Emogotchi

Emogotchi was one of those odd little games that felt right at home in the Flash era. It came out in 2007, a time when you could find a virtual pet for just about any mood. This one was for a specific kind of melancholy.

You control a small, perpetually gloomy character. Your main job is to keep it alive, but the objective feels a bit different from a typical pet sim. You click to feed it, give it medicine, or turn off its music. The mechanics are simple: you respond to its needs as icons appear above its head. Sometimes you clean up after it. The pacing is slow, almost lethargic, which matches its mood. You play it and feel a quiet, resigned sort of responsibility.