Niantic's AR mobile game Pikmin Bloom had a relatively slow start following its October 2021 launch, not putting out much additional content despite reaching over two million downloads by November. Not much is required for a game that ostensibly acts as a fancy pedometer, but the developer has recently gotten into a more steady release schedule. Rare flower nectar cycles to new flora every month, and Niantic has added features like Weekly Challenges alongside a handful of new decor types.
Decor is the chief collectible in Pikmin Bloom, with each Pikmin able to adorn an outfit based on the locale they were discovered. A number of permanent categories (and additions to older ones) have been released recently, including candy "Snack" decor for mini-marts and "Sushi Restaurant" decor in April, as well as "Tiny Book" decor for libraries and bookstores this month. The latest announcement on May 30 was "Ticket" decor for train stations, which includes a level of specificity that should be seen more often going forward.
How Decor Works in Pikmin Bloom
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As previously mentioned, collecting unique decor is the driving force behind Pikmin Bloom. Players can walk around beaches, art galleries, and more to find Seedlings with the right designation, and then the Pikmin can be plucked after a certain number of steps. Huge Seedlings (which require 10,000 steps to mature) will produce Pikmin who have their decor immediately, but all other units have to build four hearts of friendship through walking, being fed nectar, and participating in expeditions to gather items or destroy mushrooms.
Every other system feeds into the pursuit of new decor types for one's collection. Notably, giving nectar to Pikmin provides the player with flower petals, which can be planted during walks to grow the corresponding plant across Pikmin Bloom's AR map; essentially the same layout seen in other Niantic games such as Pokemon GO. The more flowers one plants during a walk, the more in-game currency (Coins) a player accrues, and its main purpose is powering an item detector to search for Seedlings at specific decor locales.
There are seven varieties of Pikmin in the mobile game, corresponding with the main seven from Nintendo's franchise: Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, White, Rock, and Flying. Most new decor types include an alternate look for each, which is the case for Bloom's latest Ticket decor, though a select few such as Sushi Restaurant are exclusive to a smaller set of Pikmin. Events and holidays, including the Lunar New Year, have even introduced limited-time decor in Pikmin Bloom.
Why Pikmin Bloom's New Train Station Decor Stands Out
What makes Ticket decor Pikmin stand out from the pack is that each individual with that designation will be unique. Though a number of decor types in the game are fun and creative, from "Pharmacy" Pikmin wearing toothpaste as hair to "Movie Theater" Pikmin wearing popcorn hats, each color gets a static design. Taking the time to mature and build friendship with two different Yellow Pikmin who each come from a "Cafe" will always result in the same spotted-red coffee cup.
By contrast, Ticket Pikmin will have a literal train ticket to wear that features the name of the station and the date they were discovered. For example, a promotional Red Pikmin revealed on Twitter shows a ticket for New York's Grand Central Station from May 31, 2022. The only other decor type with similar variation in Pikmin Bloom is "Roadside" stickers given to anything not found at another designated site. These stickers are smaller and feature the first letter of the place they were found (with limited-time winter 2021 Pikmin also having unique designs).
This kind of idea could be more widely applicable, making it so rare Pikmin types are special even between "copies" - not unlike natures in Pokemon. One could make the argument that unique units with time and location stamps are a potential safety hazard, as they show a person's concrete walking routes or daily activities, but to be fair location tracking is a stated feature of Niantic's games-as-pedometer model. The studio has also put some features in place to mitigate such concerns, including adjustable "Privacy Zones" with the intent of not showing the paths where flowers are being planted. Ultimately, more specified decor types would just offer players reason to visit different spots rather than lingering around their usual haunts.
Pikmin Bloom is available now on Android and iOS devices.