Join and play

You need three things to play WAGE: a phone, the WAGE app, and a four-letter join code from whoever is hosting (the gamemaster). That’s it — no account required to play.

1. Get the app

Install the WAGE player app on your phone. It runs on iOS and Android.

WAGE games happen outdoors over real distances, so before you start:

• Allow location access. The whole game is your GPS position — the app can’t work without it. Allow location “while using the app.”
• Charge up. Continuous GPS for a 15–30 minute game uses battery. Start full.
• Go outside. GPS is weak or wrong indoors. WAGE is meant for parks, campuses, fields, and neighborhoods.

2. Enter the join code

The gamemaster will read out (or post) a four-letter code like SHON, ZOOT, or TRIP. These are pronounceable on purpose — easy to say aloud and type. Codes are not case-sensitive.

1. Open the app.
2. Type the code.
3. Type a name so other players (and the gamemaster) can recognize you.
4. Join.

You’ll connect to the live session and see the map. If the game hasn’t started yet, hang tight — the gamemaster starts it once everyone’s in.

Tip

If the code doesn’t work, double-check you typed it exactly, and confirm with the gamemaster that the session is still open. Sessions expire after a long idle period. See Troubleshooting.

3. Learn the five tabs

The player app has five tabs along the bottom. They all stay live at once — your location keeps reporting even when you’re looking at a different tab.

Map

Your home base. Shows your position, the play area and other zones, items on the ground, and other players (when the game lets you see them). Your current objective — what to do right now — appears here too, along with any action buttons that light up when you’re close enough to use them.

Chat

Talk to everyone in the session. Messages from the gamemaster show up as Gamemaster. Recent history loads when you join.

Players

The roster — everyone in the session, their team, and game-specific badges (like IT, FROZEN, or BOT). You’re marked “(you)”.

Inventory

Anything you’re carrying — a flag, a coin, a treasure chest. Some items have a use button here.

Settings

A read-only status panel: your connection, the session, the game name, your name, and your team. Handy for confirming you’re actually connected.

What next

Once you’re in and the game has started, read During a game to learn how to read the map, perform tags and pickups, and what to do if your phone drops. A quick read of Fair play and safety is worth it before your first real match.