Pikmin App no more, Pikmin Bloom exits beta in Australia, with more countries coming soon

We in Australia have been among those lucky enough to be beta testing the game for some months, but soon, everyone will be able to try out Pikmin Bloom, the Niantic and Nintendo developed AR game.

Pikmin Bloom is the final name for the “Pikmin App” announced all the way back in March. The game uses augmented reality and your GPS signal, not unlike Pokémon Go, but also ties into Google Fit and iOS Health and has a big focus on walking, with daily steps recorded and rewarded.

With Pikmin Bloom, you plant, pick and then control a squad of Pikmin who encourage you to go walking, collecting fruit and planting flowers around your town. You can send Pikmin out on expeditions to retrieve items and complete tasks as well. At the end of each day, you’ll get a recap of your day out walking, and you can add a picture and your mood to your life blog. It’s a very chilled game.

According to the Niantic blog, the game is out in Australia and Singapore now, but will be launching in other regions and countries “shortly”. Nintendo Australia also says that the game will be available in New Zealand “soon”, so we imagine there won’t be long to wait for those keen to get planting.

You can download the game now from the Apple App Store for iOS, and Google Play for Android devices.

From the Pikmin Bloom launch blog:

Niantic, Inc. today started the global launch of Pikmin Bloom, a smartphone app designed to bring a little joy to your everyday journeys on foot. Jointly developed by Niantic and Nintendo, Pikmin Bloom allows you to spice up your daily walks with the help of your very own squad of Pikmin. It will be available on the App Store and Google Play over the coming days.

What are Pikmin?
Pikmin are tiny, plant-like creatures that exist all around us but cannot be seen with the naked eye. Pikmin Bloom enables you to see and interact with them. Pikmin grow from seedlings, and the ones that you grow and pick will follow you around. They love nectar extracted from fruit and, when you feed them, they’ll sprout flowers atop their heads. There are lots of different types of Pikmin to encounter and interact with in Pikmin Bloom.

Walk to grow more Pikmin
The most important thing in Pikmin Bloom is your daily walk. As you walk, you’ll find Pikmin seedlings along your path, so the more you walk, the more your Pikmin squad will grow. You can then pluck Pikmin from seedlings after they grow. Walk more to make more friends with Pikmin!

Walk to make flowers bloom
Walking with your Pikmin will make flowers bloom along your path. When you feed Pikmin nectar from the various fruits you pick up in the game, beautiful flowers bloom atop their heads. Collect the petals to plant them as you walk and flowers will bloom with each and every step you take, leaving a colorful trail behind you. Watch the world come alive as you transform it to create shared trails of flowers!

Walk to log your memories
At the end of the day, you can review the number of steps you took as well as the routes you walked. You have the option to add notes and photos to your lifelog, providing a way to turn an ordinary day into a special memory. Pikmin may also bring back postcards of the places you visited, which can be saved and kept, or sent to friends in the app.

A day to walk with everyone
Pikmin Bloom will be holding a monthly Community Day event, where you can stroll, plant and play together with other players. Stay tuned for more details!

Pikmin Bloom, which is free to play, is available now on the App Store and Google Play in Australia and Singapore, and is coming to other countries and regions shortly. Please follow @PikminBloom on Twitter and @PikminBloom on Instagram for updates.

With Pikmin Bloom as your partner, you can make your daily strolls more memorable and fun. We look forward to seeing the world fill up with flowers!