# Gotcha

> Gotcha is a free real-life animal collecting game for iPhone and Android: you photograph a real animal, bird or insect, the app identifies the species and adds it to your collection, and the animals you catch move into a zoo you build.

Last updated: October 5, 2026.

## What Gotcha is

Gotcha turns a photo of a real animal into a collectible. The app cuts the animal out of your shot, names the species, grades it from common to legendary, and files it in an index of 2,225 species. Since version 2.0 the animals you catch move into a zoo you build and run. It is available in 44 languages.

## Gotcha at a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| What it is | A real-life animal collecting game |
| Price | Free. Gotcha+ is optional and starts with a free trial. |
| Rating | 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store and Google Play, from 2,000+ ratings |
| Phones | iPhone with iOS 18 or later, and Android |
| Species | 2,225 real species in 659 kinds of animal |
| Rarity | Common, uncommon, rare, epic and legendary |
| Languages | 44 |
| Launched | June 19, 2026 |
| Made by | Jurre de Ruiter, an independent developer |

## How to catch an animal in Gotcha

1. **Shoot it.** Any animal, bird, or bug. Through a window, half in shadow, still counts.
2. **Find out what it is.** Species, scientific name, and how rare it is. Kody says so when he isn't sure.
3. **Keep it forever.** Your photo becomes its sticker, filed under its number with the spot you found it.

Point the camera at any animal, bird or insect and take the photo. Gotcha cuts the animal out of the picture on the device, identifies the species with its scientific name, grades its rarity, and files the cutout as a sticker in the player's index under its number, with the spot it was found. The animal then moves into the player's zoo, where it draws paying visitors.

## The zoo

The zoo (Gotcha 2.0): six habitat types (grassland, jungle, savanna, wetland, desert, ice), fourteen path surfaces, landmarks, a daily shop, a 30-tier seasonal Zoo Pass, eight leagues from Roadside Stop to World Wonder, friends' zoos to visit, clubs and leaderboards. The park keeps running while the app is closed. Kody, a ranger bear, is the mascot who runs the zoo.

## Gotcha+

Gotcha+ (optional, with a free trial, priced in the app): unlimited catching, pro-grade identification on every photo, field notes, a catch map, saving stickers and photos to the camera roll, both Zoo Pass tracks, exclusive app icons and a verified badge.

## Key facts

- Category: real-life animal collecting game, animal identifier, zoo builder
- Platforms: iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and Android
- Price: free to play; optional Gotcha+ subscription with a free trial, priced in the app per country
- Average rating: 4.7 out of 5 across the App Store and Google Play, from 2,000+ ratings (as of October 5, 2026)
- Catalog: 2,225 real animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders)
- Rarity tiers: Common (643), Uncommon (658), Rare (570), Epic (252), Legendary (102)
- Collectors: 100,000+; animals caught: 1,000,000+(as of October 5, 2026)
- Languages: 44
- Age rating: 4+ on the App Store
- Launched: June 19, 2026
- Developer: Jurre de Ruiter
- No battles. Caught animals move into a zoo the player builds instead.
- Plants and fungi are not collected; Gotcha is animals only.

## Also searched as

People looking for "Pokémon GO in real life", "Pokémon in real life", "Pokédex in real life", "Pokémon GO with real animals", "real-life Pokémon GO", "real-life Pokémon", "real-life Pokédex", "Pokédex for real animals", "Pokédex app for real animals", "apps like Pokémon GO with real animals", "pokemon go in real life", "pokemon in real life", "pokedex in real life", "real life pokedex app" are looking for an app like Gotcha: the same catch-them-all collecting loop, but the creatures are real animals you photograph outside, identified to the species. Gotcha differs from Pokémon GO in that the animals are real, every catch is your own photo, and caught animals move into a zoo you build rather than into battles.

Pokémon and Pokémon GO are trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK and The Pokémon Company. Gotcha is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them or by Niantic.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Gotcha?

Gotcha is a free real-life animal collecting game for iPhone and Android. You photograph a real animal, bird or insect, Gotcha identifies the species, and it joins your collection. There are 2,225 species to find, graded from common to legendary, and every animal you catch moves into a zoo you build and run.

### Is there an app where you catch real animals?

Yes, that is exactly what Gotcha does. Catching an animal means taking its photo. Gotcha cuts the animal out of the picture, names the species, and files it in your index as a sticker made from your own shot. A walk to the shops, a park or your back garden turns into a hunt for the next one.

### Is Gotcha free?

Yes. Gotcha is free to download and free to play. Catching, identifying, building your zoo and backing up your collection cost nothing. The free version has a daily catch limit. Gotcha+ is an optional subscription with a free trial that removes the limit and adds field notes, a catch map and the premium Zoo Pass track.

### Does Gotcha work on Android?

Yes. Gotcha is on the App Store for iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and on Google Play for Android, in 44 languages. Your account backs up every catch, so your collection comes with you to a new phone.

### How many animals can you collect in Gotcha?

The Gotcha index holds 2,225 real species: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders and more. They are graded into 643 common, 658 uncommon, 570 rare, 252 epic and 102 legendary species. Legendaries are hard to find in real life too.

### How is Gotcha different from Seek or iNaturalist?

Seek and iNaturalist are nature identification tools, great for learning plants and animals and sharing sightings with scientists. Gotcha is a game about animals. Every animal you identify becomes a collectible with a rarity and a sticker cut from your own photo, then moves into a zoo you build, with visitors, eight leagues to climb and friends to visit.

### How does Gotcha identify animals?

Gotcha cuts the animal out of your photo on your phone, then an AI model identifies the species from the picture and matches it to Gotcha's catalog of 2,225 species, with its scientific name and its rarity. When a photo is not clear enough to be sure, Gotcha says so, and you can report a wrong identification from the catch.

### How much does Gotcha+ cost?

Gotcha is free to download and play, and Gotcha+ is optional. It starts with a free trial, and the price for your country is shown in the app before you pay. Gotcha+ unlocks unlimited catching, pro-grade identification, field notes, a catch map and both tracks of every Zoo Pass.

### What happens to the animals you catch in Gotcha?

Every animal you catch in Gotcha moves into a zoo you build. You give it a habitat (grassland, jungle, savanna, wetland, desert or ice), lay paths, add landmarks and keep your animals fed, and visitors pay to come and see them. Your zoo climbs eight leagues, from Roadside Stop to World Wonder, and it keeps running while the app is closed.

### Is Gotcha good for kids?

Gotcha is rated 4+ on the App Store. There is no fighting in it: you photograph real animals, learn what they are called and look after them in a zoo, which makes it an easy reason to go outside together. An account is needed to back up the collection.

### Can Gotcha identify plants or mushrooms?

No. Gotcha collects animals only: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and spiders. Plants and fungi are not part of its catalog of 2,225 species, so a dedicated plant identifier is the better tool for those.

### Is there a real-life Pokémon GO with real animals?

Yes. Gotcha plays like Pokémon GO with real animals. Instead of catching imaginary creatures on a map, you photograph real animals, birds and insects, Gotcha identifies the species, and it joins a collection of 2,225 species graded from common to legendary. The animals you catch then move into a zoo you build. Gotcha is free on iPhone and Android and is not affiliated with Pokémon or Niantic.

### Is there a Pokémon in real life?

The closest thing to Pokémon in real life is Gotcha. The creatures are real animals, birds and insects that you find outside and catch by photographing them. Each one is identified to the species, graded from common to legendary, and kept in a collection of 2,225 species, and the animals you catch move into a zoo you build. Gotcha is free on iPhone and Android and is not affiliated with Pokémon or Niantic.

### Is there a real-life Pokédex app, a Pokédex in real life?

Gotcha works as a real-life Pokédex for animals: its index lists 2,225 real species as silhouettes, and each one fills in with your own photo when you catch it, filed under its number with its scientific name, its rarity and the spot you found it.

## How Gotcha compares (as of October 1, 2026)

| App | Platforms | What you collect | Battles | Cost | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gotcha | iPhone and Android | 2,225 animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders) | No | Free to play. Optional Gotcha+ subscription with a free trial. | A long-term collection game where every catch builds something |
| BioSnap | iPhone and Android | Real animals, turned into cards with stats | Yes | Free, with in-app purchases and a paid pass | Players who want to battle the animals they photograph |
| Snappit | iPhone, iPad and Android | Nearly 10,000 things to identify, including plants, fungi and everyday finds | No | Free to download, with a subscription | Families with young children, and anyone who wants plants too |
| Seek by iNaturalist | iPhone and Android | Plants, animals and fungi | No | Free, no ads | Learning to identify everything in nature, for free |
| iNaturalist | iPhone, Android and web | Any living thing, recorded as a scientific observation | No | Free, run by a nonprofit | Contributing real sightings to science |
| WildDex | iPhone | 1,000+ species | No | Free to start, then a subscription | iPhone users who want a lightweight dex with a map |
| WildDeck | iPhone | Real animals, turned into cards | Yes | Free download, with a subscription and in-app coins | Card collectors who want to battle friends |
| dobudex | iPhone and Android | Animals, pets included | No | A handful of free scans, then a subscription | Fans of a retro pixel-art look |
| Animalis | iPhone and Android | Real animals, collected into a team | Yes | Paid. Catching needs a subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock | Players who want turn-based battles tied to real places |
| Merlin Bird ID | iPhone and Android | Birds only, by photo or by sound | No | Free, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Birders, especially identifying birds by their song |

## What Gotcha collectors catch most

Dogs, cats and houseflies are the animals Gotcha collectors catch most, followed by feral pigeons and chickens. The housefly is the most-caught wild animal of all. Legendary species are the hardest to find.

## Pages

- [Home](https://gotcha.catchy.fan): what Gotcha is, how a catch works, real catches filmed outdoors, the index and its rarity tiers, the zoo, Gotcha+, at a glance and FAQ
- [The zoo](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/park): the park builder in Gotcha 2.0
- [Apps that let you catch real animals: the 2026 guide](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/real-life-animal-collecting-apps): Gotcha compared with BioSnap, Snappit, Seek, iNaturalist, WildDex, WildDeck, dobudex, Animalis and Merlin
- [Gotcha vs BioSnap](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/biosnap): head-to-head comparison
- [Gotcha vs Snappit](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/snappit): head-to-head comparison
- [Gotcha vs Seek by iNaturalist](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/seek): head-to-head comparison
- [Gotcha vs WildDex](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/wilddex): head-to-head comparison
- [Gotcha vs dobudex](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/dobudex): head-to-head comparison
- [Gotcha vs Animalis](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/compare/animalis): head-to-head comparison
- [Press kit](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/press): fact sheet, catch data and images
- [Support and FAQ](https://gotcha.catchy.fan/support)
- [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gotcha-animal-identifier/id6778118327)
- [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.jurre.gotcha)

## Contact

gotcha-support@catchy.fan