Pokémon Go Party Play Guide Host Join Rewards Challenges and Tips

Ready to turn your Pokémon GO adventures into a party with perks? With the new Party Play feature, Trainers level 15 and above can team up with friends to tackle exciting challenges together, earn exclusive rewards, and unleash powerful raid bonuses like Party Power that doubles your Charged Attack damage. Whether spinning PokéStops, battling in raids, or catching Pokémon, Party Play transforms solo play into a shared, rewarding experience-here’s how to join the fun and maximize your gains!

Other perks include the chance to complete a series of Party Challenges for rewards – such as event-specific Pokémon encounters – and receive a boost to raid damage when participating as a group.

How to Party Play in Pokémon Go

To Party Play in Pokémon GO, first open your Trainer profile and tap the new Party tab. You can either create a party by generating a numerical or QR code to share with up to three nearby Trainers or join an existing party by scanning a code or entering it manually. Once the party is formed and started, you and your friends can select and work together on Party Challenges, such as spinning PokéStops, battling in raids, or catching Pokémon. Completing these challenges rewards you with in-game items and bonuses. Additionally, when participating in raids with your party, you gain Party Power, which boosts your Charged Attack damage and charges faster with more party members. Party Play sessions last up to one hour, encouraging cooperative gameplay and shared rewards among up to four players.

Party Play can be accessed by selecting the “Party” tab in the Trainer screen. Players can then invite others into a party by entering a code or scanning a QR code.

Party Play only works locally, and there is no remote option – meaning need to be in close distance with other trainers to join.

Note that Party Play has a trainer level requirement of 15, and those you party with do not need to be in-game friends – so feel free to team up with new acquaintances if you prefer.

How to play Party Play solo

To play Party Play solo in Pokémon Go, you need to create a party by starting the Party Play mode with at least one other account joining your party. This other account does not need to actively participate; it only needs to join to initiate the party. Once the party is started, you can select and complete Party Challenges on your own, though it may take more time than playing with others. This workaround allows solo players to finish challenges like the Welcome Party research even without friends or nearby players.

If you’re a solo player who wants to use Party Play – say if you want to clear the “Welcome Party” Special Research, or take advantage of event-specific Pokémon encounters – then provided you have another device (such as a tablet) and additional Pokémon Go account, you can have that join you as a second Party member.

Better yet, once the two accounts are in a Party, provided your main account is the Party leader, you are then free to roam and cycle through challenges without taking that second device with you. At launch, you had to have that device with you at all times (whether through tethering a connection, or using its own SIM card), but with the Party Play distance having been extended, it essentially allows solo play to be possible.

What is the Pokemon Go Party Play distance, and how long does Party Play last?

Party Play in Pokémon Go allows up to four trainers to play together within a 1-kilometer range of each other, ensuring they stay physically close during the session. Players receive a warning when they are 500 meters away from the host and will be removed from the party if they exceed the 1-kilometer distance. The Party Play session lasts for one hour, with a ten-minute warning before it ends, during which players can complete Party Challenges and earn rewards.

At launch, Party Play had a distance of around 1km. However, in 2024 the distance has been quietly increased significantly, with it working at a radius of several kilometres in our experience. Though the exact distance has yet to be determined, either way, you will receive a warning when you are about to stray too far from the host.

As for the length of Party Play sessions, this is set at three hours, and is boosted to eight hours during major events, such as Go Tour and Go Fest.

Pokémon Go Party Challenge rewards and bonuses explained

Party Challenge rewards and bonuses in Pokémon Go are designed to encourage cooperative gameplay by offering a variety of incentives as you and your Party complete tasks together. Rewards can include Pokémon encounters, Stardust, XP, avatar items like T-shirts, and special bonuses such as the Party Power, which boosts the damage of your next Charged Attack in raids. Challenges may involve spinning PokéStops, catching specific types of Pokémon, or defeating Raid Bosses, with each completed challenge providing unique rewards that often include rare Pokémon encounters and event-specific bonuses. Additionally, players can share item effects within the Party to enhance gameplay. These features make Party Play a rewarding and social experience in Pokémon Go.

Party Play allows you to create a team of either two, three, or four local players. By doing so, you have the following benefits:

The chance to see your party member’s avatars explore the map around you.
Party members have access to a Party Tab to show on-going stats from the session (such as Pokémon caught) which can then be shared as a visual recap once the Party disbands.
Everyone will contribute to a rolling series of Party Challenges – such as catching Pokémon under certain conditions, or spinning a set number of PokéStops – which will reward items based on their difficulty, such as Poké Balls, Berries, and Mega Energy.

If one Party member enters a raid, the others in the party will automatically be sent a raid invite to join.
During the raid, Party members can use the Party Power mechanic, which is a gauge which increases the more each player does damage to the Raid boss. Once filled, the next Charged attack’s damage will be doubled. For players keen to min-max their raid strategies and take down powerful bosses with fewer players, it’s well worth partying up before you battle.

What else do you need to know about Party Play in Pokémon Go?

Party Play in Pokémon Go is a cooperative mode that allows up to four trainers, level 15 and above, to team up and complete various in-game challenges together within a shared session lasting up to one hour. Players can host or join parties by sharing or scanning a numerical or QR code, enabling them to see each other’s avatars on the map and collaborate on tasks such as spinning PokéStops, battling in raids, and catching Pokémon. A key feature is Party Power, which boosts raid damage by doubling the next Charged Attack’s damage and charges faster with more party members. Completing Party Challenges rewards players with in-game items and special encounters, making Party Play a dynamic and rewarding way to experience Pokémon Go with friends.

As well as the above explainers, here are some extra details to help get the most out of your Party Play sessions:

The maximum party size is four players. If the Party is not full, then any player – not just the host – may invite new members to the group while the session is ongoing.
The completion requirements for Party Challenges scale with the party size – so during a “catch Pokémon” challenge, the goal will be lower for two players versus three or four.
Party Challenge rewards can include Pokémon encounters, and can be event-specific, such as the chance to find Sun or Moon Tiara Pikachu during Go Fest Global 2024, or Tandemaus during 2024’s “Better Together” event.
As well as the Party Play-exclusive Eevee avatar items from completing the “Welcome Party” Special Research, additional avatar items have been available as Party Challenge rewards during summer 2024.
Party stats do not carry over to future sessions, even if you are playing with the same group of players.
The Party Power raid boost works across all difficulties, including – and likely the most beneficial for – Shadow Legendary raids, which by their nature are local-only.
In the month following launch, the option to complete Routes while in a party was introduced.

Want to discover how to turn your Pokémon Go parties into rewards machines

Want to discover how to turn your Pokémon GO parties into rewards machines? With the new Party Play feature, Trainers level 15 and above can team up with up to three friends to complete challenges like spinning PokéStops, battling in raids, and catching Pokémon-all while earning exclusive rewards and unlocking powerful bonuses like Party Power, which doubles your next Charged Attack damage in raids. Simply create or join a party via the Trainer profile, tackle Party Challenges together, and watch your rewards-and fun-multiply.

How can I turn Pokémon Go parties into consistent rewards sources

To turn Pokémon GO parties into consistent sources of rewards, focus on these key strategies:

Form or join a Party Play group of up to four trainers (available from level 15) to tackle Party Challenges together, such as spinning PokéStops, catching Pokémon, and winning raids.
Complete Party Challenges efficiently by selecting tasks that match your playstyle and local conditions; these challenges reset after completion, allowing ongoing reward opportunities.
Leverage the Party Power bonus in raids, which doubles your next Charged Attack damage, making raid battles more rewarding and efficient when done as a party.
Share items with your party to extend and multiply item effects, such as Incense and Lucky Eggs, boosting your catch rates and XP gains during sessions.
Participate in the Welcome Party Special Research to earn valuable rewards like Stardust, XP, and exclusive Pokémon encounters, which incentivize completing multiple Party Challenges.
Be mindful of current community feedback: some players find the rewards less valuable compared to the effort, so focusing on raids and item sharing within parties tends to yield the best consistent returns.

By regularly organizing or joining parties, completing challenges, and maximizing shared bonuses, you can reliably turn Pokémon GO parties into productive reward machines.