Photo Credit: Maria Lewczyk

Over the past week, swarms of people have taken to Athens' streets with smartphones in hand, walking (or running) around and loitering in certain (often unusual) locations. Although walking while looking at one’s phone is a common activity, this is something different. This is Pokémon Go, a new, location-based augmented reality mobile app developed by Niantic—the minds behind another location-based game called Ingress—and the Pokémon Company.

Pokémon Go has only been available in the United States since July 6, and is even newer in other countries, but it has already taken the world by storm. The president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, posted a picture online of a Meowth in his office. People in South Korea are flocking to the city of Sokcho, the only location in that country where Pokémon Go works. Pokémon meet-ups and Pokéhunts are becoming common activities for friends and strangers alike.

Thanks largely to the nostalgic appeal among millennial users, the app has continued Nintendo’s streak of popular games. According to Survey Monkey and other data-gathering sites, in the short time since its release, Pokémon Go has become the most popular mobile game in U.S. history.

Here’s how it works: Pokémon Go utilizes the GPS technology on your phone to project Pokémon characters into real-life locations. Based on your location, the app makes Pokémon “appear,” after which you can choose to catch the Pokémon or run away from it. The catching process involves “flicking” a Pokéball towards the Pokémon in a fashion similar to the paper-tossing mobile app popular in business offices. The rest is simple: Along with collecting a variety of items, you’ve got to keep exploring so you can catch ‘em all!

Since Pokémon Go is GPS-based, nearby locations—like buildings on the UGA campus, or the Flagpole office—are turned into important stops. Your house could be a gym, which users battle to take control of for their team. Once you turn level five, there are three teams to choose from: Team Mystic, Team Instinct and Team Valor. There are also Pokéstops, where players can get items such as Pokéballs and Eggs. And there are things called Lures, which attract Pokémon for a specific amount of time. Sometimes they’re attached to Pokéstops, which is denoted by pink falling flower petals in the game.

In addition to the satisfaction of playing the game, some experts have posited that Pokémon Go could have a positive effect on alleviating mental and physical illnesses by causing people to get outside and move around, to look for Pokémon and socialize with groups of fellow users.

“In the past week it’s been common to just have conversations with strangers about Pokémon, and build up this community,” says Raf Varela, a 22-year-old UGA student. “It sounds corny, but Pokémon Go is way more than just a game. Nintendo pulled some kind of reality-warping wizardry and made the Pokémon world real, and we’re here too.”

But despite the excitement and sense of community created by the game, users should take caution. The app encourages participants to walk around and explore their surroundings to find Pokémon, and by doing so the user may encounter unexpected real-life circumstances. (On the loading screen, the game warns, “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.”)

So far, unsuspecting Pokémon Go users have been mugged at game-specified locations and have come across dead bodies. Police stations, as well as AAA and other driving services, have released statements warning Pokémon Go users not to trespass on restricted areas, and not to drive and play Pokémon Go, which has already resulted in dangerous car crashes. The game is meant to be played responsibly, and users who choose to partake in Pokémon Go need to take the loading screen’s advice: Stay alert, and stay aware.