Pokemon Go-like augmented reality game Snatch is a big hit in the UK, and it’s heading to the US

After the incredible, but short-lived success of Pokemon Go, a British game offering physical prizes and the chance to steal them from other players is building momentum with 250,000 downloads

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The British augmented reality game Snatch.

Published: 7:03pm, 16 Mar 2017Updated: 10:31pm, 24 Mar 2017

Last summer, Pokemon Go took the world by storm, with kids and adults obsessively hunting for Bellsprouts and Pikachus, sometimes at their own peril. The game earned US$200 million in its first month and served as an introduction for augmented reality games.

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But as addictive as the game was, Pokemon Go was ultimately just a time killer for most people. Now a British start-up is using the same concept to offer actual physical rewards to players.

Snatch launched last month in the UK and has already been downloaded more than 250,000 times. It’s the country's most popular adventure app, and it will be heading to the US later this year.

It made its American debut at the South by Southwest conference in Austin this month. Players at the show are competing for prizes ranging from backpacks and beauty products to free avocados for life and US$50,000 in start-up funding.

“We’ve got a huge amount of respect for the game [Nintendo and Niantic] built,” says Phil Lloyd, chief marketing officer for Snatch.