Pokémon Go was a free-to-play augmented reality mobile game that became a massive global fad in the summer of 2016. Players used their smartphones to locate, capture, and train virtual Pokémon appearing in the real world, leading to millions of people walking around their neighborhoods and parks. The craze was a cultural phenomenon, sparking a wave of community engagement and creating new social dynamics, as strangers would gather at 'PokéStops.'

The Pokémon Go craze provided a compelling real-world example of the 'gamification of reality,' a theme immediately explored in contemporary poetry. Poets used the phenomenon to write about the blurring of physical and digital landscapes, the creation of shared public space in the 21st century, and the new forms of community and isolation fostered by technology. The game's fusion of the imaginary and the actual offered poets a fresh metaphor for the modern experience.