In Pokemon Go, monsters roam the lands, and your job is to find, capture and train them. The game uses your phone's GPS for your real-world location and an augmented reality interface bring up those cool-looking Pokemon on your screen, overlaid on top of what you see in front of you. And you—the digital you—can be customized with clothing, a faction (or —team— of players you can join) and other options. As you play, you level up through the game.
Explore Your City
Just last evening, I decided to visit Laurelhurst park in Southeast Portland. The park is a bit out of the way for me, and I resent to say it - but after living in Portland for four years the only reason I have just now decided to visit this beautiful place was because of Pokemon Go. The game rewards you with extra valuable items or rare Pokemon for visiting unique places such as parks or monuments. Oregon Live recently compiled a google map of where to catch rare Pokemon in Portland. Shamelessly, I have walked over 75 kilometers since the game's release. My dog loves it, and it is a much better use of my time than watching TV.
Foraging for Eggs in the Wild
In Pokemon Go, you usually find —eggs— in the —wild— - usually by interacting with various locations around town known as Pok√©Stops. There are three different types of eggs you can encounter: a 10km egg, a 5km egg and the common 2km egg. The eggs are labeled in distances because - as you may have guessed - you have to walk the specified distance to hatch the egg. Once hatched, the egg rewards you with extra points and often Pokemon that you would be unable to find if you were just walking around your neighborhood.
I chose to walk around and see places that I otherwise would have overlooked - like the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Some users have resorted to lazier tactics however, such as attaching their phones to a dog or a roomba to gain the distance needed. (source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/Pokémon-go-hacks-how-to-hatch-egg)
Final Thoughts
I think the benefits of this new phenomenon far outway the downsides (mainly safety concerns). It forces you to be outside and walk around. It also forces you to be social. You can drop special items called —lure modules— at any PokeStop (most bars and parks are PokeStops) which attract Pokemon to that location. I have talked to countless people who I would have otherwise not talked to while trying to become a Pokemon Master.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start catching them!
Pokémon Go for Android
Pokémon Go for iPhone
As of writing this, Pokémon Go for Microsoft Phones is not yet available but is in the works.