GOTCHI!
Stack: Unity, C#, 2D Graphics
GOTCHI
Another virtual pet game. Before you close the tab: the point is that it doesn't run out after thirty minutes.
I'm building it in Unity in my spare time. One payment, no in-app store, no ads, no subscription. And no release date, because I work, I study, and this is a hobby.
::video src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CEiQikpw61w" title="Gotchi Gameplay Demo"::
What bothers me about the ones out there
The loop is always the same: it's hungry, you feed it; it's dirty, you wash it; it's bored, three mini-games; repeat. Twenty minutes and you've seen everything.
Pou was huge in its day and today it feels basic. Talking Tom charges you for the air: new shirt, special food, a subscription so your pet doesn't get bored. The modern Tamagotchi is the twenty-year-old one with a better screen.
The problem isn't the genre, it's the model: they're designed to take your money, not to entertain you.
::carousel images=[{"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/gotchi (1).png", "alt": "Unity Editor", "caption": "Built on Unity Tilemaps"}, {"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/gotchi (4).png", "alt": "Animation Controller", "caption": "The animation system"}, {"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/gotchi (3).png", "alt": "In-game shot", "caption": "Bought and free assets, mixed until they match"}]::
How you pay
Once. Everything else you unlock by playing.
::two-columns split="50-50"::
It doesn't have
An in-app store, ads, subscriptions, energy systems, loot boxes or paywalled content.
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It does have
One payment, everything unlockable by playing, no waiting, updates included. You buy it and it's yours.
::/two-columns::
::single-image src="/media/project-list/images/gotchi/background.mp4" alt="Fair model" caption="Cool kitties" align="center" heigth="900px"::
Making it feel alive
Your Gotchi picks up habits depending on how you treat it: too many sweets and it turns hyperactive, lots of play and it turns playful, neglect it and it turns independent. It doesn't disappear: it adapts.
And it doesn't sit waiting for commands. It wanders, pokes at things, builds its own routines.
Somewhere to go
It isn't one room. There are biomes, secrets, NPCs with something to say, and crafting to expand your home with what you find outside.
The mini-games aren't filler: they open areas, drop materials and level up skills.
::carousel images=[{"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/map.png", "alt": "Exploration", "caption": "Biomes and towns to find"}, {"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/gotchi (5).png", "alt": "Building", "caption": "The home grows through crafting"}, {"src": "/media/project-list/images/gotchi/gotchi (6).png", "alt": "NPCs", "caption": "Part of the interface"}]::
Why Unity
Because it lets me build exactly what's in my head — detailed pixel art, smooth animation — and ship it on PC and mobile without rewriting it. If it ever works out, maybe console.
It's not a AAA. It's an indie made with care and no rush: https://gotchi.luisaldrichguz.net/