If you've ever fancied a snooze with Snorlax or a cuddle with Pikachu, Pokémon Go is here to get you a step or two closer to making it a reality.

New Zealand and Australia were among the first to experience the augmented reality game, rolling out in the U.S. not long after.

According to developers Niantic, the app is designed to get players to keep fit and stay active.

"By exploiting the capabilities of smartphones and location technology and through building a unique massively scalable server and global location dataset, we have helped users all around the world have fun, socialise, and get more fit as they play and explore," a company statement read.

So how does it actually work?

As players walk through the real world, their smartphone will vibrate to let them know when they've encountered a Pokémon. The map is your main view while playing the game, it's based on a real world map which includes the streets and pathways of where you are actually standing.

PokéStops, Gyms and the location of nearby Pokémon are all identifiable on the map, all of which you can find at popular and public landmarks.

A couple days ago Niantic announced that they were excited Pokémon fans and gamers could now start exploring their very own neighbourhoods and cities to capture Pokémon.

"Players can discover and catch more than 100 Pokémon from the original Red and Blue games, take Pokémon into battle against other Pokémon at Gyms, uncover items including a variety of types of Poké Balls and eggs at PokéStops, hatch and train new Pokémon, and more," a company statement read.

The app will be available in other countries around the world in the days ahead.