Pikmin Bloom

App review by Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media
Pikmin Bloom Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Activity-tracking features make walking more festive.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Health & Fitness
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age 8+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Pikmin Bloom isn't really a game -- it's more of a fitness tracker app for iOS and Android devices, with some additional elements that may encourage players to stay active. The app needs to access the motion and fitness functionality on players' phones to register their steps. They view a detailed tutorial when they first start to use the app, and players can also read additional written information on how the app works by clicking on its settings icon. The app also gives them some leeway while playing. There are often things players can be doing, but there aren't huge penalties if they forget or just want to walk around. While the app may encourage users to be inquisitive and explore the world around them, warnings remind them to remain alert and aware of their surroundings at all times. Players can spend coins they earn from playing on things like additional nectar for Pikmins in the app's store, where packages of coins and other items are also available for $1.99 to $99.99, but they likely won't need to.

Community Reviews

SplatoonFTW
SplatoonFTW Adult
December 8, 2021
age 8+

Great game for kids-but be careful

Pikmin Bloom is a game made by Niantic in partnership with Nintendo. Similar to Pokémon Go, it’s a game that most can play. Mainly, the goal of the game is to cover the world in flowers, so it’s much more casual than its Pokémon counterpart. You also collect small creatures called Pikmin, which you can send on expeditions to obtain out-of-reach items and “seedlings”, which when they’re planted in the character’s backpack, sprout into Pikmin after a set amount of steps. Players can purchase one-time use slots to grow seedlings, but they are also earned by leveling up. I haven’t noticed any way of earning the coins to purchase these apart from micro transactions, so parents should exercise caution and disable your child’s ability to purchase things with real money. My main safety concern with this game is children wandering off by themselves, but also there is a feature while you plant flowers that allows you to see the locations of other players who are also planting flowers. This doesn’t enable by default, but it still can be toggled on, so parents should monitor their children’s usage of this. In the end, I do believe this is a game many can enjoy- just be careful.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much consumerism
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

PIKMIN BLOOM rewards users for taking steps. They plant seedlings, which grow into small plant-like creatures as their steps accumulate. They can pluck Pikmin when they reach maturity, feed them nectar, and collect flower petals that grow on top of their head to plant. A map shows players' recent locations. They can add notes and photos to the Lifelog record of their daily activities and view an animated summary of their progress from the past day. Using their phone's camera, an AR function will also project Pikmin into the player's environment.

Is It Any Good?

The app can offer players a visual way to track the steps they take. Pikmin Bloom also provides some incentives to encourage users to walk around, planting items as they go to enhance the virtual scenery. Gamers can personalize the app's daily written record of their activity by including photos and notes, and an animated summary recaps their progress from the day before. The seven types of Pikmin in the app have numerous characteristics, such as strength or the ability to fly. The more players interact with their Pikmin, the more their collective friendship level grows -- which can eventually unlock information about where to find special items to help the creature become a Décor Pikmin after it retrieves and dons an item relating to its identity. Once players complete approximately a half-dozen levels, they can send their Pikmin on expeditions to bring back things like fruits and seedlings they've previously encountered.

It may sound like gamers will be overloaded with errands and chores -- but the focus really is on walking. Players aren't required to do things nonstop. At times when they're waiting for things to grow, they may actually not be sure what to do next. If they later don't perform some of the suggested actions, such as feeding Pikmins nectar, the creatures will still grow flowers on their head as long as players walk with them. Accidentally overfeeding Pikmin also won't shut the experience down -- in time, the situation will correct itself. To effectively use the app, users need to grant it access to their phone's activity tracking capabilities, and they'll need to have their phone physically with them for the steps they take to register. The developer also recommends being connected to a Wi-Fi or another network to obtain accurate location information and advises compatibility issues may arise with devices that don't have GPS functionality. That might be a dealbreaker for kids -- or parents -- if having a phone and consistent 5G or other access isn't possible. If connectivity isn't an issue, though, and players are interested in boosting their activity level by offering ongoing character interactions and various tasks, Pikmin Bloom could serve as a fun way to help measure their steps -- which may end up motivating them to take more.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how to use Pikmin Bloom to increase the amount of steps players take a day. What's a reasonable target you can aim for?

  • Why can walking be a healthy habit to develop? What's the importance of being physically healthy, instead of focusing on changing your physique?

  • What precautions can kids take to ensure they're safe while walking around? What are some of the concerns that can arise when using an immersive experience app -- particularly when you're outdoors?

App Details

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