Games to play while waiting for Pokemon GO

If you are like many excited players on the hype train for the future release of Pokémon GO, you are dissatisfied with the lack of information we have about it. It may be getting more and more difficult to be excited for the game while also hearing about the release of other Pokémon games. 

Pokémon GO will open up a world for Pokémon that has not been explored yet: ours. With their phones players will be able to use real location information to trade, battle, and catch Pokémon.

All we can do is play other games while we wait for absolutely anything about Pokémon GO. This is a list of other games that might satiate your hunger for Pokémon in the real world. 

Niantic's Ingress

Many of you who have been keeping up with all the news concerning Pokémon GO will know that Niantic, Inc. is developing the app. 

Niantic may be developing a revolutionary Pokémon game but it already as an augmented reality mobile game released. Their pride and joy is Ingress.

For those who want a mild taste of the type of game they are in for will want to check out Ingress. The game is a Sci-fi MMO where a secret war is taking place between the Enlightened and the Resistance. Players are agents who are sent into the real world locations to find portals that they can capture for their team and fight over.

The game is a spy thriller that players are a part of. The community for the game is huge, in fact they have massive live events all over the world. 

If you want to learn more about the type of game that Pokémon GO will be while getting a sneak peak of possible game mechanics, then playing Ingress may just be the way to go. 

From an Agent: Ingress, it's time to move #GetOutside pic.twitter.com/DnCSdn766U

— Ingress (@ingress) December 19, 2015

Try a Homebrew D&D Tabletop game

Wanting to think outside of the box for your Pokémon GO itch? Check out this cross between Dungeons and Dragons and Pokémon. 

Creating your own homebrew tabletop game may be the perfect outlet while you wait. 

If you do not want to go through the process of making your own homebrew, then there are loads throughout the internet. It may take a try or two to find the perfect system that you will want to play with, but there will be one out there for you. You could catch them all if you wanted to, but there might be too many that you completely forget about Pokémon GO.

There is a system that has a pretty big following, the Pokemon Tabletop United. Their forums can really help you in your search for the best Pokémon tabletop system. 

The original Pokémon trilogy

To celebrate #Pokemon20, Nintendo re-released Pokémon Red, Yellow, and Blue to the 3DS as digital downloads.

Why should you care? 

All the Pokémon showcased in the Pokémon GO trailer were all first generation. While it may just be an assumption, it is possible that the app will only have first gen Pokémon available at release.

So, revel in the old days by playing the old games. If you happen to have a working Gameboy and game, then there really is little point to playing the 3DS version. Plus the added nostalgia of playing on the Gameboy might just increase your hype.

Play the original games and think about how Pokémon GO will use gym badges, starter Pokémon, items, and more. 

Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

Pokémon has an official online trading card game. The game is an MMO where players can cultivate their decks without the need for purchasing physical packs and play against other trainers.

For players who want the trainer experience without the grinding of the game, the trading card game might be for you.

TCGO allows trainers to play in several modes: Trainer Challenge, Versus Mode, Tournament Mode, and Quick Match. Trainers can also play against their friends as well in Friend Battle and Play Testing. 

Pokémon Shuffle

You can play Pokémon Shuffle for free on you mobile or download it to your 3DS. The game is a Candy Crush type/3-match game where players get a Pokémon team and go through the level and levels of Pokémon. 

But like most Facebook-type casual games, you only get a few lives and you have to wait for your lives to regenerate before the whole process starts over again. 

This game can also be a peek into what horrors we might be in store for in Pokémon GO like having to pay for gems to get anything above a Pokéball. 

It is still a good time filler for when you have nothing to do but lament that Pokémon GO release is nowhere in sight. 

Any game but Pokémon

The harsh truth of the matter is that not surrounding yourself with Pokémon might be the easiest way to get through these interim months. 

There are many other games to play. Fallout 4 is my poison; it has the ability to drag me in for hours at a time. 

Play other games that are actually released. Check out what is supposed to be really good this year. Or perhaps rely on old faithful games. It would not have been the first time I have dragged out my dusty Nintendo 64 just to play PokéSnap. 

In this perilous waiting period, you may find yourself getting too excited.

Just keep up on the confirmed information about the game and do not sign up for a beta of the game if it does not come from the Pokémon Company itself. There are a lot of sites out there claiming to be the Beta, but it is not yet available - so do not fall for these scams. 

So, hold onto your Pokéballs and wait for the real thing to come out.