If you love animals and what could be more special than spotting them in the wild? If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can watch wildlife, then get out there and spot some!
However, if you live in a more urban environment, you can enjoy wildlife too, from your computer.
There are hundreds of video games that capture some of the magic of wildlife and we’ve gathered up the very best of them here. From quick-play titles to epic sagas, we’ve found games to suit all kinds of animal-loving gamers.
Reindeer Wild Wins
One of the most beautiful things about wildlife is how magical it is when you spot an animal in its natural habitat. If you’ve ever spotted any kind of deer while out in nature, you’ll understand what I mean. These elusive prey animals are hard-wired to be fearful of humans, so spotting one for long enough to take a close look at it is an almost mystical moment.
Genesis Gaming, who made Reindeer Wild Wins, definitely played on this mystical theme in their design of this slot game. The background is a veritable winter wonderland with snow-covered fir trees and a frozen stream. On the reels themselves, you’ll come across two images of huntresses, one cloaked in green, the other in blue, as well as the rare reindeer symbol.
The reindeer is colored in an eerie light green, so it looks as though it’s reflecting the lights of the aurora borealis. If you’re into quick-play games with a mythical theme, that puts wildlife front and center then we couldn’t recommend this game highly enough.
Reindeer Wild Wins is one of the most popular online slots real money players choose and for a reason. It features a 5-reel, 4-row format with a whopping 1,024 ways to win the jackpot, which, of course, attracts many slots enthusiasts around the world.
Far Cry Primal
Far Cry Primal is a far cry from the relaxing atmosphere of Reindeer Wild Wins, but it’s another great release for fans of wildlife – particularly the prehistoric kind! Ubisoft are the publisher of this huge open-world game that takes you back in time and asks you to, well, survive.
On your travels, you’ll come across all kinds of fascinating creatures, from fearsome sabertooth tigers to timid red deer, and the silent eagle owl. You’ll be able to interact with each of the animals differently too. Some you can tame, like the initially wary tapir, others you can hunt for food, like the mighty musk ox, and some you need to protect yourself from at all costs. This final category of animals makes this game a long way from relaxing, but always exciting. Keep your wits about you and look out for the ones with the big teeth!
Planet Zoo
Ok, these animals aren’t wild – the clue is in the name! However, this game really does put animals front and center. Planet Zoo is one of the most famous animal-based games available for PC and it won’t take you a second of playtime to realize why. All of the animals (and there are hundreds) in this game are beautifully illustrated and they move just like the real animals do.
You’ll also find some unique behaviors that the animals would exhibit in the wild. For example, if you make a habitat with gazelle and wildebeest in it, then they’ll all move and graze as a herd together. The tiny attention to detail like this is one of the things that makes this game so brilliant.
Another detail that we love about Planet Zoo is that they don’t just save the cool animations for the large animals. Even animals as small as frogs get their own chance to shine thanks to the exhibit tool. Large animals live in habitats, and small ones in exhibits. These tiny showcases come set up ready for tiny inhabitants. Whether you want to show off frogs, tarantulas, iguanas, or even butterflies, you can do so with the help of exhibits.
Abzu
Don’t worry, I’ve not forgotten the underwater world! Abzu is a wonderfully relaxing game that lets you head under the ocean on an immersive adventure. You take the role of a deep-sea diver, something many of us dream of doing. It’s up to you where you go, which route you take, and the kind of adventure that you go on in this game. It’s got a huge open world feel, allowing you to really feel the vastness of the ocean. There’s no set goal as such, but you’ll come across interesting clues to the bigger story as you swim around.
The most important part of this game is just soaking in your surroundings. You’ll swim through ancient kelp forests, watch tiny schools of fish-eating algae off rocks. You might be joined by a pod of inquisitive dolphins, or an elderly sea turtle. The joy in Abzu isn’t in completing the game, but in enjoying the dive.
Lead Image: Photo by Chris Rhoads on Unsplash
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