Why Pikmin Bloom is now a must-have on my daily walk

Posted On: December 29, 2021

I’m not a fan of “just walking around”. Sure, it’s nice to get outside, get some fresh air, and occasionally play on the grass, but that’s usually not enough to convince me to get off the couch.

I need a destination or something that makes the trip more interesting. Apps like Pikmin Bloom

Last Christmas I bought something I always had a reason to go out for: a Shiba Inu puppy. Her enthusiasm for being out on the streets every day is enough to get me out of the house, rain or shine (and it usually rains in the UK).

But while I’m proud to be a responsible dog owner, walking the same route time and time again has lost its charm. I’m tired of my smartwatch telling me when I’ve reached my daily step quota or checking how many calories I managed to burn.

However, thanks to Pikmin Bloom, my daily walks with the dog have become much more enjoyable. Now I’m more interested in seeing if I’m able to develop good Pikmin while walking my path than feeling “well”. There’s something oddly satisfying about filling my streets with virtual flower paths, it sounds ridiculous.

Pikmin, walk with me

Pikmin Bloom tries to grow and feed Pikmin, a plant-like creature created by the Nintendo team and Shigeru Miyamoto. You can grow different variants of these little creatures by walking a few steps. You can then interact with your new flower buddies by feeding them nectar, which is also obtained on foot. You can also win different types of flower petals to spread around the world, offering nectar of different colors.

The concept is very straightforward and similar to Pokemon Go in many ways, which makes sense considering it’s the same developer, Niantic. Like the Pokemon version, Pikmin Bloom does not share the real-time strategy of the original Pikmin game.

Pikmin Bloom not only lets you grow an army of mini fans, but also locks your streets in adorable ways. You can see the places you have visited thanks to the small footprints that decorate the game map.

Also, every photo you take or receive on that day can be saved for your keepsake. You can also record your daily mood, which can help to monitor your mental health.

Pikmin Bloom isn’t really a game, it’s an app that adds great gamification to your walks. It won’t kickstart the mobile gaming craze like Niantic’s other title, Pokémon Go, but it’s a fun companion that I’m glad I installed on my phone. Hopefully, by the end of 2022, I will have more Pikmin than I know what to do.