Margot Sorensen and her son Jake, 18, both say they’re “addicted” to Pokémon Go.

Bonding over the smartphone game released earlier this month, mom and son said they’ve spent two nights together so far this week catching virtual Pokémon.

“It’s a game that any age can enjoy really, because it’s simple enough to use and fun,” said Margot. “You catch right on.”

Margot first starting playing Pokémon Go on her smartphone after her son described the nighttime frenzy at Fountain Park.

Last Monday, Jake estimates that about 60 people were near the Fountain with smartphones in hand playing Pokémon Go.

“Just seeing that many of my generation out and about, it makes you think, ‘wow, there’s a real community here,’” said Jake.

“It just kind of intrigued me,” explained Margot. “So I said the next night I wanted to go.”

Margot said she had a blast with the game’s “PokéStops,” which are virtual locations for players to restock on items. The stops are linked to real-life community landmarks, including statues and plaques in Fountain Park.

“You start to see things that you didn’t notice before in town. I had a great time and got hooked through that,” said Margot.

Jake agreed. “I never really paid attention to [the community landmarks] before. Now I look for them, because you’re right by them with the PokéStops.”

Starting at level one in the game, Margot said she caught Pokémon and visited PokéStops to eventually reach level five by the end of the night.

“It was a great shared experience,” she added. “We were there until 10:30 [p.m.], quarter to eleven, and there were still people out.”

Margot said the social aspect distinguishes Pokémon Go from other games.

“Video games get a bad rap a lot of times because you’re just on the phone,” said Margot. “But it’s nice to see a lot of young people talking to each other, introducing themselves with this in common.”

Kristopher Milstead, 21, is another young person playing Pokémon Go. He even created a Facebook group online titled “Pokemon Go: Fountain Hills,” which now has more than 100 members.

“How fast it’s growing, and how fast I hope it keeps growing, is mind-boggling,” said Milstead.

He’s also an employee at OYO Frozen Yogurt by Fountain Park, which has organized a 10 percent discount for the Pokémon Go team that controls nearby “Gyms.” These are preset locations where players must battle Pokémon to establish control.

The game also requires players to travel a certain distance with their phone to hatch “eggs,” which contain bonus items. This has encouraged physical activity.

“Since the game has come out, I’ve walked well over 30 miles,” said Milstead. “The majority of those miles are around the fountain. It’s 1.2 miles around.”

Milstead also credits the game for helping him build social ties in Fountain Hills.

“I’ve met at least 80 people, in-person, or talked to a bit online,” said Milstead. “Until this came out, I hardly ever saw anyone my age group, just out of high school through 25, out and about during the day.”

Ash Kline is another player in Fountain Hills.

“I started the game 30 minutes after it was released,” said Kline. She’s been playing ever since. “It brings out the best in people,” explained Kline. “Most people who play games like Pokémon are pretty introverted, like myself.”

Kline said the game has helped her meet new people.

“I went to the dentist today, and noticed there were two ten-year-olds next to me playing Pokémon Go. In every other situation, I would just say ‘oh hey,’ and then look out the window,” said Kline.

“But I asked him ‘are you playing Pokémon Go?’ and his face breaks into a huge smile. I taught him a few tricks, and it felt like I was really making a difference, because when you see this kid’s face he was so excited to learn something.”

Kline described the app as fostering a community for youth in Fountain Hills.

“Older people have bridge clubs, knitting clubs. This is a whole different thing, but you share that similarity. You’re still developing that communal bond, making new friends,” said Kline.

Margot and Jake said they plan to continue catching Pokémon and exploring the community.

“We’ll go down and play today,” Margot said. “It’s great energy down there by the park and the fountain.”

Another appeal of the game is the nostalgia factor, Margot explained.

“For me, it was like bringing out the kid in me again and having my son show me something new that was part of his childhood that’s been reinvented.”

Pokémon Go is available free to download for iOS and Android devices in their respective application stores.