Pokémon GO creators partner with theatre company for new real-world adventure game

Following the overwhelming success of Pokémon GO can be a daunting task, and while Niantic Labs have put out a similar game based on the Harry Potter franchise, it failed to replicate the impact of its predecessor. 

Now, Niantic announced on a blog post that not only are they hard at work developing up to 10 games at the moment but also that they are teaming up with the theatre company behind Sleep No More for a title called CATAN – World Explorers.

Pokémon GO’s success will be hard to replicate. (Picture: Niantic Labs)

"Punchdrunk has placed audiences at the centre of their performances in the real world for 20 years, and are renowned for creating multi-sensory experiences on an epic scale. Together we are developing multiple projects that will reinvent storytelling for a 21st-century audience and further expand the horizon of interactive entertainment." 

What is CATAN - World Explorers?

(Picture: Niantic Labs)

Niantic will base their latest title on the world-famous board game, the basics involve players becoming settlers with each attempting to build and develop holdings as they trade and acquire resources, gaining points as their settlements grow.

As the devs explain, the game will "transform neighbourhoods, towns, and cities across the globe into a giant game of CATAN, a classic board game loved by tens of millions of people around the world."

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Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk said: “It is hugely exciting to be joining forces with the preeminent AR company in the world. At Punchdrunk we create richly cinematic 3D worlds where audiences can explore, touch, and smell the environment; where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are indistinguishable. Those that have seen Sleep No More often liken the experience to how it might feel to walk into a video game."

While no release date was set in stone, players interested in checking the game out will have to keep their eyes peeled on the official website as a beta will be coming "very soon."