When it comes to comfy games and cute animals, the two often go hand in hand – or paw, rather. Comfy games with pets as a theme have been around since the earliest days of computer CD ROM titles. Only relatively recently have these games exploded into their own little genre, spawning cute, relaxing experiences full of color and comfort.
However, there are plenty of old titles that give the same vibes, which is why we’re here to introduce to you some game recommendations. Some you may know pretty well, while others are locked away in many people’s childhoods.
10. Petz Catz
You may remember the Petz games from either childhood or as one of the biggest pet game franchises out there. For those not in the know, Petz started out as a set of computer games and quickly evolved from there as time went on. Petz games could be found all over the place, on the Gameboy, Wii, and beyond as various games by multiple studios were released. A few of these games stand out though, two of them being the Petz Catz and Petz Dogz games, released for the Wii and PS2 in 2007.
Petz Catz, unlike the games that came before, is not a pet simulator game where you take care of a furry friend. Instead, you are the furry friend, saving your village from an evil wolf with a magic hat. Despite looking like a pet simulator on the surface, this game is actually a surprisingly robust RPG experience. You can fish, catch bugs, sniff out items, and attack enemies with rocks or your own powerful vocal cords.
9. Wobbledogs
Wobbledogs is a pet simulation game with a bit of a chaotic twist. If you’re a fan of The Sims, you may get a sizable kick out of this rubbery dog simulation game, which was created by a developer from The Sims team. In Wobbledogs, you can collect, breed, play, pet, and drag or fling around various cartoonish dogs.
As you gather up more dogs for your playhouse where they all live, you’ll discover some interesting genetic traits that pass along from one dog to the next, like wings, stripes, extra legs, and attitudes. Whether you just want a relaxing, colorful, cartoonish game with dogs in it, or like to play god concerning the genetics of these little creatures, Wobbledogs scratches a particular itch for the comfy animal game lover.
Related: Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Remake Basic Farming Guide – Seeds, Fields & Hybrids
8. Petz Dogz
Petz Dogz (and the subsequent re-release of the same game, called Petz Dogz/Catz 2) is the exact same game as Petz Catz, except, well, there’s dogs instead. This version of the game makes a tad bit more sense. With sniffing and finding buried treasure being the main mechanic of the experience, it looks a bit more natural for a dog to be doing it instead of a cat. Additionally, because the big bad guy is a wolf, that also fits a bit more with a world of dogs rather than a world of cats.
Just like Petz Catz, Petz Dogz is a game with a cute adventure story, multiple zones for players to explore, and customization items to decorate your fuzzy friend with. Despite being a game for kids, both Petz games that were released on the Wii and PS2 are strong titles with roaming bosses, temperature-controlled zones, a poison bog area, and even a final boss. If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted adventure that doesn’t take too much effort to play and is cute to boot, consider picking up a Petz title.
7. Cat Quest 1
If you’re looking for something more on the traditional RPG side of things, Cat Quest and its sequel are both great options. In the first game, you play as a cat exploring Felingard and taking on dungeoneering to save your sister. The simplistic cartoony design of both the world and the player character is delightful to both watch and play yourself.
So even if you’re just in the mood to get cozy and watch someone else play, the game’s a great time for all. The gameplay is simple, quick, and easy to pick up. If you’re limited on what consoles you have available for playing, don’t worry: it’s available for most mobile devices as well.
6. Cat Quest 2
Cat Quest 2 is a delightful sequel to the first Cat Quest and delivers an improved experience upon the first game. The gameplay, as you might suspect, is pretty much the same. This time around however, there’s a second player, a dog, that you can choose to play as throughout your adventure.
Character switching makes the game a bit more unique in comparison to its predecessor. What’s more is that, if you were playing or watching Cat Quest 1 with a friend or partner, this second game allows them to pick up a controller and start playing as well.
Related: Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life Wild Animal Luck Guide – All Animal Locations & Meanings
5. Cat Snack Bar
If you like idle mobile games, Cat Snack Bar is a cute title that features hard-working but adorable cats. They make more than just biscuits, running everything from a taco stand to a medieval shop, to a full-on restaurant. Throughout the game, you set up operations by buying different stations as your cat employees get to work. You can improve stats like their walking speed, food preparation time, and how many customers you get to your snack bar each game.
When you reach peak profits and unlock everything there is for that particular store, you can move on and start a brand new one with a fresh new look. Cat Snack Bar is the perfect idle cafe game to have running on the side, or something to pull out when you’re bored and want to see those round little cats do their thing.
4. The Dog Island
Developed by the same team that created Petz Catz and Dogz, The Dog Island is a game with the almost exact same mechanics, but in a world designed with The Dog brand in mind. You can play as any bobble-headed breed of cartoony dog you wish, going on an adventure to save your sick sibling by finding a cure-all flower.
The game is quite polished in comparison to Petz Catz and Dogz, with cute animals throughout, especially the dogs themselves. You can collect fruit, veggies, flowers, materials, and clothes throughout your adventure. If you collect enough materials, you can even craft new items for yourself to dress up your dog in any way you see fit. The game’s story is quite similar to Petz Dogz and Catz, starring you as the main character as you need to use your nose to save your brother or sister from an uncertain fate.
3. Cattails
Cattails is a fantastic comfy pixelated game that focuses on you, a cat who’s recently been placed out into the big wide world. It isn’t lonely out there though, as you quickly meet different colonies of cats who take you in as one of their own. Keep in mind though, whichever colony you choose, the other colonies will become unavailable to you.
Once you get settled into your new life with a colony, the game of being a cat begins. What that entails (pun intended) is finding food to survive, engaging in skirmishes with rival cats, finding a potential other half to your cat story, and creating some kittens of your own. Cattails is the essential pet game of the comfy world, with a simple premise, an accessible playstyle, and a charming mode of presentation.
2. Kintaria Fables
Kintaria Fables is a robust game full of farming, adventure, magic, and slaying as a cute cat. This modern fantasy game is akin to games like Fantasy Life or Rune Factory, but with a cute twist that centers in on character design. Each character, including your own, follows an adorable design philosophy, keeping the game sweet and neat.
Like many other games on this list, Kintaria Fables is a game quite full of content, with lots to do in the world outside of the main objectives. You can farm, slay monsters, improve your gear, and engage in a generally classless combat system to improve your character toward the hero they’re destined to be.
1. Calico
Calico takes a top spot on this comfortable animal game list because it’s the most candy-colored, Rebecca Sugar-coded game out there, all centered around cats. (No, Rebecca isn’t involved with the title, although if you simply played the game without searching anything up about it you might be inclined to believe so.) Everything about the game is soft and sweet, from the pastel color palette to the piano-centric soundtrack with some occasional vocals, to the fact that you run a cat cafe, to the characters you interact with throughout the world.
In the town where you live, there are cats everywhere that you can adopt, making them a part of your little cafe. Other than cats, you can find other animals as well, including raccoons, red pandas, capybaras, and other wildlife that you discover throughout your exploration. The game focuses on creating the perfect cat cafe, which involves gathering up furniture, cats, and recipes via quests and exploration.
