In the summer of 2016, the launch of Niantic's augmented reality game Pokémon Go dramatically altered how people interacted with public spaces, a phenomenon vividly recalled by one traveler during a road trip through New England. The game, released in the United States and Australia initially, quickly became a cultural touchstone, drawing players out of their homes and into the real world in pursuit of virtual creatures.
During a ghost tour in Salem, Massachusetts, the guide had already adjusted the route to accommodate "Pokémon trainers." Even with this concession, a third of the tour group eventually peeled off, drawn away by the game's allure. The author noted the surreal experience of historical landmarks, sites of grim witch trials and notable deaths, becoming backdrops for players hunting virtual monsters like Gengars. While the game was not yet available in Canada, where the author resided, news of its impact was already circulating.
On the journey itself, the game's influence was observable even in mundane locations. While stopping for snacks at a Wegmans in New York, the author witnessed a group of young children exhibiting a ritualistic focus on their phones, clearly engaged with Pokémon Go. The following night in Boston, this observation evolved into a more widespread sight: packs of children exploring unusual areas, from alleyways to public buildings, drawn by the game's mechanics.
This mass mobilization extended to historical sites and coastal areas. The author recalls seeing dozens of children seemingly guided by an unseen force through historic graveyards and by seaside lobster pounds. The limited reach of the game's signal in some remote areas, like Battery Steele, was noted as the only apparent reason for the absence of players in those specific locations. The experience was akin to a "zombie film" or being "pied piper into the public," illustrating the game's unprecedented ability to draw people into shared, albeit virtual, experiences in physical locations. The author reflects that this period, characterized by the game's "wild west" early days, remains a potent memory of how a digital phenomenon could so rapidly and visibly reshape real-world social dynamics, even inspiring a strange, augmented reality-infused summer adventure.