Simulator games are a dime a dozen nowadays, with simulators taking hold of train driving, flying planes and farming. But the genre could indeed have more density when it comes to thematic elements and roles you take on, as there is a wide range of interesting roles anyone would love to pick up, play and be part of. This could also lead to more meaningful ventures, which reflect the better side of humanity. Well, for today’s review, we have Animal Shelter Simulator, a game where you help animals in need, make the world a better place and show that not all of humanity is doomed and how Twitter is to blame.
What is Animal Shelter Simulator? 
Animal Shelter Simulator takes players into the role of founder and manager of a brand new animal shelter, where you will take in various cats and dogs, look after them, find them new homes and ensure they have a better quality of life. It’s a heartfelt concept compared to the likes of driving training, or tractors, where you’re simulated life can have a positive impact on dozens and dozens of virtual animals.
While it might sound a little sappy from the outset, I do admire the fact a team has developed and released a simulation game which goes in a new director for the genre, providing more meaningful interactions for a greater purpose.
In your daily routine, players will be feeding, cleaning, and ensuring the highest well-being and healthiness of all the animals you take in while finding them all new, loving homes. You will start off small, only able to hold a couple of cats or dogs at first, but soon enough, you will be able to expand, take in more animals and make their lives much more better. But of course, the more you expand, the harder it will get. But with the right management, a keen eye on spending, and an attentive attitude, you will succeed.
Time to make the world a better place! 
Players will start off with a small, but humble setup, housing only a couple of animals at a time. You’ll pick whether you want to look after cats or dogs, and soon enough will you receive your first rescue animal. I chose cats, as I’m a cat person and soon enough I was given Molly, a very sweet shy kitty who needed a new home.
Animal Shelter Simulator manages to break down the tasks required in order to care for and find each and every animal a new home, in a manner which is highly understandable and never complicated. I was able to find Molly a pen to rest in while gathering simple items such as food and water for her stay. The day-to-day tasks are quite simple at first, with feeding, cleaning and playing part of the routine.
I was given the means to look after Molly, by feeding her, playing together with a laser pointer and making sure she had enough clean water to drink. Soon enough I was informed it was time to find her a new home, which is where things get quite interesting. I would have to take a photo, upload it to the database and search for potential new owners.
What is required for this part is quite detailed, as the player will need to understand the needs of the animal and research the potential new owners, to see if they can meet those needs. Factors such as having children, working full time, having other pets and tolerances all affect the outcome of the rehoming of animals. Pick a perfect match, and there is a happy ending, but a mismatch could mean that the animal will return to you and all of those resources will be spent in vain.
However, through some detective work and careful investigation, I was able to find Molly the right home and soon enough, she left my care. After reaching rehoming, players will get a report showing how well the animal adjusted and the success of the rehoming. Top marks from my first adoption, which I was delighted about.
I will admit, that seeing Molly rehome brought a tear to my eye, and this really summed up best my experience with Animal Shelter Simulator.
Planning, routine and care required for a simulated shelter 
Like any simulator, there is an immense amount of detail and tasks you will be performing. From standard day-to-day feeding, cleaning, and playing, to the more advanced tasks of medical check-ups, ordering supplies, taking care of the rubbish and ensuring each and every animal is happy and healthy. There’s quite a bit to do, and like any good simulator, it's about finding that rhythm and making sure you follow it.
Tasks are easily understandable, with plenty of help given in case you ever get stuck on anything or find it too taxing. But there is enough breathing space to do the more light-hearted tasks, such as playing and general tidy up.
The work at the shelter is highly rewarding, and the more complicated tasks of nursing any sick animals back to health are even more so. But things such as money management do become the biggest obstacles in the game, as funding is limited and there are many, many costs to consider. Such as sending people to the homes of potential adaptors to find out more details about them. But all of these costs are needed, as your care is measured in the shelter and not providing enough care for these poor animals will reflect immensely on you.
As mentioned, I never found these tasks to taxing for the most part, and only when I grew my shelter immensely, did it become so challenging. Yet I feel the aim here with Animal Shelter Simulator is more of a slightly chilled venture where you can do good. And while you can do good, you can make your dream shelter, the way you want in a fully fleshed-out customisation feature, which is a nice touch.
Can simulator games be something much grander? As like with any simulator game, there is a limit to when the repetition kicks in and kicks in hard. Most games, expand and allow for dynamic experiences to change the pace. For Flight Simulators, you have a range of planes and places to go. Farming simulator, you expand your farm and grow different types of crops adding new layers to your role. For Animal Shelter Simulator, there is a clean line which you reach and nothing new really comes about. There are only cats or dogs to look after and while these are the main animals in need of new homes, maybe a couple of other animals would have been good like birds or rabbits.
The day-to-day is interesting and making sure the animals are happy/healthy really does stand out as the most compelling gameplay factor, next to finding them new homes and the right homes. These elements are very interesting, and looking into new owners, and deciding which was the right one always felt me with a mixture of dread, and hope. And while this feeling didn’t completely leave me after s many hours, I just didn’t see any new horizons or other dynamic changes to feel excited about.
Plus, the UI is extremely messy and problematic. I understand a lot of simulator games don’t have the most pleasing UI or interfaces, but they’re usually quite clear and easy to navigate. Animal Shelter Simulator requires a lot of small interactions, but many of the popups, and general designs of interfaces (like using an online store) are very tedious and annoying to use. After a while, I did get used to some of these shortcomings but felt the overall experience with the UI was just poor and really hindered my capability to care for and manage the shelter.
I bring it up as a simulator game, a good one, needs to ensure the UI is clean, and accessible, as time moves in the game world and making a few mistakes can hinder your journey massively. Especially when it comes to looking after sheltered animals. It might be better n PC (considering your face is right next to a monitor) but there should have been some scaling for console/TV use.
Overall? While there are a few shortcomings, I do immensely admire Animal Shelter Simulator and will admit that working at the shelter and helping virtual animals in need did indeed make me feel terrific. The wholesome nature, simple yet enjoyable routine gameplay and feeling of accomplishment really are worth playing Animal Shelter Simulator for. But be mindful that there is a point where nothing new comes into play and the poor UI in a lot of places will indeed bring about some annoyance. But generally, I did find Animal Shelter Simulator very sweet and a nice little game to make you think about others, especially those furry critters who need love, and new homes to go to.
++ Wholesome, and highly rewarding nurturing gameplay
+ Nice and simple gameplay mechanics
+ Solid simulation mechanics
-- UI is extremely poor quality
- Doesn’t evolve after a few hours of gameplay
An Xbox Series X/S copy of Animal Shelter Simulator was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
