Released just a week ago in the U.S., Nintendo’s new Pokemon GO app has already taken the country by storm.

A mere two days after its launch, Digital Vison reported that Pokemon GO had already been installed on 5.16% of all Android devices in the U.S. In that same time, Pokemon GO had nearly edged out the Twitter app in its number of active daily users. By Monday, July 11, the app had been installed on 10.8% of all U.S. Android devices, and had nearly double the number of daily Twitter app users.

Pokemon GO uses the device’s camera to superimpose an image of a Pokemon into the real world. (Pokemon GO screengrab)

If you haven’t heard about the game already, Pokemon GO is an augmented reality app. That means it superimposes a virtual world over the real one. In the game, users see a modified version of Google Maps that follows their location in real time. They then walk around in the real world to find and catch Pokemon characters in the game. Players can also visit real landmarks to collect items and battle their Pokemon. As a result, the game is getting people out of their homes and into the real world.

Though they could not have known what would take place, Nintendo’s timing was impeccable. Originally released on Tuesday, July 5, the app was so widely downloaded that the developer Niantic, Inc.’s servers could not keep up with the demand. In fact, Niantic had to halt the global rollout because so many people are using the app.

With all of the launch difficulties, many could not even get the game until last Thursday or Friday — coinciding with the deaths of two black men, one in Louisiana and one in Minnesota, as well as the fatal shooting of 5 police officers in Dallas, Texas.

With political tensions high, the timing was especially significant to Arielle Burroughs, a young African-American woman who lives in the Dallas area. “Pokemon GO has been a great distraction from all the heart break going on right now,” Burroughs told The Stream. “Before I started playing, I would see six posts on my Facebook about violence and shootings, then bump into a picture of [a Pokemon] that made me laugh. … It’s been a nice break for my heart and brain.”

More than bringing some joy in a dark time, Burroughs also noted that the app brought people together. “Once I started playing,” she said, “seeing all kinds of people playing everywhere, and me and my friends laughing and running all over parks and getting fresh air and making more friends … it was more than enough to restore my hope in humanity.”

Pokestops, shown as blue beacons on the map, can be visited in the real world to earn items in the game. (Flickr/erocsid, CC BY 2.0)

Though some have warned that the app is leading people to trespass on private property, Burroughs isn’t the only person who has noticed the app’s unifying effect. Reports of large groups of strangers meeting at places called Pokestops are becoming common. Commenting on a photo that was posted on the social media site Reddit, one user shared their experience with meeting people in the real world:

This happened to me just tonight and gosh, THIS is what the game is really about. After a person dropped two lures at two very close proximity Pokestops a group of almost 20 people (including me) showed up to them. We all talked about what Pokemon we caught and where we got them. It was such a cool experience. I met a bunch of yellow team players, we exchanged numbers and we’re all gonna get together tomorrow to go around a few towns capping gyms and collecting Pokemon! As a very shy, introverted person it’s amazing that this game can bring together people. I’m very excited about the future of this app for this exact reason.

Another Reddit user noted his experience after downloading the game on one sleepless night. Wandering around his neighborhood at 3 a.m., he came across “two sketchy looking dudes sitting on a bench in the park.” After a short time talking with them, a cop showed up. He recounts,

Yeah, so it turns out two twentysomething black dudes and a forty year old white guy chilling in the park at 3am looks strange. It took a bit of talking to convince the cop we weren’t doing a drug deal, and a bit longer to explain the game. Then the cop downloaded the game on his phone and asked us how to get started.

Such unity is helping to heal the hearts of many across the nation who have been disparaged by recent events. In the words of Gabrielle Bosché, host of The Stream‘s UpNext podcast, “Pokemon GO is exploding with Millennials because it’s community-based, interactive and incredibly nostalgic. Millennials don’t mind acting like kids from time to time, and Pokemon GO reminds us all that we’re kids at heart.”

And as it turns out, millennials aren’t the only ones enjoying the game. We here at The Stream hope that Pokemon GO will continue to bring hope and reconciliation in these divisive times. Just make sure to stay safe, and watch where you’re walking!

Be sure to read this Forbes article for more heart warming Pokemon GO stories.