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A lot of people have FlightRadar24 on their mobile phones, the flight-tracking software is a lot of fun just to work out where the planes overhead are zipping off to, regardless if you aren’t going to be on them.
It also has a lot of publicity as it gets wheeled out on the news whenever there is any kind of aviation disaster, so it is a brand which, despite appearing super-niche has a wide-ranging awareness of what it’s about.
So imagine taking the concept of plane-spotting, mixing it in with Pokemon Go, and coming up with a mobile game that lets you “collect” the planes you spot into a deck and try to get to a leaderboard. You know what, it might just work.
Enter Skycards, powered by Flightrader24 – a digital, collectible card game that uses real-world aircraft to build decks. You get to battle it out on a leaderboard as well as fight other players for coins and bragging rights. It’s being billed as, “an addictive, real-time quest that is perfect for aviation enthusiasts, mobile gamers, and anyone in between”
How does Skycards work?
When you open Skycards, you’ll see live air traffic in your area. Select an aircraft to start collecting cards for your deck. Once the capture window appears, keep the plane within the framing box to maximize your score. When the box turns green, hit the capture button. Check your results, then save your card or try again for a higher score.
As you level up, you’ll unlock additional photos, coin rewards, and new game modes. One of these is Battles, where you can compete against other players to earn more coins. Use your coins to expand your radar range, explore new destinations to find unique aircraft, and purchase extra photos to enhance your collection.
Our honest opinion? It sounds like a great idea. Creator Olov Lindberg teamed up with Flightradar24 to bring the game to life and said, “We’ve been brainstorming ideas for a Flightradar24 game for years. Many concepts came and went, but this one stuck. Once we had the idea, it felt like it simply had to happen.
“The real-time data is the heart of the game and gives it a unique connection to the real world. If you don’t catch the aircraft close to you, it will get away. It gives a sense of urgency that is hard to get in other games.”
Skycards is available from the iOS and Android stores. There are microtransactions where you can buy more coins but they don’t seem to be oppressive so you can enjoy capturing your planes for free.
