Not too long ago, I reviewed a game called Neko Atsume, where you bring cats into your backyard and feed them and watch them be cute. Well, it appears the whole “taking care of digital animals” genre is more popular than I thought. Scrolling around the Google Play Store you’ll see plenty of games giving you the task to take care of cats, dogs, fish, dancing turtles, flying camels, and so on. So what does Hamster Life have to offer in the genre? Hamsters, of course.

The Basics

Let’s get something straight: hamsters are pretty much mice without the weird little worm tails. So they’re much, much cuter. With that in mind, cuteness will be a major factor to the game’s appeal. This game is injected with cuteness throughout. The hamsters are given every opportunity to be adorable as they run around their little cages and eat sunflower seeds.

The Gameplay

So, while there’s usually not that much gameplay in these kinds of games (that sounds redundant, doesn’t it?), Hamster Life actually gives you a good amount of stuff to do. In other words, you don’t just sit there and watch hamsters be adorable. Which is actually what I’m sure a lot of people would have liked. Instead, you can get them new outfits, toys, and breed them. You pay for this new stuff with coins and….cheese. Which I’m totally cool with being a new type of currency.

But That’s Not All

Beyond that, you can also take your hamster for “walks”. And no, that doesn’t mean you put a leash on the little guy and walk around. That sounds illegal. Instead, Hamster Life’s version of “taking a walk” is playing Candy Crush-style puzzle games. While it’s nothing revolutionary, I must admit it’s a nice way to break up the monotony. Plus, it’s all in the name of getting more cheese for my hamsters. (Never thought I’d find myself typing that.)

The Bottom Line

Hamster Life takes the basic formula of pet care games and adds a lot more interaction. Instead of just sitting there and looking at your digital pet, you’re given some stuff to do on the side to earn you more currency and let you have fun away from the hamster cage. If you enjoy the general pet care games but want to see the world outside of the pet’s cage, Hamster Life will likely be for you. If not, then I apologize. I did my best.