The Best Mobile Games To Play While Walking
If you’re somewhere in the Midwest like me, you’re probably just now getting to experience nicer weather. Now that the lingering cold has dissipated, I’m finding myself outside more and more. Unfortunately, I can’t take my PS5 on a leisurely stroll unless I secure it in a stroller, but that would garner some strange looks. My point is that there are some days it’s nice out but I want to stay inside to game. With the great summers we have here in Minnesota, I often find myself conflicted between enjoying the beautiful weather or playing Final Fantasy 7 for the twelfth time.
Thankfully, there are a number of mobile games to play while walking. Some might even require you to pick your feet up and run! We’ve talked a number of times on Ritual Motion about ways to gamify your wellness. There are even exercises you can do while you wait to connect to a game of Overwatch or Apex Legends. But if it’s sunshine and fresh air you’re craving, we’ve got you covered with this list of the best mobile games to play while walking.
This one is a no-brainer. Pokémon Go exploded on the scene and is the largest augmented reality game there is. It uses your phone’s GPS to locate, catch, train, and battle Pokémon in your environment. I remember walking around downtown Minneapolis when it was first released in 2016. I was absolutely flabbergasted at how cool it looked. It practically makes you a real-life Pokémon trainer!
What’s even better is that it encourages you to play and get moving with friends. There’s also a healthy rivalry thanks to gym and raid battles. While battling doesn’t play out the same as the main series games, it’s still fun in its own right. In 2020, Pokémon Go even introduced Mega Evolutions into the game. It’s a great way to get out and see the world with a friend all while catching your favorite Pokémon. Hopefully once Pokémon Scarlet and Violet come out, we’ll get to see some of the new creatures in it!
The zombie genre has really saturated video games and pop culture in the last decade or two. It’s even gone so far as to permeate mobile games. Zombies, Run! has been around since 2012. It’s a very simple concept. You are a character in this fictional world tasked with running to get supplies for Abel Township. The game features intriguing storylines with contributions from Margaret Atwood and Andrea Phillips. It’s also all hands-free. You just need headphones.
As you move through your own world, you’ll listen to instructions from the townsfolk - voice performances are really quite good. There is also an option to turn on interval training. This will force you to run faster as a horde chases you - complete with zombie groans. If you get caught, you’ll lose some of the supplies you’ve gathered. If that sort of thing gives you anxiety, though, it can be turned off.
If running from zombies seems too intense for you, The Walk has similar stakes but only requires walking. The Walk, like Zombies, Run!, is also an audio drama that you star in. Instead of trying to survive a post-apocalyptic landscape, you’re instead tasked to carry a mysterious package. After a bomb explodes in Inverness Station it’s handed to you with instructions. The story takes you across a 500-mile walk across multiple episodes to d.
The best thing about a game like Zombies, Run! and The Walk is that they’re easily accessible. You don’t need to drop big bucks on a console or game to enjoy their well-crafted stories. While both have in-app purchases, they’re still significantly cheaper than anything in the current-gen. If narratives are a reason you game, either of these would marry that need to be outside with experiencing a game-like scenario. It’s truly one of the best mobile games to play while walking.
Orna is very close to Pokémon Go. It uses the real-world geography around you to craft the world. Instead of creature catching, you’re on your very own RPG adventure. This includes a variety of classes, dungeon raids, and leveling up your character. You’ll fight monsters in turn-based battles that look a lot like an old-school Final Fantasy.
The game’s world is your world. On the map, there are different areas called Dukedoms where you can battle to become the head of that region. Like Pokémon Go, the game rewards you for getting outside and exploring. As you explore, there are a number of quests you can complete. The game does include in-game purchases, but nothing needs to be purchased to win.
Pikmin Bloom is a spin-off of the Pikmin series. The goal? Get out in the world and walk! Pikmin Bloom lets you grow adorable little creatures by taking steps. Every step you take lets the seedlings grow. Some take more steps to grow than others. As your Pikmin flourish, you can plant the flowers that grow on their head on digital paths for other players to find. It is probably the most relaxing option on our list of the best mobile games to play while walking.
After you’ve completed a walk, you can take a stroll down memory lane and see the path you took, what you planted, and revisit the photos you took. You can also send your little friends out to pick up seedlings and other collectibles. The in-game map is covered in clouds, and as you walk, they dissipate. This helps encourage you to walk to new places out in the world.
Pokémon Go - iOS, Android
This one is a no-brainer. Pokémon Go exploded on the scene and is the largest augmented reality game there is. It uses your phone’s GPS to locate, catch, train, and battle Pokémon in your environment. I remember walking around downtown Minneapolis when it was first released in 2016. I was absolutely flabbergasted at how cool it looked. It practically makes you a real-life Pokémon trainer!
What’s even better is that it encourages you to play and get moving with friends. There’s also a healthy rivalry thanks to gym and raid battles. While battling doesn’t play out the same as the main series games, it’s still fun in its own right. In 2020, Pokémon Go even introduced Mega Evolutions into the game. It’s a great way to get out and see the world with a friend all while catching your favorite Pokémon. Hopefully once Pokémon Scarlet and Violet come out, we’ll get to see some of the new creatures in it!
Zombies, Run! - iOS, Android
The zombie genre has really saturated video games and pop culture in the last decade or two. It’s even gone so far as to permeate mobile games. Zombies, Run! has been around since 2012. It’s a very simple concept. You are a character in this fictional world tasked with running to get supplies for Abel Township. The game features intriguing storylines with contributions from Margaret Atwood and Andrea Phillips. It’s also all hands-free. You just need headphones.
As you move through your own world, you’ll listen to instructions from the townsfolk - voice performances are really quite good. There is also an option to turn on interval training. This will force you to run faster as a horde chases you - complete with zombie groans. If you get caught, you’ll lose some of the supplies you’ve gathered. If that sort of thing gives you anxiety, though, it can be turned off.
The Walk - iOS, Android
If running from zombies seems too intense for you, The Walk has similar stakes but only requires walking. The Walk, like Zombies, Run!, is also an audio drama that you star in. Instead of trying to survive a post-apocalyptic landscape, you’re instead tasked to carry a mysterious package. After a bomb explodes in Inverness Station it’s handed to you with instructions. The story takes you across a 500-mile walk across multiple episodes to d.
The best thing about a game like Zombies, Run! and The Walk is that they’re easily accessible. You don’t need to drop big bucks on a console or game to enjoy their well-crafted stories. While both have in-app purchases, they’re still significantly cheaper than anything in the current-gen. If narratives are a reason you game, either of these would marry that need to be outside with experiencing a game-like scenario. It’s truly one of the best mobile games to play while walking.
Orna - iOS, Android
Orna is very close to Pokémon Go. It uses the real-world geography around you to craft the world. Instead of creature catching, you’re on your very own RPG adventure. This includes a variety of classes, dungeon raids, and leveling up your character. You’ll fight monsters in turn-based battles that look a lot like an old-school Final Fantasy.
The game’s world is your world. On the map, there are different areas called Dukedoms where you can battle to become the head of that region. Like Pokémon Go, the game rewards you for getting outside and exploring. As you explore, there are a number of quests you can complete. The game does include in-game purchases, but nothing needs to be purchased to win.
Pikmin Bloom -iOS, Android
Pikmin Bloom is a spin-off of the Pikmin series. The goal? Get out in the world and walk! Pikmin Bloom lets you grow adorable little creatures by taking steps. Every step you take lets the seedlings grow. Some take more steps to grow than others. As your Pikmin flourish, you can plant the flowers that grow on their head on digital paths for other players to find. It is probably the most relaxing option on our list of the best mobile games to play while walking.
After you’ve completed a walk, you can take a stroll down memory lane and see the path you took, what you planted, and revisit the photos you took. You can also send your little friends out to pick up seedlings and other collectibles. The in-game map is covered in clouds, and as you walk, they dissipate. This helps encourage you to walk to new places out in the world.
