A new game that is trending around the world has made its way to Fort Dodge, evoking differing reactions from players to police to onlookers.

“The app came out on Friday and has been buzzing ever since,” said Calvin Wheeler, of Fort Dodge.

The game, “Pokemon GO” is an app that can be downloaded to a smartphone. It is designed for players to seek out the Pokemon monster characters. The characters can spawn in any location at any time, Wheeler said.

“You walk around and it’s augmented reality,” he said, “so as you are going around downtown and in populated areas you can just walk up and there will be a Pokemon there and your app will buzz. You click on it and there could be a Snorlax right in front of you in downtown Fort Dodge.”

A Snorlax is a rare character from the game, Wheeler said.

He said the goal is to try and capture the monster on the phone by throwing Poke Balls at it.

“If you catch it, it’s great,” he said. “The more you catch, the stronger you can make your Pokemon.”

He said downtown Fort Dodge has been a hot spot for the game.

“There has been a bunch of people standing around there,” he said.

Wheeler said Pokemon was a big part of his childhood and brings back memories.

His friend, Jamie Vickery, also of Fort Dodge, played Pokemon as a child, too.

“It’s definitely nostalgic,” he said. “It’s one of the first games I got hooked on when I was younger.”

He said the game helps people become more active.

“I like how the game gets you out and around town,” he said.

Joshua Carlisle, of Fort Dodge, said there are Pokestops throughout Fort Dodge.

Pokestops are places in the “Pokemon GO” app where users can acquire items such as Poke Balls that can be used later to capture the monsters.

While standing in front of the Webster County Courthouse on Central Avenue Tuesday evening, Carlisle said if you click on the Poke Ball icon, it tells you about the courthouse.

At some of the locations, the app will provide brief information about the building, Carlisle said.

“These ones actually tell you about the courthouse and the history of the courthouse,” he said.

At Pokestops, players can also collect certain items such as eggs. But in order to open the egg, the user has to walk a certain distance.

Carlisle said his best friend got him playing the game.

“The game has been crazy since Friday,” he said.

Concerns that the game may be malicious and could acquire personal information from its users don’t bother Vickery.

“There is concern of malware with every app that’s out there,” he said.

Vickery said he is not concerned that his personal information could be compromised.

Niantic, the makers of the “Pokemon GO” app, recently issued a statement regarding the information the game collects from its users.

“We recently discovered that “Pokemon GO” account creation process on iOS erroneously requests full access permission for the user’s Google account,” the statement read. “However, “Pokemon GO” only accesses basic Google profile information (specifically, your User ID and email address) and no other Google account information is or has been accessed or collected.

“Once we became aware of this error, we began working on a client-side fix to request permission for only basic Google profile information, in line with the data that we actually access. Google has verified that no other information has been received or accessed by “Pokemon GO” or Niantic. Google will soon reduce “Pokemon GO’s” permission to only the basic profile data that “Pokemon GO” needs, and users do not need to take any actions themselves.”

Carrie Frad, of Fort Dodge, was searching for Pokemon characters outside of the Fort Dodge Public Library.

She said the game is something different to do.

“It takes you to different parts of town I have never been to,” she said.

She found a Snorlax by Third Base Bar & Grill.

“Everyone gets excited when I tell them I have a Snorlax,” she said.

Frad said while the game is entertaining, it has caused some issues with her phone.

“I wish they would fix the bugs because sometimes you have to restart your phone multiple times,” she said.

Her friend, Mason Swanson, of Fort Dodge, said the game freezes at the worst times.

“Sometimes when you are catching a Pokemon, it will freeze right in the middle of it,” he said.

Zachary Andrews, of Fort Dodge, said it’s interesting to see different groups of people playing the game.

“There’s people in their 50s out playing the game,” he said. “It’s kind of crazy, but it’s fun.”

While users say the game is fun, the Fort Dodge Police Department has urged caution while playing it in public.

“Please remember to be aware of your surroundings, watch for cars and pedestrians and don’t hunt for these things while riding your bike or driving,” police said in a written statement. “Also do not trespass on private property or break into closed buildings to find these little guys.”

Wheeler admitted there are risks while playing the game.

“There’s definitely a risk of tripping over stuff as you’re playing the game,” he said. “We have a friend that goes with his daughters and watches them while they play.

“I have seen people driving around while playing the game,” he said. “There is that risk too. You just have to be aware of what you’re doing and look out for yourself.”