Overview

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality (or more accurately, a GPS location-based) game for iPhone and Android mobile devices. Part of the popular Japanese media franchise, Pokémon GO puts the player in the role of a trainer who captures, trains, and battles Pokémon — “pocket monsters” — for sport. The augmented reality (AR) nature of Pokémon GO means that the game world is a player’s actual environment. Developed by Niantic, the studio formerly part of Google and responsible for the popular underground AR game Ingress, Pokémon GO uses a device’s GPS location and camera to place Pokémon in real world places, and Pokéstops and Gyms (where players power up, level up, and battle those creatures) over actual places of interest. Though Pokémon GO’s content is appropriate for all ages (the game has an ESRB rating of E, for everyone), the roaming aspect of gameplay does require a certain amount of autonomy and responsibility or adult supervision. Parents should also be advised that players can make in-game purchases; use this feature for conversations about financial responsibility and trust or disable in-game purchases altogether (in the settings menu for iPhone or in the Google Play store on Android phones). We recommend this game for kids as young as 4, and urge parents to play, too.