Best apps for leading you off the beaten track

Dérive is virtually the anti–Google Maps. Instead of showing you the quickest way from point A to B, this free browser-based app is one of several apps created to nudge users toward unexpected discoveries. Users follow vague prompts—like “turn left and search for something sweet”—until the instructions produce a happy surprise.

Serendipitor actually uses the Google Maps interface but suggests roundabout routes between points and recommends actions to slow a journey. The app functions, but is still in development. (Free, iOS only)

Ingress, from Google’s Niantic Labs, encourages exploration through an augmented-reality game: Each player belongs to a team competing globally over control of a new form of energy, a competition that prods players to seek “portals” in museums and other public places. (Free, Android only)

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Source: CNN.com