It’s Foursquare Day and users of the location-based game are gathering in various cities, enjoying discounts and freebies from participating vendors. (On Twitter, the hashtag is #4sqDay).

I’ve been playing around with Foursquare over the past few weeks, just to see what the fuss is about. My verdict is that while the service doesn’t have much impact on my life now, I would have loved it when I was in my 20s.

In a nutshell, the app figures out where you are and asks you to “check in” as you go about your day. Your check ins are broadcast to your Foursquare network, and can also post to your Twitter and Facebook account, letting your friends know where you in case they want to meet up. This would have been very handy in my early New Orleans days, when we were always going from bar to bar.

There’s also a gaming quality to it: Foursquare assigns you points on how many times you check in and unlocks “badges” for frequent users. If you frequent a certain coffee shop or bar all the time, you become the “mayor.” Some businesses have been giving special privileges and discounts to mayors, although I have yet to uncover any in Philly (then again, I haven’t checked in enough in any one place to become a mayor).

I’ve used Foursquare once on the road. When I was in Seattle, I checked in to SeaStar Restaurant, prompting one of my Twitter followers who lived in the city to say hello. She ended up giving some good neighborhood tips and if I go back, I’ll give her a call. So in that respect, it’s good for developing relationships.

But otherwise, I’m not sure Foursquare is for me. For one, very few of my real friends are on it. When I go out with my husband or my friends, we want to use that time to talk and reconnect, not meet up with the masses. And I’ve never been a gamer, so unlocking the different badges means nothing to me.

(Although it would be nice to be mayor of my local coffee shop. Emma Z at Chapterhouse, I’m coming for you).

Have you tried Foursquare? What did you think?