Why we love Virtual Pets
Have you ever walked into a room with an animal? It creates a special kind of effect. People are drawn to it.
They are curious about the animal and want to share some affection or their own experiences. Even people who don’t approach at least watch with curiosity from afar.
Animals have a special hold on our hearts. So it’s no surprise that our love of animals carries over to their pixelated counterparts.

For one, virtual pets can remind us of our own furry or scaly friends in real life. Some people like to create digital copies of their beloved pets, or they recreate a deceased pet to continue to love. There are many pet sites and sims that offer such a wide array of species and colors, which is helpful when picking the perfect representation.
Aywas was perhaps the first site to take this one step further by allowing players to color the bases of pet species.
Now allowing players to color their own unique markings and patterns onto pet bases has become increasingly popular and can be found in many of the newer games, often known as “customs” or “overlays”. For some sites, it is possible to personalize your pets to look just like your beloved pet in real life.
Additionally, customizations allow for players to create their original characters, or even design a new and pleasing coloration.

And of course, there is also the element of fantasy and imagination that we just can’t get enough of.
Were you never allowed to have that pet octopus? Or your mom didn’t think you could keep a dragon from burning down the town? Whatever the creature and whatever the reason, virtual pets are happy to be put in your care and follow your wishes. Some pets require a lot of care, some not so much. But they don’t mess with your allergies, they won’t chew your TV cords or eat your phone, and they won’t leave a nice present on your doorstep (unfortunately).
And best of all, very few virtual pet games will let your pet “die”. So you can love them or let them unleash their inner destructiveness forever.
Games with virtual pets have been living for over 15 years now, and there’s no sign of them leaving any time soon. In fact, they have been growing and evolving. “Adoptables” -characters and creatures drawn up and sold/traded to others- are also very widespread and popular. There’s something about these pixelated creatures that we just can’t get enough of. And I don’t think they mind too much.
Written by - @Oakley
Have you ever walked into a room with an animal? It creates a special kind of effect. People are drawn to it.
They are curious about the animal and want to share some affection or their own experiences. Even people who don’t approach at least watch with curiosity from afar.
Animals have a special hold on our hearts. So it’s no surprise that our love of animals carries over to their pixelated counterparts.

For one, virtual pets can remind us of our own furry or scaly friends in real life. Some people like to create digital copies of their beloved pets, or they recreate a deceased pet to continue to love. There are many pet sites and sims that offer such a wide array of species and colors, which is helpful when picking the perfect representation.
Aywas was perhaps the first site to take this one step further by allowing players to color the bases of pet species.
Now allowing players to color their own unique markings and patterns onto pet bases has become increasingly popular and can be found in many of the newer games, often known as “customs” or “overlays”. For some sites, it is possible to personalize your pets to look just like your beloved pet in real life.
Additionally, customizations allow for players to create their original characters, or even design a new and pleasing coloration.

And of course, there is also the element of fantasy and imagination that we just can’t get enough of.
Were you never allowed to have that pet octopus? Or your mom didn’t think you could keep a dragon from burning down the town? Whatever the creature and whatever the reason, virtual pets are happy to be put in your care and follow your wishes. Some pets require a lot of care, some not so much. But they don’t mess with your allergies, they won’t chew your TV cords or eat your phone, and they won’t leave a nice present on your doorstep (unfortunately).
And best of all, very few virtual pet games will let your pet “die”. So you can love them or let them unleash their inner destructiveness forever.

Games with virtual pets have been living for over 15 years now, and there’s no sign of them leaving any time soon. In fact, they have been growing and evolving. “Adoptables” -characters and creatures drawn up and sold/traded to others- are also very widespread and popular. There’s something about these pixelated creatures that we just can’t get enough of. And I don’t think they mind too much.
Written by - @Oakley
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