How Tos

How to play Pokemon Go at Home

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How to play Pokemon Go at Home

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Pokemon Go was one of the biggest games of 2016 - and it still has a tonne of popularity right now. When I first downloaded Pokemon Go, it was right as the phenomenon hit. I was visiting Sweden and suddenly found myself among all of the different people currently walking around the city, swiping at my phone. Opinions on the game are mixed, of course: My dad describes it as “people running at Pokemon in the park” unsure of how the IP translates to the geo-based system.

Currently, however, it is not as easy to get out and about. You can’t just go on a Pokemon Go walk or enjoy some time out at a populated pub that has a Pokemon stop right outside. This means that more people are playing the Pokemon Go at home - and that’s not really a problem as long as you know how to play.

Pokemon spawns have increased, so even if your house rarely got Pokemon appearing before, they might be showing up more often now - so if you still have the app, you can open it up and check out your actual area to see if it’s increased. Though this isn’t a genuine fix, it’s good to know.

Let’s get into the ways that you can play Pokemon Go at home.

Click Here To View The List »

1
Incense

One of the classic ways to get Pokemon to spawn near you without actually having to go anywhere is through incense. These can be purchased for premium currency in the game and are put on the players. Since lockdowns have begun, Niantic has actually increased the amount of time incense work for one hour instead of thirty minutes like before. Incense are often in premium bundles, at a discounted rate, which can be helpful when it comes to stocking up on

2
Battles

Though you may not be able to make your way to a raid or to a gym, you can still battle at home through the Battle tab in your Pokeball menu. This battle button will either set you up in league battles, where you will be put against other players currently battling to gain rewards or allow you to scan your friends phone and battle them together - if someone in your household does play Pokemon Go themselves. Through wins in leagues, you can actually go against stronger players and earn even more rewards, as well as earn streaks and stardust.

3
Pokemon Go Tour

Inside the shop, you might have noticed that there are Global Events now - instead of Safari specific zones like Pokemon Go previously did run. These tickets are purchased at a premium price, but will give you access to an event that happens right in your home, at a specific time and date. Information about each specific tour can be found in the News on Pokemon Go.

4
Remote Raid Passes

Remote Raid Passes allow you to join in any raids you can see on the Nearby screen - without actually physically going to the raid.These passes are the same price as Battle Passes and work the same - with you only needing one so that you can enter a raid. If you are in a battle with a remote raid pass, you will have a reduced attack power compared to players who are actually at the raid.

5
Field Research

When it comes to field research passes, previously you have needed to spin Pokestops to get new ones. Currently, however, you will receive one daily bonus Field Research task, which can be done without spinning a stop. This can help you continue your progress throughout the entire game. You will need to have an open spot for this task though!

6
Buddies

Though Pokestops have a wider range, allowing you to spin them from further, you still may not be able to get to them. If you have a buddy pet, you can actually get gifts from Pokestops from them, as long as you play with them and take care of them! They are able to go off and bring you items back from these stops, without you ever leaving your home.

7
Gifts

You could always send gifts, but if you do have a Pokestop nearby, it does actually drop more gifts then it previously did. And you can then send more of those gifts to your friends who may not have a Pokestop near them. Your gifts inventory does currently hold more gifts than when the game first started off, so you will be able to send and receive more while being stuck at home.

8
Free Gift Box

Each day, you can find a free gift box in the Pokemon Store, that way, if you don’t have a Pokestop near you and nobody is sending you gifts, you can still get a little something to keep you playing in the game, for free. You just need to remember to continue to collect them each day, otherwise they will be missed.

9
Using the Real World

If you can currently get out and about, safely for daily exercise, you can use that time to hit up Pokemon Stops and gyms, if you have the time and can go on a safe route. It might be worth checking out the local areas currently open for exercise and seeing if they have a stop nearby them. There are plenty of online communities in Pokemon Go as well, where you can find people to add as friends, who will be actively playing and sending along gifts to keep you stocked up.

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Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter is a prolific indie game journalist with a focus on smaller indie gems. She covers thousands of game jams and indie games on her YouTube channel, letting every game have a moment in the spotlight. She runs indiegamejams.com, a calendar of all of the game jams going on in the world, and judges many jams and events. You can find her on Twitter as @Jupiter_Hadley