# How do you play Pokemon Go **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 15, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985 "2016-07-15T16:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/1 "2016-07-15T16:17:38Z")
My 6 year old just downloaded this game onto my phone and he is asking me all sorts of questions. Questions that don’t seem to have obvious answers anywhere. Is there a user manual somewhere? Can I pay to win this game? I am willing to spend a moderate amount of money (\<$20) if it will significantly improve the gaming experience. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/2 "2016-07-15T16:22:12Z")
It’s not a game with an ending as such. You walk around in real life and find pokemon. You can catch them, level them up and battle with them at real-world locations that are marked as gyms. You can also spend money but it will just reduce the time you have to spend grinding. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/3 "2016-07-15T16:44:19Z")
Paying money is only something you’ll need to do if you really want to be competitive at capturing gyms, or if you live in a desolate area with no Pokestops within reasonable distance. If there are stops within walking distance, you can have plenty of fun just walking to and from them and capturing Pokemon. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/4 "2016-07-15T16:49:31Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Can I pay to win this game? I am willing to spend a moderate amount of money (\<$20) if it will significantly improve the gaming experience. Yeah, kinda. If you buy some lures, incense, and lucky eggs from the shop then use all of them together in a location that has at least one pokestop, but preferably multiples near each other, you can level up pretty quickly. (make sure you’re prepared to hang out there at least 30 minutes, which is how long the item effects last) There’s also [this guide](http://www.pokemongodb.net/2016/05/pokemon-go-beginners-guide.html) someone posted in the other thread. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/5 "2016-07-15T17:00:24Z")
This isn’t a “sit down and be quiet for a few minutes while I finish making dinner” kind of game for kids (note: not knocking that kind of game, it works for our family too!) You have to be out of the house moving around _with the game open on your phone_. If you’re sitting in your house you’re not going to catch anything. If you’re moving around your house and yard you might find stuff but you do have to keep moving _with the game open on your phone_. The game tracks how much you walk while it’s open and that is part of gameplay. It doesn’t track if you’re moving over 12-15 MPH so having it open while you’re in the car doesn’t work. So, you might find Pokemon while walking around your house and yard. You’re more likely to find Pokemon while walking around your neighborhood. If you don’t live in a downtown type area then you will find even more Pokemon while walking around a downtown area. I found a lot in our local Wal Mart the other day! When you find one, your phone vibrates. Then you have to lob a Pokeball at it. This will catch the Pokemon (if you’re successful - you can miss, too). You have a limited number of Pokeball. You will get more as the game progresses. You can also buy some if you are an idiot and toss all yours away and have no means of getting more (like I did). You will also see on the map, as you walk around, blue diamond shapes floating in the air. As you get closer they turn in to circles. When you are close enough to them physically you can spin the circle and get stuff. I have been playing for a week and JUST NOW figured out that i have to SPIN the dang circle (someone had to tell me but it can be found in the “tips” menu) to get stuff out of it. I have stood in front of like 12 Pokestops in this time, gaining nothing. Grrr. There are also gyms, which I haven’t experienced yet since I’m on level 4 but you need to be at level 5 to work with. With gyms come battles, teams, all sorts of other stuff. Someone else will explain. In the meantime…have the kid run around the house and yard with your phone. \*With the game open. \* Then go for a walk around the block. Then maybe drive to a park and walk around, your local downtown, Wal Mart, City Hall, etc etc. That’s how you play Pokemon Go! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/6 "2016-07-15T17:01:23Z")
I get in my car and drive where my 14yo tells me. There’s another way? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/7 "2016-07-15T17:36:32Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > So, you might find Pokemon while walking around your house and yard. You’re more likely to find Pokemon while walking around your neighborhood. If you don’t live in a downtown type area then you will find even more Pokemon while walking around a downtown area. I found a lot in our local Wal Mart the other day! Biggest goldmine of all are university campuses. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/8 "2016-07-15T19:00:07Z")
Thanks for the responses. I am not using Pokemon GO as a “here do this and stay out of my hair” tool. I am using it as leverage to get my kid to do what I say. I intend to use it as carrot (maybe buy some in game gold) or stick (no pokemon for a week). So far the game seems exceedingly boring to me but my kid gets excited by it so… What are those grass sprites that show up from time to time? Is there a site that keeps track of when the servers are down? AFAICT, we have never been able to log on during a weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/9 "2016-07-15T19:42:53Z")
Is it just for me or is the propagation sort of slow? I took my lunch and drove out to a nature preserve and took a walk. A mile later, I was sweatier and perhaps a few calories fitter but saw zero Pokemon in the little “near you” box the entire time. Disappointed and assuming my job in the sticks was worthless for Pokemon purposes, I was going back to my car when I detected a Venomat right near me. I caught it and then saw the parking lot was now a Pokestop and there was another Pokemon right near me (the rat guy). Caught that, hung around to spin the Pokestop wheel twice and was driving back to work. Two places that showed nothing on the way there now registered as Pokestops. My wife was texting me so I pulled into one, spun it and also collected a caterpillar dude and a Pidgy from my car. Made level 3 and got some medal for having five Pokemon. Was weird that nothing at all showed for the longest time and then it suddenly had stuff going on. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/10 "2016-07-15T19:47:08Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Is it just for me or is the propagation sort of slow? I took my lunch and drove out to a nature preserve and took a walk. A mile later, I was sweatier and perhaps a few calories fitter but saw zero Pokemon in the little “near you” box the entire time. Disappointed and assuming my job in the sticks was worthless for Pokemon purposes, I was going back to my car when I detected a Venomat right near me. I caught it and then saw the parking lot was now a Pokestop and there was another Pokemon right near me (the rat guy). Caught that, hung around to spin the Pokestop wheel twice and was driving back to work. Two places that showed nothing on the way there now registered as Pokestops. My wife was texting me so I pulled into one, spun it and also collected a caterpillar dude and a Pidgy from my car. Made level 3 and got some medal for having five Pokemon. > > Was weird that nothing at all showed for the longest time and then it suddenly had stuff going on. Pokemon spawn densities are built from cell phone data usage maps from Google. Meaning, the more people use their phones in a given location, the more Pokemon there will be. Downtown areas, university campuses, Tokyo, and other bastions of cell phone activity will have your phone buzzing every minute. Nature hikes, unfortunately, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/11 "2016-07-15T20:00:32Z")
Sure. I was more surprised that the area seemed to propagate with locations and spawns within minutes after showing nothing for about a half hour. I wasn’t expecting to see a lot, but I was disappointed to see absolutely nothing. Then, a half hour later, within a few minutes there’s three Pokestops and a bunch of spawns where previously there was nothing. I know my GPS was working (I have a separate app that shows it with location data) but maybe it took the P:GO servers a while to catch up. Didn’t know if that was unusual. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/12 "2016-07-15T20:36:32Z")
The servers are pretty slammed right now, so that’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/13 "2016-07-15T21:29:34Z")
Question: I initially chose map view instead of AR view, and now I see no way to change that. Is there a toggle that I am missing somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/14 "2016-07-15T21:59:36Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Question: I initially chose map view instead of AR view, and now I see no way to change that. Is there a toggle that I am missing somewhere? In the top right on the Pokemon catching screen there is a slider that says “AR”, click that. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/15 "2016-07-16T00:36:40Z")
Note that AR view doesn’t come on until there’s a Pokemon within reach. When you’re walking around its just map view. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/16 "2016-07-16T02:47:52Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > It’s not a game with an ending as such. You walk around in real life and find pokemon. You can catch them, level them up and battle with them at real-world locations that are marked as gyms. You can also spend money but it will just reduce the time you have to spend grinding. And sometimes Pokemon [catches you.](http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/teens-robbed-at-gunpoint-while-playing-pokemon-go-in-lake-villa/) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/17 "2016-07-16T04:19:38Z")
Don’t take long walks on short piers either, or…do this… > **[Men fall from cliff playing Pokémon Go | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/15/health/pokemon-go-players-fall-down-cliff/index.html)** > > Taking Pokémon's "catch 'em all" catch-phrase above, beyond and over a cliff. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/18 "2016-07-16T14:57:21Z")
Is it me or is there something wrong with the log in servers? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/19 "2016-07-16T15:41:26Z")
Guess the game released in twenty-six more countries today and the servers are crashed. Edit: other sources blaming a DDOS attack on the servers. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-play-pokemon-go/759985/20 "2016-07-17T00:20:35Z")
Bad connectivity all day today. I think its probably inadequate server capacity.