You’re walking around Winslow on a sunny day, surrounded by tourists and islanders.

Some have their phones out, switching off between walking determinedly and stopping abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes glued to the screen.

Occasionally, you hear a familiar melody coming from their phones. These scattered groups excitedly talk while glancing at their devices, held out flat in front of them.

What are they doing? Pokémon hunting.

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that was made available for iOS and Android devices on July 6. Since then, the game has become wildly popular — so much so that there have been frequent server issues.

Its central concept is for players (also known as Pokémon trainers) to capture Pokémon, imaginary creatures that roam around different areas. But Pokémon Go also entails visiting real locations trainers can find by following the GPS design of the game: PokéStops and Pokémon gyms.

Useful items like Poké Balls can be collected within the game by visiting PokéStops.

At Pokémon gyms, trainers can use their Pokémon to battle others. The gyms then shift ownership between different teams (of which there are three) depending on who wins the battle.

These locations are usually local hotspots and landmarks. In Winslow, a large amount of PokéStops are located at the Frogs on the Rock sculptures.

According to tech consultant Sensor Tower, Pokémon Go has been downloaded more than 75 million times worldwide, and the number keeps growing.

But the concept of Pokémon is nothing new; the media franchise was created in Japan in 1995, starting off as a video game for the original Game Boy. Since then, it has also developed into trading cards, animated TV shows and more. Now the new mobile game developed by Niantic has been thrown into the mix.

“I think that this game is so popular because Pokémon has been around long enough that two generations have experienced it in childhood, and now Pokémon Go has brought its beloved source material to people in a very new and fun gaming format,” said Kate Crandell, an 18-year-old Bainbridge Island resident.

But why is the game influential enough for those who’ve never experienced the franchise in other forms to be interested in playing it? Probably because of the social nature of the game itself. You can’t just play from home.

Pokémon Go requires trainers to venture outdoors in order to capture different types of Pokémon and receive necessary items from PokéStops. This creates opportunities for trainers to go on walks with their friends for the purpose of the game.

Playing with friends, comparing levels and showing off newly-obtained Pokémon makes the game very interactive between trainers — and an appealing download if friends are already playing.

Many are applauding the game for its incentive to live a more active lifestyle. Others are concerned about it being a distraction from reality.

The NW Insurance Council, an industry association, is warning the public of the possibility of dangers caused by the game. There are already reports of distracted driving, pedestrians being unaware of their surroundings and accidental damage to private property from trying to “catch ‘em all.”

But these can all be avoided by using common sense. The app even boots up by showing a warning screen: “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.”

Despite these concerns, Pokémon Go can actually be very beneficial for communities. It encourages trainers to get to know their neighbors, take notice of environmental issues nearby and support local businesses while out and about.

One local business joined in on the craze. That’s A Some Pizza started a temporary promotion for Pokémon Go trainers: free soda or pizza depending on the trainer’s level.

The restaurant got the idea from some photos circulating the internet with similar promotions based on the game. The idea stemmed from a mentality of welcoming the new trend with open arms.

“It just seems like everyone’s doing it so you might as well try to embrace it instead of trying to push it away,” said James Lorimer, general manager.

So they taped a piece of paper to the door describing the deal, and it proved very popular. So much so, in fact, that the restaurant quickly ran out of small to-go boxes.

“Last week might have been the busiest week the restaurant has had,” Lorimer said. “It could have been a coincidence, but it definitely was an extremely busy week for the restaurant. Every single day of the week we were jamming, pizzas were flying out the door — lots of slices, lots of small pizzas for the Pokémon Go players.”

That’s A Some Pizza was at the time the only business in Kitsap County with a Pokémon-related promotion. The deal, since ended, was created as an opportunity for the restaurant to open their doors to the community.

“Hopefully we got a bunch of new customers out of it,” Lorimer said. “The kids going home and telling mom and dad that they had a great time in town today and got a free medium pizza, and then mom and dad are stoked that they didn’t have to spend money on their kid’s pizza. Or if people come in here for their first time and realize that our customer service and pizza are excellent, then it’s all worth it for us in the end.”