Walkr - Gamified Fitness Walk Reviews

by Hrjordan

***update***
Taking the rating down because I tried to do the special fairytale epic, and accidentally forgot to switch the invite back to private before launching, and I’m a little mad that since the epic takes so long to finish (not something that I could control) that we didn’t end up getting the blueprint for the fairytale planet. If you’re going to do specials like this, you should at least let the people that started it on time get the reward. You know...given that the particular epic you had us do takes an excessive amount of resources and energy 😡

The only reasons I'm giving 3 stars are basically the same reasons everyone else has given. Please, please make it to where I can sync my Fitbit to accurately record my steps/activity as I (like most people) don't always carry my phone everywhere with me! The second reason is that I do think it takes far too long to get to new planets, which, in turn makes it harder to find resources to do missions that are required to get into the higher level Epic adventures.

by Book Of Ruth Ann

While Walkr is cute and exploring new planets is fun, I have some concerns about it. One is that it is supposed to promote exercise but doesn’t. No exercise is really needed for Walkr to work. My kids use it while sitting. It doesn’t count walking steps accurately and the steps produce energy that can be a boost in the game but are not essential. Also, it would be nice for it to log steps from using a treadmill but does not.

More concerning are the ads. They started off innocently with some ads for games and shopping stores but have begun to deteriorate alarmingly. First there was a fashion app ad that starts off with models without clothes though only vague body parts shown. Now there is an ad for a dating service that is VERY suggestive of intimate relations with scantily clad figures. Is this move toward pornographic ads an attempt to force a purchase of the no adds option? None of our other apps have shown these types of ads. Major concern is these are NOT appropriate ads for children!

by ProgramOwlWebDesigner

It is very cute and nicely done, though at first it is a bit confusing and overwhelming since it keeps directing you left and right constantly for the first few minutes. Though the most confusing part for me was that it doesn’t seem to count your steps nor does it mention how it tracks your activity and as such I haven’t been able to gain any energy and have nearly none due to it pressing me to use it to speed stuff up at the beginning. It also is a bit over reactive when trying to swipe from one planet to the next and can be confusing in that to exit the menu so as to return to the main screen you have to press on the void border rather than a simple exit button in a corner. Otherwise the graphics are cute and once it slows down it begins to be easier to understand.

Being a program design student, I’m currently going through user interface design, and found it rather unintuitive but too instruction heavy.

by Ideamutt

I’ve been playing two weeks and I love the cute planets. I absolutely love that there’s an option to make a one-time, $1.99 purchase to ditch involuntary ads!

Huge complaint though on the current BOGO promotion. I got the notice when it started and actually decided to go for it. But instead of being satisfied, Walkr has popped up with a notice trying to get me to buy.... every time I open Walkr . Not just daily, not just every time Walkr has to restart itself, but literally every time my phone opens to Walkr . It is so tedious and apparently it is going to be happening for at least three more days. This pushiness definitely makes me feel less inclined to support Walkr financially in the future, and sadly makes me wonder if I’ll be keeping Walkr around long term!

by Mak_inthebox

I love this game, and honestly it is one of the very few apps that I use daily. However, after downloading their most recent update, the game has become glitchy to a point that it has become nearly impossible to play. It freezes within a few moments of opening, and doesn't unlock unless you reboot it. At that point, the cycle begins again, with mere seconds to get things accomplished before the game freezes yet again. It hasn't always been this bad, so I look forward to a speedy solution from the developers to make this game fun--rather than laborious--once again in the near future!! (Also, it'd be cool if there were somewhere within Walkr or elsewhere to report issues like this, rather than for the world to see in an app store rating. Or if there is a place, make it not so hard to find! I searched the website AND Walkr .) (Also, you can delete my rating after the issue is fixed please, thanks!)

by Jbeansy6

I love the concept of this game, however it’s very frustrating if you actually have a Fitbit and no way to sync it with the game. The phone’s pedometer is nowhere near as accurate, and not only that but I’m sure there are many people who don’t take their phones literally every time they walk around. Many times I leave my phone put away while I am up and about. My Fitbit stays on all day, logging several thousand more steps than my phone. Even when I take my phone with me on long walks it only logs about 75% of my steps compared to the Fitbit. So I miss out on all that energy I could be using in this game.
I would also like to have more use for the energy I do earn. You can use it to boost production but not to upgrade or explore more planets. So it’s not as useful as it sounds. It would be more motivating if our steps directly helped discover and upgrade planets instead of having to use it to get coins faster to then purchase upgrades with, as you can generate coins without doing anything at all as long as you come back to collect them. That’s not as motivating as if you *had* to expend energy to discover new planets.
Overall it’s a cute little game and a great concept but not as helpful/motivating as it could be.

by ReallyJustMyOpinion

I really have been enjoy Walkr, probably a bit too much!! But considering I hardly ever carry my phone on me, I use a Bluetooth earpiece, I just wish there was a way to get all my activity actually logged. And the ONLY reason I gave it just 3 stars is I also agree with other reviews on here that it takes way to many days to get to another planet! But I will say that you can ignore the person that wrote that the “Green Garden” is the last planet and that you have to download another app just to get it.. It was my 15th planet. Lastly, I truly hate to say this but the developer’s really need to have sales more often, the last 7 day sale of cubes... I went a little overboard but “instant gratification” was worth it because some of the “Wonders” are really neat!! Great for you but not so much on my wallet.. lol. Thanks and please do add more planets just the thought of running out of them is unpleasant. 👍🏻

by Tupelo_9

I like it. Was going to stop messing with it but it is really fun. Not much of a “game” as much as just fun.
There are a lot of aspects I am not really sure how to use. I downloaded it initially to get a specific planter on Plant Nanny about a year ago, now I just have fun with it but I still don’t understand a lot of how it works. The labs are super confusing and I only last week learned how to get in on the Epics. I am enjoying the major coin haul from that and I just started doing the daily exercises to learn how the teleporter works.
Also, I am walking more, even if only in place while watching TV to increase my energy for the Epics.
The FAQ’s answer a lot of questions but I still
don’t know how much of Walkr works. I wish there was a web page I could go to and learn all about how it all works.

by RRSM3333333

**this app my app with 60 planets has been crashing if I try to scroll through every planet for feeding or happy time bonuses**
Review:
I was looking for a game that would encourage me to walk more, and I liked the sound of this one and never looked back. Have been playing for five months and have explored almost half the planets. Each planet explored takes a little longer than before; it takes five days now. Energy/steps is not the only currency in the game, so you are not penalized for not walking as much. More energy gives you a boost for coins or food or time depending on how you use it. There is also group missions to earn special planets or cubes which keep you engaged in addition to feeding planets. There are daily gifts, and daily ads now which eventually get you gifts. There’s more too.

If you want details during gameplay, look at the FourDesire FAQ/help for general questions, and look at this app wiki for more complete and up to date lists. There’s also a sub reddit that has a lot of fan Q&A, and the this app Facebook page describes major updates.

by Walking Guy 1972

This is a fun way to track your steps in a day. My wife and I do it together and basically we can turn walking into a visual representation that we can see. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because sometimes it doesn’t accurately track my steps. It will say I got x amount of steps, but when I look at my energy log it is less.

Also the cubes are expensive and you need a massive amount of real cash to purchase anything. In my opinion this game is not as sophisticated as say “clash of clans” and the cost to purchase cubes should not be as high as it is.

Most of the ships are worthless and they have too many ships with low stats. Upgrades are also expensive and don’t really give you anything more that extra food storage.

The company sent out notices that more ships are coming, I’m hoping they are reasonable to obtain and actually can be upgraded.

It’s a fun game to play with friends and definitely a fun way to track your steps in a day. You can play the game for free and not make cash purchases and still have fun with it. I recommend it to anyone who is tracking steps.

The only other thing is that the game has trouble tracking mega walking days. I’ve had days of almost 20,000 steps and the game seems to malfunction when this happens and does not track them. It will reserve some of the steps and credit them the next day and eventually not give them to me at all. That is disappointing.

by Vpop2001

Honestly, I’m gonna keep this short. This game is an extremely fun game to explore. Discovering a new planet and trying to upgrade hen to their final level is rewarding and fun, but it takes a very long time. It can take a week to just discover a new planet (when you’re later in the game), and getting the money to upgrade one would take a while too. This is in no way a negative, it’s just not for everyone. If you want a fast paced game this isn’t it, but if you want a game you can invest yourself in, this may be it. The only negatives I have is that I think there are some very simple and easy fixes that could be done to make very tedious tasks simpler, such as having a collect all money button instead of having to swipe through all your planets and collecting the money manually. With very simple fixes like the one above I would consider this a perfect game for what it’s trying to achieve

by Bizacat

I absolutely love this game and have not found anything remotely as engaging and with such long term potential as this app. I have been running less in recent months due to an injury and decided to re-download this game and was happy to see quite a few nice updates. I’ve been encouraged by this game to get up and move significantly than I do on my own, and I can attribute that behavior change to partially being motivated to earn energy to contribute to the social aspects of the game and accelerate game progress.

The only thing that really disappoints me about this game is the lack of device integration. I just got a Fitbit to track my activity when I don’t have my phone on me (which are my most active times of the day usually!) and I feel kind of cheated out of my effort. Being able to use my Fitbit to gain energy would for sure keep me much more invested in this game.

by Blood And Carnage

I’ve only had Walkr for a week, and I do find myself checking back in with it pretty often and it’s amusing. It’s not really deep but it does kind of make me wanna get some more steps in to make some processes faster. I kind of wish more things in the game relied on your steps, or that your steps (“energy” production) had more application in the game — just so it motivated me MORE to get to my 10,000 steps each day. At this time I’m finding that I can get along pretty easily in the game without any added walking.
Oh, and yes I didn’t even realize the steps are only tracked through the phone and not from my Apple Watch, but I saw other people point that out in reviews and I agree!! Collecting step data from the Health Kit should be standard.

by Lleottaa

I love how Walkr keeps me in tune with how much I am walking and I don’t normally play games on my phone but I come back to Walkr every day multiple times to make sure that my planets are being fed and I’m gaining the energy that I should be. The only thing I don’t like about it is when you are in a challenge with others and the other people don’t do their part. That can be frustrating but that has nothing to do with Walkr itself. I’m so glad Plant Nanny made me download it! LOL!
Added... I have been getting WAY over 10,000 steps each day due to this game! Win win!

by Gayboydeluxe

I've been playing this app for 4 years now, and I still love it dearly. I open it almost every day. It is so soft, calming, and sweet. You're even rewarded for your daily steps! I genuinely enjoy seeing each new planet I discover, completing the little missions, and seeing the new satilites and creatures. this app feels like sinking my brain into memory foam during a stressful day. I rarely play for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, but the little break from my work is lovely.

It is a little frustrating that the planets take -so- long to discover (2.5-3 days), but in a way it makes it more rewarding when it finally is ready.

I am so glad this app exists.

by Sjellie

I’ve used this app for a few years now. Something about Walkr still keeps me checking it every single day. They’ve made it so that feeling of accomplishment when I hit 10k steps never gets old. They’ve also continually added updates—the pedometer function works great, every now and then we’ll get new adorable planets, and they’ve added interesting activities like epics and labs. The little additions that make you feel heard and show you that they keep on trying :) I love Walkr and I really don’t have any complaints, BUT if I could request one thing, I would absolutely advocate for fitbit compatibility...! :D (Hi! I know you guys take our reviews pretty seriously! Pretty please??) This has seriously been the only reason I have not gotten a fitbit and for a half second even considered getting an Apple watch. I love the fitbit features more though and am really hoping fitbit compatibility will be incorporated soon! Until then, here’s to holding my phone while walking and running :) Please and thanks!!

by RiviKnits

I’ve had this app for a while now and even when I’m not as active or ‘don’t feel like checking in’ with other games or apps, I still go into this app. Unlike other apps, especially game based motivational apps, this app really does let you move at your own pace. You don’t have to log a ton of steps or distance to be able to advance. It still keeps walking fresh in your mind though because you see how many steps you made when it rewards with that energy first thing. Also, if you like this app, or you’re looking for other motivation based games then definitely check out Plant Nanny as well! Same developers, gives me a fun incentive to track my water intake.

by Waclements

I have been playing this game for about a year and a half/two years now. I really don’t know what it is that keeps me so engaged with it: the graphics, working on building my planets up, or that it’s just sort of relaxing, but I haven’t played any other game for so long. I think it helps that they come out with 5 new planets every now and then, with some new missions, but even that isn’t it entirely. The planets have personalities, sort of. The game is just something predictable and fun (and cute) when everything else is chaotic. Maybe it’s having a little bit of control over what happens somewhere where there isn’t violence, all the planets get along and it’s simply a happy place that’s growing and being taken care of (gee, I’m not projecting a lot onto a video game at all, am I?). lol

by PheePhyPhoPhum

The whole point of this game is to help you get out and walk more. I was skeptical that it wouldn’t accomplish this, because my assumption was that you got more fuel to power your little ship to find new planets. So what is your motivation, if not exploration? I’ll tell you! It’s pure, unadulterated greed for imaginary internet points.

And that is the smartest thing they could have done.

Yes, you do get to explore new planets. Yes, there are several ways to connect with friends and teams. Yes, you can beat little missions and get coins. BUT, the real power of this game is the epics. You get exactly the slice of pie you earn, which has made me get out of bed to get another hundred steps in to get to the next challenge. I’ve started walking in the morning just to be able to have a bit of a reserve throughout the day. So, overall, mission accomplished.

Furthermore, finding little mental things, like IDing the right satellites and the interconnectivity with their other games, truly makes this app a thing of beauty. I unequivocally LOVE Walkr!

My one and only gripe is that it won’t use the steps I get from my Fitbit. I have to have the phone’s accelerometer, pedometer. :( Still, this is a 5-Star app like Dennis.

by Extremofire

I’ve been playing this app nonstop since July 2017, and I have logged in every single day to play it. I’m an active person, so getting fit wasn’t the motivator for me. I got ahead quite easily in the early stages of the game by enjoying my normal lifestyle. The game is family-friendly and takes a simple concept to new depths.

The premise of the game established early on is that, in the dreams of this young child, he and his dog explore the universe with a spaceship powered by a treadmill. That’s the only plot device. It’s not elaborated on much and that’s fine; it’s a nice touch for a Fitness-oriented app.

The game works as your typical resource-collection game, however, energy (gained from walking) is used to expedite the processes, advance in Epics (social missions where you’re matchmade with multiple players) and, when eligible, assist Lab (in-game guilds) members with free upgrades to their planets to harvest more resources.

The grind is endless, but such is Fitness in general. The pride I can show from being a long-term veteran of this app was surprisingly awesome and still is (shoutout to my fellow Captains).

There is still strategy in spending resources wisely, and as such I’m engaged constantly.

5 Stars. 10/10. Would (and have) recommend to anyone.