This picture taking game raises awareness for animals at risk of extinction

Looking for something pleasant and educational to add to your indoor activities in case of inclement weather this Earth Day? Wildlife Snap: Animal Collector may be just the thing you're after.

Wildlife Snap: Animal Collector is a recently released photography game for iOS devices that allows you discover cool facts about wildlife while completing goals and earning rewards and achievements at the same time. The object of the game is essentially to explore each continent of the world, taking photographs of every animal you encounter in order to log them all in your animal collection. Your ultimate goal is to help the adorable and very Professor Oak-like Professor Glenn save and protect the animals ( (and their various habitats) across the globe by studying them.

  • Wildlife Snap: Animal Collector - Free with IAP - Download now

Each time you take a photograph of a new animal, you unlock its specifically designated photo album in your log where you can then view its conservation status, its average size and weight, the shape of its tracks, and a paragraph full of interesting facts about it. If you like, you can also sell the photographs you collect for coins, which you can use to purchase camping equipment like tents, musical instruments, air mattresses, and cooking stations. These purchasable items aren't just to make your campsite look snazzy, either — every single one has an effect on the animals that appear. Some make more animals appear than usual, some attract rarer animals, and some cause animals to rotate through more quickly to make room for new ones. You can also use your actual IRL money to buy gems, which you can trade in for top-tier equipment as well as snacks that also give you an animal collecting boost.

Each continent has a specific set of animals native to it that you must capture with your camera before you're able to unlock the next continent and move on. In the time I played I didn't even complete Europe, so you definitely won't run out of things to do as quickly as you'd think with a game like this.

Though this app would be great way to start teaching kiddos about animal conservation, don't let its ultra-cute design fool you: it's actually pretty delightful for all ages. After I downloaded it I spent a good 20 or so minutes glued to my phone, getting super excited about asp vipers and peregrine falcons.

If you want to get a better idea of what gameplay is like before you download the app, check out this video of Wildlife Snap: Animal Collector in action. For more info on how to play, I'd advise taking a peek at the Wildlife Snap FAQ here.

Thoughts?

Are you going to give Wildlife Snap a try? Share your experience in the comments! (Or, if you aren't going to play, tell me the coolest animal fact you know!)

Tory Foulk

Tory Foulk is a writer at Mobile Nations. She lives at the intersection of technology and sorcery and enjoys radio, bees, and houses in small towns. When she isn't working on articles, you'll likely find her listening to her favorite podcasts in a carefully curated blanket nest. You can follow her on Twitter at @tsfoulk.