This is a semi-idle virtual pet game by Elytra Games in California. It’s a tiny studio co-founded by Beth Rosaschi and Sarah Yu.

Bugaboo Pocket launched in early April 2025 on Steam (PC) and the whole goal is to be a research scientist, collect bugs, look after them, and learn more about the little blighters

It’s a chilled out game with a cute pixel art style, but it’s also just an accessible game. One you can leave off during downtime and it’ll continue buzzing over, your bugs doing their thing as you go about daily life (mopping the floors etc.).

Collect Some Bugs and Be All Cute About it in Bugaboo Pocket

Right, as a scientist you live in a cabin with only a penpal for company. And bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.

The goal is to have a Tamagotchi style time of it, looking after the bugs by feeing and petting them. Recently, there was a fire and the local forest is devastated. Thus, it’s your job to try and restore natural life.

You have to become firm friends with them, getting them to love you through care and attention, after which they release eggs and this helps regrow the local forest.

This is kind of an educational game, too, as you learn about the lifecycles of these animals (inspired by real bugs) as you play along. You can upskill on their food sources and habitats.

It’s good fun. With the added bonus you can leave the game for as long as you like, only to return and see your bugs have grown and stuff like that (this is the idle game bit). Here it is in action!

It’s an intriguing game with all the gorgeous pixel art, lots of attention to detail in its design, and you get to love bugs in a way you probably haven’t done before.

Plus, there’s a fab soundtrack by Seattle-based composer Alex Rival. Check out that Main Theme, it’s rather fab.

Bugaboo Pocket is much more than a Tamagotchi clone.

There’s story development as you regrow the forest, which includes cutscenes, diary entries, and filling out an entire compendium on the little critters you keep. The more you gather, the more secrets and prizes you unlock to add to all the fun.

Just a note, too, on what happens to your bug friends.

This is obviously a more children-friendly title, so the bugs only ever die of old age. This fits into the cosy game genre that the title aims at, but there’s an important little life lesson at the end for younger players. Although this really is a title for all ages that anyone can revel in.

There are seven bug species to nurture through with varying personality traits and lifecycles. It’s a unique one. As a creature collector title, it’s got bags of charm and we found it all buggy brilliant. Hurray! 🪲