mode) to guide your in-game location in real-time.

Method 2: Spoof Location on Geolocation Games Android Using Fake GPS Location

iWhere is limited only to iPhone users. For Android, one of the best apps is Fake GPS Location. Fake GPS Location exploits Android’s vulnerability — its customization. It puts you in the driver seat and lets you trick your phone into thinking you’re anywhere in the world.

Here’s How to Use Fake GPS Location:

Step 1: Download Fake GPS Location from the Google Play Store.

Step 2: Go to your Android device’s Settings, then “About Phone.” Tap on the “Build Number” several times until you’ve unlocked Developer Options.

• Within the newly unlocked Developer Options, find the “Select mock location app” setting and choose Fake GPS Location.

Step 3: Open the Fake GPS Location app and pinpoint your desired location on the map.Hit the “Play” button in the Fake GPS Location app to activate your spoofed location.

Your geolocation game will now think you’re in the location set within Fake GPS Location.

Conclusion

Geolocation games have the power to revitalize your everyday landscape — adding fun, competition, and layers of community to your lifestyle. As the technology continues to improve — these games will become more immersive and the location-based experiences will seem boundless. Pokemon Go is the prime example of that!