Before anything else happens, the player enters their name, gender, blood type, and birthday, then selects one of five Pokepi to live with. The setting is a compact Japanese apartment: one bedroom with tatami-mat floors, a refrigerator, a television with a game console connected, a small bathroom and restroom off the main space. The Pokepi sleeps on the tatami when tired, sometimes stops to listen to the radio, and talks — a communication element that sets it apart from the standard virtual pet format. The relationship develops through regular interaction over time.