With local parks and other outdoor spaces seeing a sudden rush of activity from players of the new online Pokémon Go, Marysville and Arlington welcome their citizens to take advantage of public facilities, but caution players to stay safe.

Unlike previous Pokémon games, Pokémon Go is played on smartphones rather than handheld consoles. While you could fulfill the previous games’ mission statement of “Gotta catch ’em all” from the comfort of your own home, Pokémon Go requires you to get out of the house and collect virtual creatures by hunting them down, putting the “mobile” part of your phone to work.

Sarah Lopez, recreation manager for Arlington, hopes to attract more attendees to Terrace Park’s movie screenings in July, and musical performances in August, through the use of “Lure Modules.” Those can draw Pokémon to a given “Poké Stop” for half an hour, for a fee of $1, or $7 for eight modules.

“The city’s recreation department is interested in engaging with community members through the Pokémon Go app,” Lopez said.

“Downtown Arlington is literally covered in people hunting for Pokémon. Strangers are talking to each other. It’s charming and delightful.”

By contrast, Jim Ballew, parks director for Marysville, confirmed that the city saw a bustling influx of players at both Jennings and Comeford parks last weekend, but stipulated that the city is not officially hosting any Pokémon Go events, and “we don’t anticipate programming options at this time.”

Lopez and Ballew echoed the advice of their police departments, which urge players to keep an eye on their surroundings, especially if they’re unfamiliar with the topography of the parks, trails and creeks.

Lopez said: “We have had some calls, and lots of interaction with people running around town. Most folks are having fun and generally safe about it. The only real issues for the police are people looking to trespass, walk into the street or go out during late hours.”

Ballew added, “We haven’t had any injuries reported yet, but we do anticipate some lower-extremity scrapes and bruises will occur.”

Players are advised to use the same safety precautions while playing Pokémon Go that they would in any outdoor setting, including caution in strange locations. Pedestrians should follow traffic laws, and drivers should be on the lookout for any children who might be distracted by the game.

The Pokémon Go application also drains phone batteries, so users should be careful not to get stranded far from home, they said.

Police additionally urge players to remember that Poké Stops are supposed to be on public property, or cooperative private sites, so they should be respectful of private property.