Niantic’s new pet simulation game Peridot lets you revive a cute species

With the release of Pokémon GO, Niantic succeeded in creating a global phenomenon that is still pushing record sums into the developer’s coffers, even almost six years after its release. At the same time, this success has created a situation that no one likes to be in; attempts to repeat this triumph are practically doomed to failure from the start. Fortunately for all the walking enthusiasts who like to game as they stroll, this scenario does not discourage anyone at Niantic from new ventures.

Unlike Pokémon GO or Pikmin Bloom, the Californians’ latest product is not based on someone else’s IP, but is their own creation. Peridot is a pet simulation – think of the classic Tamagotchi, for example – and a lesson in ecology at the same time. Peridots are an almost extinct species whose appearance reminds us of cats, dragons, dinosaurs, and whichever pet you can think of, with an emphasis on the cuddle factor.

It will be your job to breed, raise, and release Peridots into the wild to make the diversity of the species sustainable again. Diversity is a good keyword: each peridot is unique and has its own DNA structure, which determines the appearance and personality of the creature. Through selective breeding, it is possible for you to create a perfect Peridot according to your preferences – and unlike Crusader Kings III, you don’t have to watch out for too many incestuous pairings leading to premature deaths. Peridot is not only meant to be a game for all ages, but to appeal to casual gamers even more than Pokémon GO does.

Accordingly, there are no punishment mechanics in the game – your Peridot will never starve and you won’t have to clean any excrement. How often and how skillfully you respond to the creature’s wishes only affects how quickly it reaches adulthood. For the average user, that should take about three days, according to Niantic. Peridots need food, want to play with you, and discover new places. It wouldn’t be a Niantic game if you didn’t have to walk, right? 

Peridot is supposed to be less dependent on points of interest, i.e. fixed locations like Gyms and PokéStops in Pokémon GO. This is very good news for all users in rural areas with fewer landmarks. You only need to visit fixed locations when your Peridot has grown up and you want to start breeding. To do this, you select a mate at a point of interest as well as a suitable nest – both factors determine which genes will be passed on to the offspring and thus which visual and behavioral aspects it carries. Although there are NPC Peridots at these locations, in the further course of the game you’ll mainly use the released creatures from other users for mating.

Unlike Pokémon GO, Peridot is not a collecting game. Once you’ve nurtured a Peridot to adulthood and let it mate, you’ll have to say goodbye to it – you’ll select one of the three eggs created during breeding and continue playing with that Peridot, helping it grow up and mate. This is the planned gameplay loop. A whistle will let you briefly recall your previous Peridots released after mating, so you can play with them for a bit.

Niantic, as usual, uses augmented reality technology to seamlessly blend the Peridots into the real-world environment displayed on your screen, but there have been a few upgrades since Pokémon GO’s release. For example, the game now recognizes what surface you are on, such as sand, grass, or water. Each type of soil provides your Peridot with a different type of food, so you’ll have to go to different places to find the right plants or berries that your pet needs. Weather effects are currently still being worked on – what happens when snow covers everything is still unclear.

Players of Pokémon GO will find the rest familiar: there are daily quests and streaks for completing them, and Niantic also plans to hold joint events like Community Days. The free-to-play title for smartphones will also feature in-app purchases, including items to help grow your creatures quicker or improve the chances of getting the breeding result you want. The developer has not yet named a global launch date, but the first markets are expected to be equipped with test versions as early as next week, so keep your eyes out.

Written by Marco Wutz on behalf of GLHF.