virtual pets
Neopets
Rating: 8/10, although the game is full of semi-useless items and features that no longer work/so niche to gameplay it's easily forgotten, i can mostly forgive it due to the game being 20-years-old and being the first of it's kind. You need to do some research first before getting into the game but luckily due to it's popularity there is plenty of resources and guides on youtube and fan-websites, my only current gripe with the game is there site-wide events, as if you miss a day you miss out on certain items you can only get on that day and points that could ruin getting a golden event trophy. Still, due to the game's size and age there is plenty of ways to play and has a long interesting history that's fun to dive into.
status: still playing, first started in Sep 2023.
Chicken Smoothie
Rating: 9/10, probably one of the most simple games on this list, it's less a virtual pet game and more of a card collecting game, best part of the game is that, unless special events are happening, you only need to log in once a month to get new pets, though i reccomend checking the front page for site news just in case, once again, in loses a point due to the same issue that Neopet's events have in which you need to log on every day to make sure you don't miss out on anything, sometimes logging on every 20 minutes if a minigame is involved, also, the community can occasionally be hostile, but it's usually due to player's being protective over there pets and wanting a fair trade.
status: still playing, started in Jun 2020.
Webkinz classic
Rating: 6/10, most features in this game are either locked behind a subscription or are broken from when flash shut down, and nearly all of the pets (the main feature of the game) are also locked behind a paywall, after a few months of playing, you become sorta bored with the routine (espeically if you want to get the maximum out of the game and grind) and stop playing, i wouldn't reccomend playing unless you already have a childhood account and nostalgia for it, greatest positives out of the game though is the friendly community and house designing.
status: not playing.
Flight Rising
Rating: 9/10, the artstyle of lore for this game is fantastic, and it has a lovely selection of games and events to play, my only complaint is that due to the breeding mechanic eventually all "rare" dragon traits become easy to get and the only things to build up to is leveling up your main dragons and collecting pets for your dragons, nothing bad to say about the game, just kinda boring..
status: not playing, started in Jan 2020.
Goatlings
Rating: 8/10, a game that's like a mix between Chicken Smoothie and Neopets, your main goal is to collect all the types of goats and outfits for your avatar, there's a few games to win currency which you can use to buy goats and outfits, but that's about it, unless your willing to grind for your goat collection it starts to become routine and a bit boring.
status: not playing.
MaraPets
Rating: haven't played long enough to make an opinion.