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Capture the Flag is a GPS-based, real-world multiplayer game for iPhone. Two teams — red and blue — move through actual physical space to steal each other's hidden flags while defending their own. Your real-world position is your position on the in-game map.

An iPhone running iOS 16 or later, location access turned on, and some open outdoor space to play in. iPhone 11 and newer get the most precise tagging thanks to Ultra-Wideband. You'll also want a few friends — it's a team game.

It's best with 3-on-3 or larger, where defense and teamwork really matter. That said, it's fully playable down to 1-on-1 if you just want to try it out.

No. Just pick a display name and you're in — no sign-up, no password, no email required. Games are joined with a short code instead of accounts.

Tap Create to host a match — the app gives you a join code you can share. Everyone else taps Join, enters that code, picks a team and a loadout, and drops into the lobby. Games are invite-only, so only people with the code can join.

Tagging eliminates an enemy on the spot. You can tag attackers who step inside your base radius, and you can tag an enemy flag carrier anywhere on the map. Get close, and the Tag button activates for the nearest valid target.

On iPhone 11 and newer, tags are confirmed with Ultra-Wideband for sub-meter accuracy. Older phones fall back to GPS with a slightly wider range to account for normal GPS drift.

The arsenal spans weapons (PGM, frag and gas grenades, C4, airstrike), support gear (medpack, defibrillator, kevlar), traps (claymore, tripwire), and information tools (recon and UAV drones, signal jammer, EMP, smoke, decoy beacon). You start with a themed loadout — Assault, Recon, Defender, or Support — and pick up more on the map.

Location is the heart of the game — your real-world GPS position is what moves your player on the map. Without location access the app can't track movement, flag pickups, captures, or tags, so the game can't function.

Your position is shared in real time only with the other players in your active match, and only for as long as that match is running — that's what makes the live map work. It isn't sold or used for advertising. When the match ends, the game state is ephemeral and is cleaned up automatically.

Capture the Flag connects to a game server. First, check that your phone has a working internet or Wi-Fi connection. Then confirm the server address in Settings is correct.

If you're self-hosting the server on your own network, make sure it's running and reachable from your phone — players on the same Wi-Fi can use the host's local IP, while remote play needs a secure (HTTPS) address.

It needs a solid GPS fix, so it works best outdoors with a clear view of the sky. Indoors or among tall buildings, GPS can drift, which makes positions and tags less accurate. An open park, field, or campus is ideal.

Continuous GPS and the live satellite map use a fair bit of power. Start matches with a full charge or bring a battery pack for longer sessions, and lowering your screen brightness helps too.

I'd love to hear it. Email me using the link below with your iPhone model, your iOS version, and a description of what happened. Screenshots or a short clip make everything much easier to track down.