Many games revolve around the idea of management and maintenance, and can apply to running a business, a town, a company, a city, or more. This creates different levels of complexity, with the goal of setting things up to run smoothly and keeping everyone happy.
Certain titles will ask you to care for animals, both real and fantastical so that they're healthy and content wherever you're caring for them. Still, just like people, animals have their own needs and requirements in order to thrive in a different environment. There are notable titles that present this sort of challenge in order to test your abilities and attentiveness.
8 To The Rescue!
Animals are naturally wild, but as humans have expanded, animals have had to adapt to an ever-changing world. While there's still a wilderness full of wildlife, many animals are trapped in urban environments and abandoned by uncaring people.
That's why it's up to you to rescue them and give them hope in To The Rescue! This game has you running a dog shelter, with the goal of helping dogs in need and trying to find homes for them. Until that time, you'll need to care for them and make sure they're comfortable with you.
7 Nintendogs
Nintendo is in the business of making cute, fun games that feel accessible to almost anyone. When the DS came out, one of the biggest hits from launch was Nintendogs. Not only was it a way to show exactly how the touchscreen worked, but it also gave people a taste of what it's like to have a dog.
Played entirely from a first-person perspective, you're a person who has decided to adopt a dog. With that comes many responsibilities, such as feeding, cleaning, playing, and taking them out for walks.
6 Stardew Valley
Indie devs are admirable in the amount of time and personal resources they put towards bringing a passion project to life. This is what Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe, achieved with the release of Stardew Valley. Though it was obviously going to be another farming sim, it had many other elements to make it more compelling, such as adventuring into monster-filled mines to hunt for loot.
Still, the most profitable and time-consuming aspect of the game is your farm, which can have animals. You can adopt chickens, cows, ducks, sheep, rabbits, and goats to stay with you. They all contribute to the farm, so you need to make sure their living conditions are clean and comfortable, that they're fed, and that you show them affection.
5 Slime Rancher
Slimes are one of the most common enemies across multiple genres of games. They're quite weak, but can be annoying based on how much they bounce around and that they come in groups. If that's the case, who would've thought it was a wise idea to try and farm them? Well, that's what you're doing in Slime Rancher.
You play a rancher on an alien world populated by slimes of all shapes and sizes. While some can be dangerous, most are harmless — but it can still be challenging to take them back to the ranch. When you do, make sure you put them in a spacious corral that caters to their needs.
4 Harvest Moon
One of the oldest and most prolific series in the Nintendo library is Harvest Moon. It can be considered the start of what became the farming sim genre, and for good reason. Every game has you playing as a fledgling farmer who takes over a farm in serious need of rejuvenation.
You'll also interact with the people around town, get involved in their lives, and try to restore the natural balance of the area. To do this, you'll need to run a successful farm, and animals are a big help. However, they can be very fragile creatures, so you'll need to check in on them frequently and let them know you care.
3 The Last Guardian
The devs at Team Ico have a reputation for making games that are both dramatic and beautiful. Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus were incredibly well-received, and were joined by a thematic sequel in The Last Guardian. In this title, you play a young boy who has been whisked away by a creature called Trico.
After forming a tentative bond of trust, you need to work together with Trico in order to navigate treacherous ruins, and confront the enemies within. Trico looks to you for guidance, and will need to be fed as well as tended to after any injuries received during combat.
2 Monster Rancher
Alongside Pokémon, another anime monster-training series attempted to make a name for itself. Monster Rancher revolved around humans forming close bonds with individual monsters, with the quirk that they could speak and reason. Because they only had to manage a few monsters at a time, a big emphasis was placed on relationships, something which carried over to the games.
You would receive a monster and then have to train all of its stats separately, while also going on adventures and competing in tournaments. If you worked your monsters too hard, their health deteriorated rapidly, so you had to work with them to find that balance.
1 Insaniquarium
When it comes to pets, fish are generally considered to be low-maintenance and soothing to observe. This isn't always true, as different fish require different conditions to thrive, such as the right food, adequate space, and a clean environment. They also need protection from predators like teleporting aliens. This is a major concern in the virtual fish bowl you have in Insaniquarium.
You're tasked with taking care of a bunch of fish that will reward you with treasures the larger and happier they are in the tank. Aside from feeding, you'll also need to destroy aliens that invade by shooting lasers at them.