Which games turn barcodes into monsters?

The best known are Barcode Battler (1991) and Skannerz (2000), which used a device with a reader. Today BattleBips does the same with your phone’s camera, for free and in the browser.

Can I play something like Barcode Battler on my phone?

Yes: BattleBips follows that idea. You scan the barcodes of things at home with the camera and each one gives you a creature to battle with.

Barcode games: from Barcode Battler to your phone

The idea that any object could hide a creature has been hooking players for more than thirty years. These are the games that made it famous, and how you can play it today.

Barcode Battler (1991)

Epoch’s handheld was the pioneer: you swiped a barcode through a slot and the device turned it into a warrior or an item with its own stats. It came with cards, but the fun was trying anything at home. A second version, Barcode Battler II, could also connect to some home consoles. More in if you loved Barcode Battler.

Monster Rancher (1997)

On the PlayStation, Monster Rancher took the idea to discs: you put in a music CD or another game and out came a monster that you raised and trained to battle. It did not use barcodes, but it shared the same magic of discovering what each object hid.

Skannerz (2000)

In the early 2000s, Skannerz went back to barcodes with a handheld with a built-in reader: you scanned product barcodes to catch monsters, split into tribes, and battled with them or against your friends’ ones.

BattleBips (today, on your phone)

Fire
Water
Plant

BattleBips picks up the idea with no device: you scan any barcode with your phone’s camera, each one hides a creature (a bip) and it is the same species for everyone. You build teams of three with elements and archetypes, climb a tower, compete on a leaderboard and challenge your friends to duels. It is free and plays in the browser, with nothing to install.

What they have in common

The curiosity of finding out what every object around you hides.
The same object always giving the same thing, so you can compare with friends.
Rarity: some codes hide something much better than the rest.

Try BattleBips

Frequently asked questions

Which games turn barcodes into monsters?: The best known are Barcode Battler (1991) and Skannerz (2000), which used a device with a reader. Today BattleBips does the same with your phone’s camera, for free and in the browser.
Can I play something like Barcode Battler on my phone?: Yes: BattleBips follows that idea. You scan the barcodes of things at home with the camera and each one gives you a creature to battle with.

Barcode Battler, Monster Rancher and Skannerz are trademarks of their respective owners. BattleBips is an independent project with no connection to any of them.