Animal Shelter Game Cover
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In "Animal Shelter," take on the role of a caretaker for various animals in need, tasked with providing shelter, treatment, and finding suitable homes for them. The game also features a photo room where you can capture memories of your furry friends and decorate the shelter with the photos. Your success in the game relies on ensuring the well-being and happiness of the animals in your care, as you guide them towards adoption.

  • PC
  • Windows

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,815 reviews
gameplay41 positive mentions
stability111 negative mentions
  • The game is cute and fun, especially for animal lovers.
  • It offers a relaxing gameplay experience with a variety of tasks related to caring for animals.
  • The developers are responsive and actively working on updates and bug fixes.
  • The game is plagued with bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
  • It can become repetitive quickly, with limited variety in tasks and animal breeds.
  • The controls can be clunky, and some features, like the photo studio, are difficult to use.
  • gameplay118 mentions

    The gameplay is generally enjoyable and offers a relaxing experience, though it tends to be repetitive and can become tedious after a few hours. Many players appreciate the cute animal mechanics and the satisfying progression, but they also note significant bugs, clunky controls, and a lack of depth in management features. Overall, while the core gameplay is fun and engaging for animal lovers, improvements in mechanics and performance are needed to enhance the experience.

    • “The gameplay offers a relaxing yet engaging experience, balancing tasks like feeding, grooming, and finding homes for the animals.”
    • “It's a chill game with a good gameplay loop, plus the ability to move your facilities around to better accommodate your needs.”
    • “Very fun gameplay loop and if you are looking for a game to shut your mind off and simulate being an animal shelter owner, this game is perfect for you!”
    • “It's a cute game with very repetitive gameplay, but if you don't mind grindy games, this one is for you :)”
    • “I want to like this game, but the gameplay is repetitive and poorly explained, the game is buggy as heck, some parts are completely unintuitive and the achievements are a complete mess.”
    • “The tasks in this game are just too repetitive and the game gets boring after 1 hour of gameplay because of it.”
  • stability114 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. Issues such as freezing during loading screens, save file corruption, and visual glitches are common, leading some users to recommend against purchasing it at full price. While some players still find enjoyment in the game despite these problems, the overall consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to its stability.

    • “The animals also work well, and there are no glitches in-game that I could find.”
    • “The graphics are not that buggy for me, except my shampoo became temporarily invisible after I moved the washing building, but it came back after I reloaded my save.”
    • “The game is extremely broken and buggy and deleted my save files after updating and buying the DLC.”
    • “This game is horrendously buggy and I've found multiple things within the gameplay that could be well improved on.”
    • “I want so badly to enjoy this game, but every time I try to play it, I always discover a new buggy issue that takes the joy out of playing.”
  • graphics102 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the charming and cute artwork, while others criticize the overall quality, likening it to early 2000s titles. Many users report performance issues, including lag and low frame rates, even on high-end PCs, which detracts from the experience. Despite these drawbacks, some players appreciate the realistic animal models and immersive gameplay, suggesting that the graphics, while not perfect, contribute to the game's appeal.

    • “With charming graphics and a variety of adorable animals to care for, it’s a joy to watch your shelter thrive.”
    • “I really enjoy your game, the graphics are amazing, and your skill and the way you made the game perfectly is breathtaking.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, and I love the gameplay; the way the animals behave is so cute too!”
    • “Graphics are absolutely horrible on my high-end PC.”
    • “The graphics were terrible no matter what adjustments I made.”
    • “The game is laggy, the graphics aren't as good as they seem either.”
  • story49 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and repetitiveness, with many players noting that the narrative feels minimal or non-existent. While some appreciate the freedom to create their own stories for the animals, the overall experience is marred by bugs and a lack of engaging quests or character development. Players express a desire for more varied and meaningful storylines, as well as additional side quests to enhance gameplay.

    • “The plot isn't just a simple, hackneyed story about animals; it's rather a dream parable intertwined with wild danger and surprising twists.”
    • “The game gives the player freedom to name and write a story for the animal if the player wants.”
    • “Super super adorable! This game makes me so happy. I love animals, so getting to spend most of my day on a game where I get to look after some of the cutest animals ever is brilliant. The fact that the charity the creators support is involved is wonderful; you rarely see such beautiful humanity these days, so bravo.”
    • “Overall, the game is a little confusing sometimes, as it doesn't explain what to do for some quests and also some vet situations.”
    • “There is no client mini story whatsoever, the adoption application feels like it's generated by an online random keyword generator.”
    • “Regardless of the lack of story or substance, I wouldn't have minded paying the $20 to grind some puppy care if it was functional, but it's hard to justify spending money on a game that consistently bugs.”
  • emotional34 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and wholesome premise centered around rescuing and adopting animals, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking feelings of joy and sadness. While many find the experience relaxing and fulfilling, some express a desire for more emotional depth in the adoption process, as the simplicity of interactions can diminish the emotional stakes. Overall, the game successfully creates a cute and engaging environment that leaves players feeling emotionally invested in the well-being of the animals.

    • “While it may not have the deepest management mechanics, its heartwarming premise and satisfying progression make it a great choice for anyone looking to unwind and enjoy some feel-good gaming.”
    • “I love playing with animals and it's so sweet when they get adopted; it makes me want to cry out of happiness. The only thing I'd change is the limited breeds of animals; there should be more dog breeds. Cats are adorable!”
    • “Good game, but I cried multiple times when I had to get rid of my first doggo, and he started barking at me as I put him in the moving car. I watched the car go past me and the doggy leave me :(”
  • grinding29 mentions

    The game is widely described as grindy and repetitive, requiring players to perform tedious tasks with little reward, especially as they progress. Many reviewers express frustration with the lack of automation and the overwhelming number of chores, suggesting that it may not appeal to those who dislike grind-heavy gameplay. While some find it fun and heartwarming initially, the grind becomes a significant drawback for many players.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Trying to clean a pet's room often means having to pick up bowls, beds, and other items in the kennel to be able to clean it, which is very tedious when you have about 20 animals in the shelter and needs and cleanliness decay faster than you can upkeep.”
    • “For those achievements that are attainable, a lot of them are ludicrously grindy, especially how tedious the gameplay cycle gets after an hour or so.”
    • “Once you get to a certain point in your shelter, you'll be spending more time doing tedious chores than you will be managing the business.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as calming and pleasant, with some users appreciating its classical and piano elements that enhance the relaxing atmosphere. However, there are criticisms regarding the limited number of tracks, which can lead to repetition. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the gameplay experience, it lacks variety and depth.

    • “The music is calming even when all the animals decide to get sick at the same time, but the good news is, you have enough time to cure them in a reasonable manner. One thing I do suggest is letting players know that you need to buy the DLC vet clinic when you need to do X-rays, or not allowing pets who need X-rays in the shelter until you have the DLC vet clinic.”
    • “Paired with some nice classical music or piano music, it really helps you calm down seeing animals find a better home.”
    • “Overall though it's a relaxing and mildly addicting game, and the background music is also quite good.”
    • “The music is calming even when all the animals decide to get sick at the same time, but one thing I do suggest is letting players know that you need to buy the DLC vet clinic when you need to do X-rays, or not allowing pets who need X-rays in the shelter until you have the DLC vet clinic.”
    • “Only 2-3 short music tracks on repeat.”
    • “Game launched in Polish; I spent 5 minutes trying to figure out how to turn it to English while being overwhelmed by the music.”
  • humor15 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its whimsical and silly design elements, such as floating object shadows and adorable animal expressions, which contribute to a lighthearted experience. Players appreciate the amusing scenarios, like funny adoption photos and quirky pet personalities, despite some technical issues like lag. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, making it enjoyable and entertaining.

    • “Not going to even mention as an equestrian how unrealistic it was because it made me laugh.”
    • “And you can tell that the art department for this game loved to do this project, given how funny, silly, and cute the designs, the icons, the wallpapers, and such became.”
    • “The cats are adorable and make faces worth laughing at, mainly the ':|' when they are on the clinic table!”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many players reporting significant bugs, performance issues, and inconsistent frame rates that detract from the overall experience. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay on high settings, the majority find it poorly optimized, often likening its performance to that of a mobile game. Overall, there is a consensus that improvements in optimization and bug fixes are necessary for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “There are some optimization things that could be done to smooth the game experience slightly, but it's really not terrible.”
    • “This game is so much fun for animal lovers; some bugs here and there for the horses, but everything else runs smoothly!”
    • “I think it's really great; with a few bug fixes and some optimizations, it could be even better than now!”
    • “The optimization is horrible, and the pets are ugly and creepy.”
    • “All that stuttering and FPS drops took all my enjoyment out of this game.”
    • “Games incredibly laggy and poorly optimized even on the lowest settings and a singular pet in the kennels.”
  • monetization14 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for feeling like a cash grab, with players expressing frustration over the repetitive gameplay and lack of meaningful improvements despite the release of DLCs. Many feel that the advertising system for pet adoption is ineffective and poorly designed, leading to a tedious cycle of tasks without significant progress or engagement. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to prioritize profit over quality and player experience.

    • “I always side-eye developers who release DLCs before fixing and finalizing their base game, and seeing the crappy quality and negative reviews for the DLCs, I'm pretty much convinced this game was made as a cash grab and nothing more.”
    • “Not only will you have animals and candidates with contradicting desired traits, but don't bother advertising a certain animal or taking their picture; it does nothing at all to boost the matchmaking.”
    • “Seems like a slightly more fleshed out cash grab.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    The reviews on replayability are mixed; while some users express a desire for more engaging content and social interaction with pets to enhance replay value, others criticize the game for its repetitive nature, stating it offers little incentive to play again. Conversely, a few users highlight the game as infinitely replayable, suggesting that it has elements that can keep players coming back.

    • “Just feels like it would add another level of replayability and would make it where you actually need to socialize with your pets.”
    • “☑️ infinitely replayable”
    • “🌺 replayability🌺”
    • “The replay value of the base game is... next to none.”
    • “A complete lack of replayability and basically just doing the same thing over and over again.”
    • “I'm sure it's been said already but the game would be drastically more playable after the first couple of hours if.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

8hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
5-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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