Seven Signs You Might Be Addicted to Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO is the most popular game in the world, despite the near constant server issues. As millions rediscover the joy of the Pokemon franchise, some players are getting a little bit…hardcore in their love of Pokemon GO walks. Whether they’re insisting on walking everywhere they go or taking extra long lunch breaks to hunt for Pokemon, Pokemon GO is becoming an obsession for many. Here are seven signs you might be addicted to Pokemon GO:

You Found a Way to Play the Game Before It Was Released in Your Country

Pokemon GO was first released in Australia on Wednesday nigh, delighting millions around the world.  However, prospective Pokemon trainers quickly discovered that the app’s release was only a “soft launch” and that the game wasn’t getting a worldwide roll out. That didn’t stop some fans from finding a way to get Pokemon GO early, whether it was by creating an Australian Apple account or by sideloading the game using an APK mirror. Not even rumored bans by Niantic stopped thousands of people from downloading the game early, which eventually led to the start of the daily server crashes.  

While Pokemon GO is still technically available in three countries, millions around the world are enjoying the game weeks before its official international release. 

You Now Measure Distances in KM

Most of the world measures distance in kilometers, and Pokemon GO uses the measure of distance for hatching eggs. But Americans use miles as their primary measure of distance, which has led to some quick conversion calculations in many a Pokemon GO players’ head to figure out how far you need to walk to hatch an egg.  

Perhaps the easiest way to quickly map out an egg hatching route is to find a local high school cross country path, or sign up for as many 5Ks as you can handle. Who knows, we may see some intrepid soul start a 5K Egg Hatch Walk/Run in their city to help fans meet and hatch Pokemon GO eggs together.  

You Know Every Local Landmark

Pokemon GO uses local landmarks as Pokemon Gyms and PokeStops, ranging from well known locations like local churches and businesses to spots a little off the beaten path. Thanks to Pokemon GO‘s Google Maps based screen, thousands of people are now discovering weird and cool places they didn’t realize was just outside their door. Cemeteries, hospitals, forgotten monuments, nothing is off limits for Pokemon GO players. Pokemon GO isn’t just about catching Pokemon, it’s also reacquainting millions of people with local history. Just remember to support any local business who happen to host a Pokemon gym or PokeSpot. 

You’ve Made Dozens of Friends in the Last Three Days

Pokemon GO truly is the great unifier. If you live in any sort of population center, you’ve probably met dozens of people who are also exploring the area looking for Pokemon. In addition to fans using Pokemon GO as a date activity, thousands of people are talking about all the new friends they’ve made playing the game. One of the easiest ways to make new Pokemon GO fans is to install a Poke Module at a local PokeStop. The item will attract wild Pokemon to the area and works for anyone playing the game. It’s a surefire way to become popular in your community. 

Losing a Rare Pokemon Haunts You in Your Sleep

Everyone has a story about the “one who got away”. Whether its the Charizard who vanished during a server crash or the Vulpix who escaped three consecutive PokeBalls, every Pokemon GO player has an elusive Pokemon that haunts their dreams.  It’s that Pokemon that causes you to rush out of your home in the middle of the night and chase halfway around the block simply because its silhouette popped up on your Nearby window. Capturing your first Ditto or Hitmonchan can quickly become obsessive, leading to hour long searches through your local neighborhood. And you can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment when finally catching that Pokemon, even if it has a CP of 13 and is weaker than most Rattatas. 

You’re Seeing If There’s Any Hidden Tricks to Find and Catch Rare Pokemon

One of our top articles yesterday was a handy guide to finding and catching Pokemon in Pokemon GO. While those are all proven methods of finding Pokemon, many fans are turning to…more speculative methods of catching Pokemon.  Whether they’re holding down on their screen until the Pokeball shakes two times or heading onto message boards to see if it really is possible to find a Mew in the game, some fans will try anything to improve their odds of catching and finding the really rare Pokemon.  Just remember, looking under the truck in Vermillion City didn’t turn up a Mew in Pokemon Red and Blue, and neither will the Craigslist post that says to go to the remote abandoned house in the middle of the woods

You’ve Memorized Every Detail of The “Servers Down” Screen

If you’ve played Pokemon GO, you’re intimately familiar with dreaded screen that informs players that the servers are down. While the screen shows a band of happy Pokemon, you’ve probably grown to resent each one for smiling during your suffering.  Let’s face it, Charmander and Squirtle have no right to smile when the servers are down and that Pidgey probably shouldn’t be thinking of munching on Caterpie when he should be helping Niantic get the game back up and running again. Only Bulbasaur, sitting in the back of the group, seems to understand our pain. Bulbasaur just gets it, which is probably why he’s the best of the Starter Pokemon.