Accessing the Pokélayer: Augmented Reality and Fantastical Play in Pokémon Go

The mobile gaming phenomenon Pokémon Go features augmented reality components that give players the appearance of hunting Pokémon in real-life settings. This offers players the experience of the “Pokélayer,” the ability to turn daily activities into gameplay and live the fantasy of being a Pokémon Trainer. The authors will present findings from a phenomenological study with 30 participants showing the variant ways in which the Pokélayer and augmented reality’s capability for fantasy play emerged