Pokemon Sleep is a lot more complicated than you think

Pokemon Sleep sounds strangely trickier to plan than you might've first thought.

The Pokemon Company has dropped the video just below, giving fans a detailed look at how to actually play Pokemon Sleep before it eventually releases later this year. What's a bit surprising, though, is the revelation that Pokemon Sleep is a bit trickier to play than just simply sleeping and catching 'mons.

Let's start from the top. Firstly, the amount of sleep you get every night is reflected in your Sleep Score. Multiple Pokemon have different Sleep Styles - for example, Pikachu might sleep by rocking back and forth, and if you do this too, you'll have an increased chance of encountering this type of Pikachu the following day.

Next, you're always paired up with a Snorlax during the day, which is appropriate given the creature's reputation for slumbering. During the day, feed Snorlax to increase its Strength, and this stat will be increased by your sleep time from the previous night to establish Snorlax's Drowsy Power.

Accruing more Drowsy Power means more Pokemon might gather near the following day, letting you catch more creatures. So yes, the core tenets of Pokemon Sleep are 'sleep then catch Pokemon,' but there's a whole lot more to the mobile game than we first thought.

Additionally, the Snorlax you're paired with will increase in size week after week. This again increases your chances of encountering Pokemon with rarer Sleep Styles, so you can catch them all and complete this strange riff on a PokeDex. Honestly, the whole thing is very weird, but if it helps you get a better night's sleep, we're not complaining.

Pokemon Sleep is still slated to launch later this summer after being announced in 2019. Android users can pre-register right now on the Google Play Store, but iOS users will have to watch for any pre-launch information for their devices.

You can head over to our new games 2023 guide for a look at all the other games you should be keeping an eye on this year.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.