Pikmin Bloom: What is it?

Pikmin Bloom is the latest mobile game from Niantic, but what do you do in it?

Niantic have been hard at work creating the follow-up to the wildly successful Pokemon GO. Rolling out globally over the next coming days, Pikmin Bloom is a slightly different take on the walking games. As a neat spin-off for the Pikmin franchise, players will be utilizing the help of little colorful Pikmin to grow flowers as you go about your daily life.

So what exactly do you do in Pikmin Bloom, and how does it differ from Pokemon GO?

Pikmin Bloom: What is it?

In Pikmin Bloom, players will begin by creating their Mii avatar. After that, you'll set out into the world to start planting flowers. As you walk, a trail of flower petals will be left behind which help your Pikmin companions to grow. After finishing your walk, you can switch off the trail to receive your step count.

As for the Pikmin themselves, they can be sent on Expeditions. These yield fruit, which turns into nectar, which is then fed to the Pikmin. Doing so enables them to grow different flowers. These Expeditions also lead to new Pikmin colours and outfits, which will apparently be based on the certain locations you come across.

Similar to Pokemon GO, the game will make use of AR technology and map data. If you've played any of Niantic's other mobile games, you'll likely know what to expect. Pikmin Bloom will also apparently launch with the 'Adventure Sync' functionality, so it'll be able to track your steps evenwhen you're not using the app.

From what we can tell, there isn't much of a sense of competition in Pikmin Bloom. Instead, the focus seems to be more on exploration and the peaceful growing of flowers. Something to add into your daily routine, or to add a little extra spice into your daily walks.

Like Pokemon GO, Pikmin Bloom will be free-to-play but players will be able to purchase the in-game currency "flower coins" to speed things up.