7 Best Augmented Reality Games in November 2024

What do AR games mean? (Augmented Reality Gaming)

Augmented Reality helps users to connect their physical world with the game universe. AR games do not require a limited area or some personal space to reveal their features compared to VR. AR games could be activated in any surroundings, like home, office, streets and parks.

Augmented Reality games have a higher adoption rate rather than VR games. To play AR games, users need any pocket device, like a smartphone or tablet. In contrast, VR games require various and sometimes expensive Virtual Reality headsets.

Gamers can interact with a digital overlay on top of their physical world using smartphone cameras. It is actually of no significance whether the game is extremely difficult or as simple as playing checkers. As a result, Augmented Reality can be applied or added into almost all types of games, like puzzles, shooters, table games, etc.

Highly developed AR games can offer immersive game features and interactions within the real-world environment; like, gamers can play tanks using their coffee tables or 3D characters will jump on the couch.

The process of creating an in-game environment is a long-term and always an ongoing challenge for game developers, as it constantly requires a new outlook for a demanding user. An obvious advantage of Augmented Reality is that it can totally change the game experience by adding numerous innovative features and immersive combinations. Moreover, game developers can use AR to revive old-school and classic games.

Key studies

Has the gaming nature changed due to the rising popularity of smartphones?

• Thanks to mobile gaming, the game domain is becoming bigger and bigger. Game playing constitutes 26% of all media space and continues growing.
• Apart from teenagers, mobile gaming involves 25 to 34-year-olds people.

About 10% of mobile users spend their time gaming

• Augmented Reality helps to involve both gamers and non-gamers. Up to 35% of users who do not prefer gaming become users of AR games.
• Around 66% of respondents are excited about AR gaming. Unfortunately, one out of three feel problems with AR gaming experiences while holding mobile devices in their hands.
• More than 43% of respondents are interested in AR sports. One out of four consumers mentioned that they would use AR when exercising in the next five years.

Augmented Reality features make mobile games more immersive

• 4/10 of users agree that immersive content makes Augmented Reality gaming better. Low-cost Mixed Reality glasses and headsets with capacious batteries could help to achieve these goals.
• Six out of ten AR gamers highlighted that immersive game experience are key factors.

Virtual characters and 3D objects mapped to the ground could be game-changers

• There is actually a growing tendency of the stay-put objects within the AR experience.
• That means users have to see AR objects where they left them. With such features activated, room decoration or even in-game house design seems to be the whole new level of experiencing the AR world.

Augmented Reality gaming should be a part of our everyday life

• Thanks to Mixed Reality glasses and headsets, AR objects and different gamification features would appear in our daily life. 2/3 of gamers mentioned that they would increase usage in the next five years.

The sphere of Augmented Reality gaming nowadays undergoes fundamental changes to make the AR experience more engaging and seamless and lower the cost of various AR equipment. On the whole, an immersive environment of Augmented Reality is what appears to be a crucial component of the AR games' popularity.

Different statistics show that the more immersive AR experience becomes, the more people get involved in the AR universe. That means that an ongoing improvement of Augmented Reality will increase the number of its users.

Paradox: Augmented Reality gamers reject smartphones but want mobility

Around 2 out of 3 (66%) respondents mentioned that they want to play AR games not only at home but outside and on the go also. Nevertheless, there are some crucial requirements that should be achieved to build a whole new gaming world based on the AR experience.

Smartphones and tablets can't be longer critical devices to unlock and run Augmented Reality games. 1 out of 3 gamers issue problems when holding mobile devices to experience AR games.

Field of view is one of the most common issues related to Augmented Reality gaming. Gamers can't experience all the AR content around them. Mixed Reality glasses and headsets can solve the problem of the view field and offer more mobility.

What’s more important, users and gamers want to have affordable and look like regular glasses AR headsets to feel comfortable in public.

Games like Pokémon Go activated a new way of physical activities. As a result, gamers and users have started moving more and spending time outside. Augmented Reality can encourage more opportunities for physical exercise and sports. Users can dive into immersive AR experiences and games while cycling an exercise bike or collecting virtual achievements in the gym while wearing MR glasses.

Taking a look at statistics makes us understand that the future of gaming is all about Augmented Reality. Most respondents have an interest in different classic games, like badminton and football. The idea of multiplayer options with a human opponent raises interest even further.

Social gaming in Augmented Reality probably would be a game-changer. Tournament mode, group achievements and interaction with your friends inside one and entire Augmented Reality game will unlock unlimited potential.

Today lots of video online games have the same pattern, but Augmented Reality could change it dramatically.

In fact, social gaming has been gaining popularity in the last decade. Most gamers are eager to play in multiplayer modes to get involved in this experience with their friends or random players. Statistically speaking, up to 20% of respondents are sure that they are going to play mostly multiplayer games and AR games in the nearest future.

Gamification in Augmented Reality

The crucial component of the nowadays available applications is gamification. And it is widely used as the leverage to influence behavioral patterns and trigger motivation. The competitive environment of such games makes players unleash their hidden potential. These opportunities can help in the field of customer engagement and make applications more progressive.

Developers can stimulate users' and customers' behavior by adding different AR gamification features. Moreover, such features in AR games and gamification components like leaderboard, badges and reward system may become an excellent trigger to scale engagement and studying spirit.

Lots of brands and businesses started asking about gamification through Augmented Reality. As a result, consumers are able to interact with branded labels right on CPG (food and drinks) packages, play mini-games with friends and family, collect rewards, and share their gaming experience through social media networks.

The cases described above help brands and businesses develop brand loyalty, increase consumer engagement and send viral and wow effects.

Categories fit AR games

• Table games. With this type of Augmented Reality game, players can get an immersive experience right away on a coffee table. The initial idea of such apps is that users can reveal AR and start playing by focusing their smartphone camera on any flat surface.
• Scavenger hunt-style games. Playing such geo-location-based Augmented Reality games involves users diving into an experience by collecting different items in the physical world and around the globe. Imagine that you can target your customers to visit your offline stores to grab some digital reward or coupon codes.
• Classic games. Here, we are talking about classic games like darts, beer pong and badminton. Leveraging AR features into classic games could fundamentally change the user and game experience.
• Games for kids. It is a perfect option for those who are looking for some entertainment. Such games create an animated 3D experience for kids to play in, collect different items, and get bonuses and rewards. AR games for kids can open an entire virtual world with lots of many stories inside.
• Puzzle games. Augmented Reality pushes puzzle games to a whole new level. The ability to interact with puzzles in a physical world changes the perspective in terms of how puzzles can be solved. Besides classic puzzles, escape rooms could become entirely virtual thanks to AR.

Where to find and download AR games?

Catchar presents hundreds of the best AR games in different categories like table games, scavenger hunt-style games, puzzle games and more. Using filters, you can sort them by type, rating, date and frameworks. For further information, you can look through profiles. Check the detailed screenshots, reviews by the Catchar team, learn how to use and eventually download them. Don’t forget to rate them and leave your custom review. Also, Catchar offers a series of curated digests related to Augmented and Mixed Reality games.

How to promote Augmented Reality games?

Besides social media networks and paid ads, developers, studios and game companies can use Catchar to showcase and promote their AR games. Catchar team does its best to promote and distribute Augmented Reality games across all 30,000+ connections available in social media networks, newsletters, and chats. Get your early adopters with Catchar or scale your AR games globally in the short term.

How to develop AR games?

With the quickly changing world of technology, Augmented Reality is undergoing changes as well. Nowadays, there is a large number of SDKs and frameworks to choose from. Below the most-used of them are listed:

• Unity AR foundation
• ARKit
• ARCore
• Vuforia/PTC
• Wikitude

The above-given listing presents the frameworks that are involved in the designing process of different Augmented Reality games. That’s how AR experience is improved and expanded.

Those common frameworks and SDKs above help to build AR games and gamification parts for multiple platforms. Start learning about those frameworks on the Catchar platform to achieve your goals.

If you are looking for professional advisors who can help you build your future AR games or gamify your existing AR apps, Catchar is here to help. Here you can find thousands of professional AR developers, designers, managers and advisors to build your next Augmented Reality game together.

Where to find tools to build AR games?

On Catchar, you can find a wide range of tools and SDKs that help to build AR games. Tools presented on Catchar support such frameworks and libraries as ARKit, ARCore, Unity, WebAR, Vuforia, etc. Moreover, using our website, you can find online editors and builders for non-technical users to build gamification components and experiences in a few clicks.

Sign up today for Catchar to start using hundreds of the best AR tools or hire professional developers to optimize your time and costs.

How to hire professional AR game developers?

There are lots of sources across the web that you can use to hire Augmented Reality developers, but on Catchar, we focus on the most professional ones. Discover portfolios and employ thousands of AR game developers, artists and designers. Share your requirements with them or connect with our mentors and team leaders to get help and build immersive AR games together.