Pikmin Bloom

Players grow Pikmin from seedlings by walking in the real world, which is tracked by the game's location-based augmented reality mechanics. As you physically walk, your Pikmin will grow and eventually join your squad. This mechanic directly ties your physical daily steps to your in-game progress.

The primary objective is to use your daily walking routes to cultivate flowers and expand your in-game record. As you walk, you can plant petals that bloom into vibrant flowers on your digital map. It is a more relaxed, exploration-focused experience compared to traditional action games.

The game was developed by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and released in 2021. Niantic is the studio famous for creating the massively popular augmented reality game Pokémon GO. Their expertise in location-based gaming mechanics allowed them to perfectly adapt the Pikmin universe to mobile devices.

No, Pikmin Bloom is designed to be a relaxing, walking-focused exergame and does not feature traditional boss battles. While you can encounter giant mushrooms that require multiple Pikmin to destroy, the core gameplay revolves around steps and exploration. It avoids the intense combat mechanics found in the mainline Nintendo titles.