Summary
Weyrdletsis a new productivity and virtual pet game that allows people to have an adorable companion hang out with them while they are on their computer. The game has been developed and published by the fittingly-named company, Weyrdworks, and it is a seamless blend of cozy gaming and productive motivation. Players can choose to spend their time in the game itself, where they care for their little friend on an island, or they can take their friend to their computer desktop and utilize to-do lists, timers, and more to help make work a bit brighter.
There are a lot ofapps designed to help break bad habitsand increase productivity, as well as many games where players raise a virtual pet. InWeyrdlets, these two come together surprisingly well, with features for both play time and work time, all with no pressure. With a calming, wholesome presence, and an art style that is cheerful and cartoon-like, the virtual friends and the productivity tools inWeyrdletscan help provide a little encouraging boost to people working on their computers, oreven keep streamers and their communities engaged during a Twitch stream.
Weyrdlets Is A Weird, But Charming Game And Desktop Companion
The quirky little pets inWeyrdletscan hang out on the computer’s desktop and play while allowing you to carry on with working, studying, watching videos or movies, streaming video games on Twitch, or really anything that you want to do on the computer. Inside their private island, it becomes a relaxing, cozy game, with areas to decorate and furnish, clothing items to dress the pet in, and games to play, all while taking care of the pet’s basic needs.
For those of us who have previously played virtual pet games, such asNeopets,Tamagotchi,Nintendogs, and more, there are many similarities here withWeyrdletswhen in the main island. The contained environment has a home for pets with lots of customization features, whileplayers have to make sure they are feeding and bathing their pet, exercising them, and even cleaning up their poop
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Playing With Your Pet On Its Island And Playground
Starting upWeyrdlets, I adopted the little dinosaur-like Wagyu. My little Wagyu’s home is located on the island, and multiple pets can live there if players choose to adopt more. The island is fairly small, with a simple one-room home, some grassy areas, and a beach. I was nervous when one of the first things Wagyu did was jump in the ocean and try to swim away, but thankfully,pets and any toys or items that drift away in the ocean are simply respawned inside the house. In addition to feeding Wagyu apples and cleaning up his poop, I purchased a hula-hoop and ball for him to play with.
Weyrdletshas now added a feature where the playground can be opened up as a hangout space for friends to enjoy a multiplayer setting.
Decorating the house is fun, as is watching Wagyu play, but there really doesn’t seem to be that much more to do on the island. Wagyu will occasionally dig up Shinies or other items, but this is done without player assistance. So, I then took Wagyu to the Playground.
This cute little playground has several things that Wagyu can play on, andplayers can interact with their pets by pushing them on the swings, moving the seesaw, and more. After the game’s release,Weyrdletshas now added a feature where the playground can be opened up as a hangout space for friends to enjoy a multiplayer setting, through creating private rooms using a code to keep out anyone who is not invited.
A Pet Running Around On The Desktop Can Be A Little Distracting, But Fun
One of the biggest features ofWeyrdletsis the waythe virtual buddy can be taken to the desktop to be a happy companion while someone is workingor even playing other games. I took Wagyu to my desktop many times while I worked or played games, and was impressed with how well the program handles having little Wagyu run around while I could still do whatever I was doing on the PC.
Several times Wagyu made me jump when he would suddenly make strange noises after long stretches of silence, which can be disconcerting when one is focused on work and the room is silent.
Weyrdlet friends can either be on the desktop while they are adventuring, during which time they will be in a boat at the bottom of the screen fishing, or they will simply be playing on the desktop, running around happily. Adventuring is a timed activity which provides rewards at the end of it, as well aschances for pets to have their personalities grow. When Wagyu returned from adventuring, he would often recount something he came across, and he would learn some emotional growth.
When not adventuring but just running around on the desktop, Weyrdlets can run all over the screen and dig for treasure, play, look at things, or just hang out. I quickly realized that if I was going to get any work done, I needed to use the option to tell Wagyu to stay put. That is easily done, and then he will just sit in one place and happily look around. Otherwise, when he is running around the screen,it was all too easy for me to lose focus on work.
Whether adventuring or running around, be prepared for a bit of a scare occasionally if the sound is on. Several times Wagyu made me jump when he would suddenly make strange noises after long stretches of silence, which can be disconcerting when one is focused on work and the room is silent.
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Surprisingly Low Strain On The Computer
Even While Running Big Games Such As World Of Warcraft Alongside It
I have a good computer, but it is older and therefore not the best anymore. Because ofWeyrdletsrunning in the background,I was concerned about how much of a strain it would put on the PCwhile I did other things. As the game is advertised to be good for Twitch streamers to use, I wanted to see how it would do while I played video games, and turned onWorld of Warcraft. On my second monitor, I kept an eye on the task manager and was impressed that it really did not make much of a difference having Wagyu running around.
Watch Out For Microtransactions
When I first began playing this game, prior to the official launch, many of the prices inWeyrdletsstore were incredibly high, such as needing to spend 1,000 Jellystars to unlock a second pet. Thankfully,after launch, prices have been reduced for many items. That said, there are still many items for sale, such as cosmetics for decorating the home, costumes for dressing up the pets, toys, and much more.
The pictures above show the prices from pre-launch. After the game’s launch, prices have been reduced in some cases.
Weyrdletsoffers many ways of earning Shinies (the gold currency) throughout gameplay, but Jellystars are at a bit more of a premium and therefore much harder to come by. This makes it incredibly tempting to spend real money on purchasing more Jellystars to get those limited-time items that are in either Calcubot’s store or Oskar’s Oddities.
In my case, though I am happy to unlock things as I earn the in-game currency, I may still purchase some Jellystars as a way to support the game. If someone has the money for microtransactions,it is always a wonderful option for supporting game developers, particularly in a free-to-play game, but it should always be made on a personal basis, andWeyrdletsis perfectly enjoyable without ever spending a dime.
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More Planned For The Future Of Weyrdlets
At the moment,Weyrdletsis fairly basic in what someone can do in the game itself. That isn’t to say that it isn’t already an impressive and fun experience, but if I wanted to spend a lot of time playing with Wagyu, there isn’t too much to do with him at the moment.
Developers have announced several more features which will be coming over the next few months, however, including a Habit Tracker, new characters, a playpen, in-game events, day/night cycles, weather, and minigames. In November and December they are even expecting to release “musical critters” which sounds intriguing. Although they don’t specify what the musical critters do, I hope that it will add a way for somelo-fi musicto play through the game while I am working.
Final Thoughts And Review Score
4/5 Stars - “Excellent” By Screen Rant’s Review Metric
Obviously,Weyrdletsis not a typical game, and therefore will not be for everyone. However, looking at the game for what it is and what it can do, I can’t help but be impressed. Other desktop pets and background programs have taken much more computer power while providing much less content, and the creativity, wholesomeness, and cheerful vibes that the game provides are truly special.
While microtransactions can be tempting, and often viewed as a negative in today’s gaming culture, it is important to remember thatthis is a free-to-play gameand these microtransactions can help support the developers, while also providing fun cosmetics and things to purchase for the pets. This program would feel like a full, enjoyable game even if it did not have the ability to bring your little friend onto the desktop and enjoy the various productivity features. In short,Weyrdletsis a special blend of relaxation and productivity all wrapped up in an adorable package.
Screen Rantwas provided with a Steam code ofWeyrdletsfor the purpose of this review.
