Virtual pet games, also called ‘pet sims’ are a small genre of browser-based games surrounding the concept of taking care of an animal or creature. These games are inspired by older pet sim called NeoPets. Pet sims are mainly real-world time based and require a brief visit to the site each day to daily activities and care for pets. Pet sims typically have some means of customization, so the user can make personalizations. Customization is most often an in-game mechanic and is art related. More examples of this will be given later in this post. Another characteristic of a pet sim is virtual currency which can be collected in the game for free. A common occurrence is that some games have a premium currency that can be purchased for real-world money. The following will share some popular virtual pet games and explain what they are. This article will cover: Flight Rising, Lioden, and Chicken Smoothie.
What is Flight Rising?
Flight Rising is a virtual pet game which takes place in the fantasy realm of Sornieth, home to dragonkind. The player’s job is to build their own clan of dragons. At this point in time, Flight Rising has 14 different breeds of dragons which players can adopt, raise, and care for. The player can feed them, dress them up, breed them, or use them to battle mythical monsters in the coliseum. Battling in the colosseum and doing Flight Rising’s daily activities will earn the player treasure, which is Flight Rising’s virtual currency. There are also gems which is the site’s premium form of virtual currency and can be obtained by purchasing for real-world dollars or selling items to other players who have them. Another small, but important aspect of Flight Rising, is the skin and accent system. Skins and accents are like a coat of paint over the dragon. Users can purchase the ability to design the pattern of their own dragon by drawing it in their preferred drawing program. This allows users to personalize their dragons and is a very popular trend on the site.
Getting Started on Flight Rising:
What is Lioden?
Lioden is a virtual pet game which takes place in real-world Africa. Lioden is semi-realistic lion simulator where the player owns a ‘main male’ lion. In other words, the player is the leader of their own lion pride and is responsible for caring for it. Lioden is also a breeding simulator which consists of a complex breeding system with several thousand different markings. The main male can conquer territory and claim lone lionesses, as would a regular lion would do. What makes Lioden semi-realistic are the unnatural colors and mutations lions can obtain through the breeding system. There is also some fantasy aspects in some special events.
The Genetic System
Genetics are an important part of Lioden. Its genetic system is so complicated that most players don’t even try to understand it, but I will try to explain as simply as I can.
Each lion has a base color. It’s the color of the lion underneath all of it’s markings (stripes, spots, etc) For example, the base color of a tiger would be solid orange. All bases are split into four color groups which are black, cream, golden, and red. These four groups contain tints and shades of their corresponding group. Pictured below is the red color group:
You can also see all of the different bases here.
I mention Lioden’s genetic system because it’s an important part of the game. The games consists of several events and quests where applicators are the incentive. Applicators can change the color of your lion’s fur to a rare base which makes them more valuable.
Lioden is a much more complex game than most pet sims. Fortunately, youtuber Pet Simmer Julie made a tutorial video on how you play the game.
What is Chicken Smoothie?
Chicken Smoothie is a straightforward virtual pet game. Unlike Flight Rising and Lioden,
Chicken Smoothie is not a breeding game but instead a collecting game. Each month, players can adopt a new set of animals which will grow up as the month progresses. Each animal has the chance of growing up into a different design. Chicken Smoothie also has a rarity system where some pets are more rare than others. The goal of the game is to grow your own collection of different pets from. Players can trade with one another or participate in auctions to obtain different pets. Players can also use chicken dollars which are the game’s form of currency. Chicken dollars can be used to purchase apparel for the pets you want to dress up.
Below is a list of different CS rarities:
OMG so common
Very common
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very rare
OMG so rare
Conclusion
Virtual pet games are the best answer to free time, they don't demand hours of game-play, and can be a fun past time. I hope this post helped you understand what a virtual pet game is. If you are interested in hearing about some lesser known pet sim games, then I recommend checking out VirtualPetDirectory where you can find more.
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