If you’ve turned on the nightly news, signed on to social media, picked up a newspaper or talked to pretty much anyone in the past couple of weeks, you’ve likely heard about the breakout phenomenon known as Pokémon Go.

Released on July 7 for Apple devices and Android, this free-to-play mobile game has caused quite the commotion. It’s singlehandedly raised Nintendo’s stock to its highest point in decades, gotten millions of people out of the house and, in less than a week, become the most popular app in U.S. history.

But if you find you’re still in the dark about what, exactly, Pokémon Go is all about, fear not. Here’s a crash course in everything you need to know.

What is it?

You’ve probably heard of, or maybe even played, Candy Crush or Words With Friends, right? Pokémon Go is just another smartphone game; nothing more, nothing less.

While you can spend money on in-game items, absolutely anyone can download Pokémon Go free of charge and play the game forever, gratis.

While there are plenty of subtle mechanics at play for folks who want to dig down deeper, Pokémon Go is, at its heart, a game all about getting up and walking around.

Using satellite tracking, the game follows you as you walk around town, occasionally dropping Pokémon into your path. You can collect those Pokémon by playing a little mini-game, and then continue on your merry way.

Also on offer are things like PokéStops and gyms, virtual locations tied to real-world landmarks that encourage you to explore your surroundings, interact with others and even snag some free goodies along the way.

The more you walk around, the more you’ll get out of the game.

Popularity

So what sets Pokémon Go apart from the pack? Why are so many people playing it?

Nintendo captured lightening in a bottle with this new game, but many factors have certainly helped make it a pop culture phenomenon.

For starters, this is Pokémon’s 20th anniversary, so those adorable pocket monsters have been around for quite some time. With that kind of longevity comes familiarity. Even folks who have never bothered with Pokémon likely know, at the very least, about its existence.

Also, there’s an entire generation of young parents who grew up playing the games, collecting the cards and watching the show. Believe it or not, all of those things are as popular today as they were 20 years ago, meaning that first class of Pokémon “Trainers” are passing on their love of Pikachu, Charizard and the rest of the Pokémon to youngsters of their own. In other words, Pokémon Go gives them something to share as a family and perfectly bridges that generation gap.

There’s also the fact that Pokémon Go is a mobile game. Rather than needing to buy a certain console to play the game, it’s ready to roll on devices that the majority of U.S. citizens carry around daily in their pockets or purse.

Couple all of that with a free-to-play model and gameplay that pretty much anyone can grasp – mostly walking around – and you’ve got a fresh new experience that’s nowhere near as intimidating as your average video game.

Finally, since the game caught hold so quickly, a sense of community has grown out of playing Pokémon Go. Folks frequently go “hunting for Pokémon” with groups of friends and even make new friends along the way. You can play the game pretty much anywhere, but those PokéStops are a big attraction, which means the crowd of players is often funneled to areas where they’ll be playing alongside each other, rather than alone.

Local impact

Pokémon Go is all the rage in Fountain Hills and beyond. Businesses are offering discounts tied to the game or leveraging nearby PokéStops to attract visitors and new customers.

One of the in-game items, called a Lure, actually causes more Pokémon to pop up in a given area, which leads to groups of like-minded folks hanging out near a landmark in order to chat and catch critters together.

Locally, two Facebook groups have spawned due to the game and, since Pokémon Go launched, hundreds of folks have swarmed the downtown area solo or in groups to play the game.

It’s actually Fountain Hills’ large collection of public art that’s made the town such a big draw for players. PokéStops and Gyms are established all over town, meaning folks can get the most out of their in-game walks by simply strolling through the area.

In general, you’re lucky to find three or four PokéStops clustered together, even in crowded metropolitan areas. Thanks to all of that artwork, Fountain Park is home to more than two dozen of these locations alone, with even more running up and down the Avenue of the Fountains.

According to Town of Fountain Hills Recreation Supervisor Rachael Goodwin, Pokémon Go has been good news for the town.

“It is around [Fountain] Park and up and down the Avenue,” Goodwin said. “This is getting people into the park in the middle of the summer, and they are noticing the artwork instead of just walking by.

“It gets people out and about to interact in a different way.”

So the next time you see folks either gathered en masse or strolling through town with their smartphones at the ready, maybe ask them how their Pokémon collection is going. Or, better yet, strap on your walking shoes and give the game a go yourself. There’s no telling where you might go, who you might meet or what you might discover along the way.