Pet game ideas where your own pet is the star

Care games: feed, clean, play

Virtual pets took off with Tamagotchi (Bandai, 1996): look after it or it gets sad. The loop is short check-ins that build attachment. With your real pet's face on it, every check-in means more.

• Daily care. Feed, bathe and play with your pet, unlock toys as it gets happier. Try, with a photo: "care game, feed her, bathe her, she sulks if I forget, unlock new toys"
• Pet hotel. Your pet runs a hotel for the neighbors' pets. Try: "my cat runs a pet hotel, guests need food, naps and walks, more rooms each day"
• Grooming salon. Brush, trim and style for a show. Try: "grooming salon, my dog is the star client, style him for the big show"

Adventure games: your pet on a quest

• Stormy night. Lead a scared pet home through thunder. Try: "my puppy is scared of thunder, guide him home through the rain, a brave cat helps"
• Sock thief. Your cat steals socks from the neighbors at night. Try: "my cat sneaks into houses at night and steals socks, avoid the owners"
• Bone dig. Your dog digs up old skeletons in a desert. Try: "my dog digs for dinosaur bones in a desert, build the skeleton"

Racing and party games

• Dog park dash. Race other dogs to the ball, friends bring their dogs too. Try: "race at the dog park, first to the ball wins, my friends' dogs are the rivals"
• Hamster ball maze. Roll through a maze of tubes before time runs out. Try: "my hamster rolls a ball through a maze of tubes, collect seeds, 5 levels"
• Pet talent show. Tap on time for tricks while judges score. Try: "pet talent show, tap on the beat for tricks, three judges, my dog vs my friend's cat"

Pet games on Roam

Niblet is a fluffy pet that wants food, baths and attention. In Block Buddy, Miso the blocky cat needs looking after. Puppy Fears Thunder is a scared puppy and a brave cat on one rainy night. Follow the Fox is a fox and a floating farm. Bone Valley is a dog in a desert full of buried skeletons.

Questions people ask

Can I put my real pet in a game?

Yes. On Roam you add a photo of your pet with a sentence, and the game is built around it.

What made virtual pets popular?

Tamagotchi, a small egg-shaped toy by Bandai from 1996. Nintendogs (2005) later brought touch and voice to the idea.

What are good pet simulator ideas?

Hatch and collect pets that help you earn, raise one pet from baby to adult, or run a pet shop as a tycoon. Pet Simulator 99 and Adopt Me! on Roblox use the first two.