Pokémon characters appear on the game map when users scroll through the world. When users are far enough away, Pokémon will appear on the device screen, and users will throw balls at them to catch them. The goal is to collect as many different characters as possible.
The map is an animated version of Google Maps that replaces actual street names and landmarks with Pokémon-specific buildings.
Another game feature is Poke Stops, where users can generally collect Poke Balls for free (to catch Pokémon). Players can also find Pokémon eggs that develop into Pokémon and add them to a user's list.