Weyrdlets

Desktop companions were a big thing many years ago, giving you something extra to click on your computer as you waited the necessary 3-5 business days to load a webpage. Perhaps that's aging myself a little there, but now thanks to developer Weyrdworks we have a brand-new game all about bringing a little critter to your desktop.

Weyrdlets begins with you picking one of a few options for your pet. I went with the bug-eyed Wagyu, who is the poster-boy of the game, really. It's like a baby dinosaur got squished in a hydraulic press in the best way possible, and all of the game's creatures are designed in that sickeningly adorable way where you just can't help but fall in love with them. If you're worried about your pet not feeling singular or personal, there's no need to fear as you get a randomised colour for your pet as soon as you choose them, and can equip them with all sorts of cute accessories like that dog owner we all know who calls her chihuahua her "fur baby."

After pouring over possible name choices, you're thrown into Weyrdlets' game world - a small island which has a floor and wall for your pets' shelter, a boat to send them off on adventures, space to play, and a boat for premium items. If you're looking for a cosy, base-building sim in the vein of Animal Crossing, it's worth noting that while there are a fair few customisation options on offer in Weyrdlets, they're often very expensive, meaning after you've bought a new wall colour and an end table, you've barely got the money to feed your pet for the upcoming days. If this is what being a parent is like, I simply can't be arsed. There's also the issue of the premium currency, which is doled out in such small portions it feels more akin to a greedy mobile game.

Jokes aside, the game shines much more so as a desktop virtual companion. Here, you and your cute pet just get to chill out. You can pop them anywhere on the screen and work away in the background, although it's also worth noting if you are planning to have a decent work day while Weyrdlets runs in the background, you might want to pop your pet on a secondary monitor or give them one of the two-hour "long adventures" that saw my pet chill out on a boat for a while, sitting peacefully in the corner without running around and digging up stuff. Otherwise, I found my Weyrdlet far too much of a distraction while trying to do anything really. Even when not working, having my pet run around my screen made it come across less cute and more irritating, which only served to make me feel like a bad owner for wanting to just have this lad sit still for five minutes. Monstrous, I know.

Your Weyrdlet can be incredibly useful as you work or get up to whatever you want on your desktop, though, as Weyrdworks has put in some extra functions which can set a timer for when you should take a break from work and get back to it, remind you to drink water, and a bunch of other neat little additions. If you can deal with having a little creature running around your screen and act as if it's not there for the most part, you'll probably find this quite the productive little assistant.

Back on your island, there are a few extra things you can do. Chuck a hula-hoop at your pet and they'll move in a funky little animation. Take them to the playground and you can click on swings, see-saws, and more. All of this boils down to just more clicking though, and you can't really get more than a few minutes out of these activities. As a game, it makes the experience feel a tad shallow, as it does emphasise the importance of Weyrdlets being a desktop companion more than a simulation game, but if you find that desktop experience too distracting, then you're stumped, really.

If you're looking to keep a cute digital critter, you can't do much better than Weyrdlets. The design of the creatures blends that perfect mix of dopey and cute to make you feel like the worst person in the world when you aren't chucking treats and toys at your pet. On the other hand, as a game the overall experience falls quite short, with a slowness to it that could turn you off depending on how attached you become to your pet. As a desktop companion, outside of the long adventures it can also feel a bit more like an added responsibility than a fun friend. But maybe that's just me. I still enjoyed my time with Weyrdlets, and would say check it out if you want a digital pet.