I left my Pikmin halfway across the country in Pikmin Bloom, and it won’t be back for 28 days

I should cancel this foolish Pikmin Bloom expedition, but the little guy has gone so far

Pikmin Bloom isn’t the Pikmin game I wanted, but it’s still on my phone — it’s still telling me that it looks gray out every morning, right on cue — and that counts for something.

You haven’t seen much follow-up coverage since CJ’s review of this walking-centric mobile game went up on the site, and that’s because there isn’t much else to say. This is one of those games that can just float by until I’m desperate to clear up a free spot on my home screen. Ideally, Nintendo and Niantic would’ve leaned more into Pikmin‘s satisfying creature-swarming combat, but I get it. This is a low-key walking game. It is what it is.

As someone who’s kinda-sorta still playing, the most notable happening in my Pikmin Bloom world is that, well… I accidentally left one of my prized purple Pikmin halfway across the United States. Without thinking things through, I sent the little fellow out for a last-minute collection, thinking we’d reunite before flying back from a holiday break.

This Pikmin didn’t make it to me before my plane took off — it was stranded in Chicago, and I live in Portland. And ever since, it’s been walking home. It has 28 days left to go.

Should I cancel the trip? I feel like I’m in way too deep.

While my enthusiasm for checking in with this app is dwindling, I think I need to keep it around at least long enough to see this heroic plant critter come home safe.

I was initially excited to level up my Pikmin Bloom profile, with the promise of mushroom-pummeling missions nudging me ever so slightly to walk more. They were neat for the first day or two, but longevity isn’t this game’s strong suit, especially if you’re playing it as a largely solitary experience. Instead, the real draw ended up being the daily recap.

There’s something simple but heartfelt about this app asking how your day was, and pausing just long enough before the sad/neutral/happy options pop up that you can reflect and answer earnestly. I feel weirdly compelled to be honest with my Pikmin. And I also like that I can scroll back through my log, and see some mundane, funny, and even meaningful real-world photo memories, too. It’s a pleasant bit of retrospection.

I wouldn’t recommend Pikmin Bloom to most people, but it’s cozy. It’s fascinating that it not only made it through production, but that it continues to persist.