Zenly refugee home

Privacy-first map-social. No algorithm. No feed.

GPS game with a trading card game

Zenly alternative: the map social network, rebuilt with a real game on top

When Snap shut down Zenly in February 2023, millions of users lost their map social network overnight, and nothing showed up to replace it. Snap Map is ephemeral. Find My is utility only. Life360 is family-tracking. MapRaiders rebuilds the map-as-social-network and puts a real game loop on top of it.

Enter the game

“When Zenly shut down in 2023, millions of people lost their map social network. We rebuilt it.” MapRaiders brand vision

What Zenly was

What Zenly was and why it mattered

Zenly was a real-time location-sharing app for friends. Live map, friends visible on it, with mood, battery, bumps. Snap acquired it and then shut it down in February 2023, citing strategic refocus.

The result was millions of displaced users, mostly in Gen-Z friend groups, who never found an equivalent replacement. Snap Map is feed-flavored and ephemeral. Find My is a single-platform utility. Life360 is family-tracking with paid tiers. None of them actually rebuilt the map-as-social-network.

What doesn't quite work

The Zenly alternatives that don't quite work

App	Type	Map-as-social	Privacy mode	Game loop
Snap Map	Ephemeral feed-on-map	Half, feed-flavored	Ghost mode	No
Find My (Apple)	Utility	No	Toggle	No
Life360	Family-tracking	No	Paid tiers	No
Discord bots	DIY hack	Hacky	Variable	No
MapRaiders	Map-social + GPS MMO	✓ full	Granular opt-in	Territory + RPG + card game + clans

Beyond Zenly

What MapRaiders adds beyond Zenly

Territory game loop

Friends on the map, plus a reason to walk: persistent land that actually belongs to you.

Clan voice lobby

Talk with your friends live, like on a phone call, and bring the whole lobby along to a raid. The map gets voices, not just dots.

Organic clans

Friend groups turn into territorial alliances, co-defending shared neighborhoods.

Card duels in the arena

Real-time interactions when territories clash, instead of just passive map presence.

Privacy-first

Privacy-first map social

The Zenly model defaulted to real-time location-sharing. MapRaiders rebuilds it on opt-in foundations:

No algorithm, no feed. The map is the interface. Nothing trends, nothing pushes.
Friend visibility is opt-in per friend. Granular controls. There's no “share with everyone” default.
Private mode. Hide your live location entirely and still claim territory and play.
No data selling. No ad-network SDKs, no outside owner. Independent US LLC.

FAQ

Common questions

Is MapRaiders a Zenly clone?

No. Zenly was real-time location-sharing for friends. MapRaiders is a GPS MMO with territory ownership and an RPG you can play from home. We share the map-as-social-network idea, but with a full game loop on top.

Can I see my friends' real-time location like in Zenly?

Yes. Friend visibility is opt-in per friend, with granular controls. You can also play in private mode (no visibility at all) and still claim territory.

Does MapRaiders share my location with strangers?

Never your real-time location. Only your territories and clan membership are public. Live location is friend-only opt-in.

When did Zenly shut down?

Snap shut down Zenly in February 2023. Millions of users lost their map social network overnight, with no equivalent replacement.

What is the minimum age for MapRaiders?

You must be at least 16 years old. Users under 18 years of age must have parental or guardian consent.

From the founder

I played Pokémon GO for three years and eventually quit. The thing I was missing never showed up: real land instead of fleeting gym captures. When Niantic sold Pokémon GO and its other games to Scopely in 2025 it was clear to me that the Niantic model wasn't heading anywhere I wanted to follow. So I'm building MapRaiders myself. No ads, no investor pressure, no required sub. My block is my playing field; yours is up for grabs.

Founder, Scafa Investments LLC

Two worlds, one game

What you can do in MapRaiders

MapRaiders joins two worlds. Outside, you claim real streets and squares on the GPS map, on foot, running or by bike. Inside, you collect cards, build a deck around your commander and play in the arena, at home or away. Land you walk is meant to bring you cards.

Claim territoryYour route draws the border. Streets and squares on the real map become your territory.
Card game and arenaFifty cards around one commander. In the arena you play your deck against others, home or away.