Pokémon Sleep

Pokémon Sleep turns your nightly rest into a gentle research adventure. Developed by SELECT BUTTON Inc. alongside The Pokémon Company and The Pokémon Works, this mobile app launched on July 17, 2023 for Android and iOS. It first rolled out in Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and parts of Latin America before a wider global release. The concept came from Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Company, who first floated the idea in 2019. The game uses your phone's sensors to classify sleep into three categories: dozing, snoozing, and slumbering. Each morning, you check in on a giant Snorlax and see which Pokémon have gathered based on your sleep style.

The core loop is simple but sticky. You feed Snorlax berries and cook meals to raise its Drowsy Power, which directly affects the rarity and variety of visiting Pokémon. You befriend them with Poké Biscuits and add them to your team, where they help gather ingredients. The game runs on the Unity engine with a soft pastel art style, featuring simple 3D models and charming 2D illustrations. Composer Shota Kageyama and sound designer Yuka Tsujiyoko crafted a mellow soundtrack, while artist Yusuke Kozaki handled character designs. A monthly subscription called Sleep Pass offers premium biscuits and bonus items for $9.99 per month.

Critical reception was mixed but generally positive. IGN gave it a 7/10, Destructoid an 8/10, and Pocket Gamer a 4/5. Metacritic landed at 73 based on 11 reviews. The game was nominated for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2023 and also for the Google Play Users' Choice Award. It racked up over 10 million downloads in its first week and generated an estimated $10 million in player spending within its first month, according to Sensor Tower. While it hasn't reached the cultural saturation of Pokémon Go, it has carved out a dedicated community that shares sleep data and strategies on Reddit and Twitter.[edit]

Each night, you place your phone on the mattress or use the Pokémon Go Plus + accessory to track movement and sound. The app sorts your sleep into dozing, snoozing, or slumbering, and the resulting Sleep Score determines which Pokémon appear around Snorlax the next morning. You feed Snorlax berries and cook meals to boost its Drowsy Power, which unlocks rarer spawns. Befriended Pokémon join your helper team, automatically gathering berries and ingredients while you're away. The Research Community lets you add friends, view their sleep data, and send Candy, but there is no real-time interaction or competitive play. A Sleep Pass subscription adds premium biscuits and extra rewards.[edit]

Professor Neroli, a sleep researcher, asks you to help document the sleep styles of Pokémon that gather around a giant Snorlax on a mysterious island. There is no villain, no conflict, and no ending. The narrative is a light framing device for the daily cycle of sleeping, tracking, and collecting. Players unlock new islands and encounter different Pokémon species through regular content updates and limited-time events.[edit]