Pokemon Go is a socially driven augmented reality game about catching Pokemon and showing off your collection to other players. Head to real-life spots to find gyms, raids, and rare Pokemon, then level them up with physical activity – all while meeting lots of new friends!

The Best Excuse To Get Cardio

The core premise behind Pokemon Go is both simple and brilliant. What would it be like if you could go around catching Pokemon in real life? Despite animes, games, and trading cards based on these cute critters, they’ve been relegated to the realm of fantasy. Until now, that is.

Pokemon in the wild.

Pokemon Go is a game based on the concept of augmented reality. Rather than controlling an avatar in a virtual environment, Pokemon Go lets you control yourself in real-life to get to gyms, raids, Pokemon encounters, and more. The game tracks your movement and even displays Pokemon on top of real-time feeds from your phone’s camera, helping you feel like you’re in an exciting world where Pokemon exist.

Pokemon, but real.

For many, Pokemon Go serves as a great excuse to leave the house. If you’ve ever struggled to commit to your new year’s resolution of jogging every day or you’d just like to spend more time outdoors, Pokemon Go is a perfect incentive that will help you form the habit of getting outside and getting exercise. Walking around and getting cardio isn’t the core goal of Pokemon Go, but it’s a nice side effect that makes the game a healthy habit for many gamers.

A Social Phenomenon, Still

Pokemon Go caused a huge stir when it was first released over 5 years ago. These days, it’s got a smaller following, but it’s still got lots of active players. This means in major cities you’ll find lots of other people on their phones chasing after the same Pokemon, gyms, raids, and events that you’re following. For many people, a lot of the appeal of Pokemon Go is the fact that you get to interact with all of these other players. It’s a great way to find opportunities to exchange a few words with people that you know share some common interests. When you start seeing your neighborhood regulars at the local gym, however, you’ll have the opportunity to build lasting friendships with people that you might otherwise have never met.

Raids can be a great way to meet local players.

And don’t worry. If you’re shy, it’s easy to avoid these interactions or back out should you feel uncomfortable. Think of it like being on the same bus as someone. The difference here is that the bus is going to an activity that both of you are interested in, making it more likely that you’ll form a connection if you choose to talk.

Show off shiny Pokemon to your friends!

Improving Gameplay

Pokemon Go’s initial viral popularity fizzled out due to the game’s lack of polish and content. After five years, developer Niantic has had plenty of patches to perfect and evolve the game. This means that there are many, many more pokemon to catch, with lots of varieties. There are shadow Pokemon, shiny Pokemon, legendary Pokemon, and more. Rotating events ensure that there’s always new gameplay to pursue, while updated systems have added a lot of things to do in the game. You can assemble a team of three Pokemon to challenge other players in Go Battle League to earn legendary Pokemon, fight against Team Rocket to earn shadow Pokemon, or hunt shiny Pokemon during Community Days. There are also a LOT of social features, allowing you to invite your friends, share Pokemon, do battle, and more.

Show off shiny Pokemon to your friends!

Like many other modern mobile games, Pokemon Go is often a test of patience and discipline. Incubators, for example, can be a pain point if you’re not careful about how you manage your in-game resources. Use the infinite incubator for short 2km eggs and save the 3x incubators that you get occasionally for longer 10 km eggs. For eggs in between, make a judgment call based on your available resources. By saving the valuable slots for eggs that take longer to hatch, you’ll get your Pokemon faster without having to spend money in the shop.

When it comes to collecting Pokemon, experts actually recommend getting rid of the low-stat Pokemon you don’t need. The Professor will give you a candy for each unwanted Pokemon you send him. Don’t get rid of rare or legendary Pokemon unless you have a backup, but consider freeing up inventory space and getting some of your seven Pidgeys out of your bag.

If you don’t want to run around the city in real life, remember that you can turn off AR mode and simply walk around in a game world instead. This gives you a completely different version of Pokemon Go’s magic. Be sure to try the game both ways and see which one you prefer! Even if you like the AR mode, the game world is helpful during bad weather, when you’re low on battery, or when you simply can’t leave the house or office.

Game mode

Are you a Pokemon Go Master? What’s the most powerful Pokemon in your collection? What’s the rarest? Did we miss any tips or tricks? Let us know in the comments below!