There are a lot of odd combinations in the world: pizza and ranch, Jamaica and bobsledding, scuba diving and basket weaving. But, who would have thought of Pokémon and sleep? But, it works — it works real well.
At its core, Pokémon Sleep is a sleep tracker app. The app records snoring, motion, and other information to calculate how long and how well a user slept. At the same time, with a one-of-a-kind game, Pokémon Sleep tackles the problem of motivating users by incorporating their beloved Pokémon into the game.
When the user first boots up the game, they are introduced to Professor Neroli who is a professor and researcher of the various sleep styles of Pokémon. Professor Neroli explains that a Snorlax (a specific Pokémon) can use its snoring ability to attract other sleeping Pokémon.
Accordingly, a researcher can record and analyze the different sleep styles of the Pokémon who were attracted by the Snorlax. Moreover, Professor Neroli reveals that the number and rarity of the Pokémon attracted by the Snorlax are directly linked to the quality of sleep the user gets that night; this factor compels the user to get quality sleep night after night.
After this interaction, Professor Neroli helps the user set up camp and research their first batch of Pokémon. From there, Professor Neroli leaves the user to continue their research.
Though the game has a simple objective for the user, it also has many features to keep the user coming back. For example, the user can befriend and recruit the Pokémon by feeding them treats. Additionally, the user can feed their Snorlax, burn incense, or upgrade their campsite to boost their Snorlax’s attraction power. Furthermore, the game includes special events which give special bonuses, rewards, and prizes.
Yet, although all these features make the game very engaging for the first few days, the game quickly falls into a dull routine.
Additionally, Nintendo attempts to monetize the app by including “pay-to-win” features which can make the game frustrating for users who don’t want to spend money.
Likewise, the game also has some awkward requirements. For instance, the game requires the user’s phone to not just be next to their bed, but to be actually on their mattress while they are sleeping. This is a little too “up close and personal” for most people. Moreover, the app requires the user to leave it running without turning off the phone. It makes sense that the app needs to be consistently running to accurately track sleep, but it still leaves security and privacy concerns for the user. And, due to this requirement, the user’s phone has to be charging so that it does not run out of battery during their sleep. Furthermore, the app interferes with the phone’s alarm system, and thus a user can only use Pokémon Sleep’s alarm system on their phone. Even though all these requirements are so that the app can most accurately track sleep, it creates some awkward sleeping situations.
In conclusion, though Pokémon Sleep has its problems, it is still a new, refreshing, and fun app and the first of its kind in the sleep tracking industry. Thus, everyone should give Pokémon Sleep a try.
