The best fitness game is the one that fits the movement you will actually do. For everyday steps, indoors or out, a step-powered phone game such as Monster Walk counts every step without GPS. For exploring, location-based games like Pokémon Go and Pikmin Bloom send you to real places. For runs, Run Legends and Zombies, Run! turn a session into a battle or a story. At home, Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance and Beat Saber make a console or VR headset the workout.
How this list was put together
Talofa Games makes three of the games below (Monster Walk, Run Legends and Pulse Match), so read this as a studio's map of the field rather than an independent review. The other games are the ones players most often compare ours with. Descriptions come from each game's public pages and reference articles, and we have left out ratings and sales claims we cannot source.
Fitness games compared
| Game | Where you play | What powers it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Walk | iPhone, Android | Daily steps from Apple Health or Health Connect; no GPS | Everyday walking, indoors or out, with monsters to collect |
| Run Legends | iPhone, Android | Your pace, distance and time on a walk or run | Runs and walks with friends, in real time |
| Pulse Match | iPhone, Android | Steps and workouts from Apple Health or Health Connect | Motivation through a romance story and companions |
| Pokémon Go | iPhone, Android | GPS location on a real-world map | Exploring new places and playing at shared locations |
| Pikmin Bloom | iPhone, Android | Steps counted through Apple Health or Google Fit, plus a GPS map of your route | Gentle daily walking with a visible trail of flowers |
| Monster Hunter Now | iPhone, Android | GPS location; monsters appear at real-world spots | Action hunts on your walk, outdoors |
| Zombies, Run! | iPhone, Android | An audio story that plays while you walk, jog or run | Narrative runs, mostly solo |
| Ring Fit Adventure | Nintendo Switch | Squats, presses and jogging in place with the Ring-Con and Leg Strap | A scheduled strength-and-cardio session at home |
| Just Dance | Consoles and phones | Dance routines tracked by a controller or phone | Cardio you can do with family in the living room |
| Beat Saber | VR headsets | Slicing blocks to music in virtual reality | Short, intense arm-and-core workouts |
Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now were made by Niantic and have been published by Scopely since 2025. Beat Saber is by Beat Games; Just Dance is Ubisoft's series; Ring Fit Adventure is Nintendo's.
Pick by how you like to move
- You walk a lot, but not on a route: errands, the dog, a treadmill, pacing on calls. A step-powered game like Monster Walk counts all of it from your phone, with no GPS or camera. See walking games that work without GPS.
- You want a reason to go somewhere: Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now reward visiting real places. Compare the two approaches in Monster Walk vs Pokémon Go.
- You run, or want to start: Run Legends turns pace into damage and lets friends join a mission from anywhere; Zombies, Run! tells a story in your headphones. See Zombies, Run! alternatives.
- You need motivation more than a challenge: Pulse Match rewards showing up with a story, and Monster Walk's challenges are sized for a little walking or a lot. See fitness games for people who hate working out.
- You want a workout at home with a screen: Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance and Beat Saber are played in front of a TV or in a headset. Phone games fit the rest of your day; see Ring Fit Adventure alternatives.
What they cost
Monster Walk, Run Legends and Pulse Match are free to download, with optional in-game purchases. Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are free with optional purchases. Zombies, Run! is free to try, with a subscription for the full set of missions. Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance and Beat Saber are paid games that also need the console or headset they run on.
For a view of the whole category, read what fitness gaming is. For what moving more does for you, read are fitness games good for your health?
FAQ
What is the best fitness game for beginners?
Start with a game that counts the movement you already do. A step-powered walking game such as Monster Walk turns the steps your phone already records into progress, so there is nothing to schedule and no equipment to buy.
Which fitness games work indoors?
Step-powered games like Monster Walk count steps wherever you take them, including on a treadmill. Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance and Beat Saber are played at home in front of a console or in a VR headset. Location-based games such as Pokémon Go need you to move around a real-world map.
Are fitness games free?
Many phone fitness games are free with optional purchases, including Monster Walk, Run Legends, Pulse Match, Pokémon Go and Pikmin Bloom. Console and VR fitness games such as Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance and Beat Saber are paid, and need the hardware they run on.
Related guides
- Which walking game fits the way you like to walk?
- Monster Walk, Run Legends or Pulse Match: which should you play?
- What is fitness gaming?
- Games like Pokémon Go: walking games to try next
Talofa Games is a games-for-good company that makes fitness games: Monster Walk, Run Legends and Pulse Match. See key facts and sources.