Niantic’s Pikmin app gameplay revealed by public testers

A little more than a week after Nintendo and Niantic revealed they are renewing their partnership for a new Pikmin AR mobile app, it appears the game is now in public testing in Asia. As a result, much of its gameplay mechanics and features have already surfaced.

As reported by VGC, the Pikmin app’s early access version arrived Tuesday morning for fans in Singapore through Google Play, with players releasing screenshots of the game’s provided guides. According to its FAQ pages, the crux of the game will require players to walk to gather “Step Energy” and grow Pikmin, attributes, and flowers. 

The guides uploaded so far have indicated seven types of Pikmin to find: Blue, Purple, White, Red, Yellow, Rock, and Winged. The game will also allow users to collect rare “Decor” Pikmin over time in specific areas traversed.

As players continue to walk, their Pikmin army will gather fruits that can ultimately be turned into Nectar for flowers and a variety of colorful petals. The game also details a Flower Planting mode, where players can build flower trails as they explore to discover Seedlings at a quick rate.

A campaign feature, named Expeditions, is also present in the early access version. This is where players can send selected Pikmin on journeys to previously traveled areas to collect special items and even more Seedlings. As an added bonus, Postcards will also be rewarded upon completion — photos of user’s Pikmin detailing specific moments of their Expedition.

Like any other exercise application, leaks have revealed a daily stat-tracking component known as a Daily Lookback. Theses Lookbacks are said to include how many steps have been taken in a given day, which places were visited, and of course, where flowers have been planted. Even better, if players put enough steps in, they earn access to a mini-game that may net them free items.

There doesn’t seem to be a hint of microtransactions in the Pikmin app, but as this is the beta, that may soon change. It is unclear if this version will make its way to other regions, but Nintendo has last said the full game will launch sometime later this year.