Amaru: Self-care Virtual Pet Reviews

by Katelin Pennington

This is my second time downloading Amaru to try it out cause I heard about it a long time ago and thought it was cute. The first time I had this exact same issue and figured it was because it was too early in development so I shrugged it off and uninstalled Amaru and waited a few months. Well it popped up online again and I decided to try to download it and play again. This time Amaru has 4 starts and positive reviews, so idk what wrong with mine specifically. When I open Amaru it takes me to the “Put in your age” screen, then before I can do anything the whole game crashes and I get kicked to my phones home screen. This is all like a 3 second action. I’ve tried closing and reopening Amaru and it didn’t work, and I’ve deleted and reinstalled the game as well. Still no luck. Please help, this seems like a really cute app and could be really helpful to me and I’ve been looking forward to trying it. Thank you for reading.

by Kazetatsu

I heard about the game from when it was in beta (though I was not a tester) and was looking forward to the release. To be honest, there’s not enough free content to keep me interested in keeping Amaru long enough to consider making an in app purchase. So many things are locked behind the pay wall and even though the game provides an in game currency there’s no way for a free to play player to actually unlock much of anything with that currency. I don’t mind that the game has paid content but the feel and style of the game feels generally kid-friendly and thus like more should be earnable by free players too. Unfortunately, since I’m already bored by the 1 journal option, limited collectible items (food only) and inability to unlock new items/activities w/o an iap I’m not inspired enough by what I can do to want to unlock the things that I cant.

by Redheadluvbug

I want to be able to be invested in Amaru because I did support it on Kickstarter, but like there isn’t much to do and I have bad adhd so whenever I try to listen to the meditations I get very distracted. I can only focus for so long. I want to be able to interact more with the cat instead of just petting and feeding. I want to be able to buy toys and watch them play, or do exploring with them and find the things, or even when playing the games, add the cat in, like bonk the baddies, it would be awesome to have him in the game going over and whacking them like a cat does when you tap them. There’s so much you could do with this game but I feel like there isn’t enough to keep one invested for very long. I hope there will be more in future updates, because I really want to enjoy the game. So for now I’m giving it a 3 star because I have high hopes for it in the future.

by Pinkkitty05

My one quarrel is that there’s a lot of content locked behind a pay wall, which really isn’t much of a quarrel. I’m just mad I don’t have the money to pay for a subscription, but I am sure the content locked away is very valuable to the maintenance of mental health. I’m also sure the money is used to pay artists, composers, and anyone on a team to help maintain Amaru and anyone who’s worked on it.
Without paying, Amaru is still very useful and genuinely helps to form healthy practices such as grounding, reducing time on your phone, and mindfulness. I’ve found myself using Amaru every single time I fall into a depressive hole and it’s genuinely helped me every single time. Don’t get me wrong, meditation and a cute animal hybrid isn’t a cure all for depression. I’m currently looking into medications as well as other coping mechanisms and grounding techniques, but personally, meditation does help. It’s helped reduce a lot of stress from school and helped me wind down before bed.

I highly recommend Amaru for intro to guided meditation and other meditation techniques and uses. The journaling is alright as well though I wish there was a blank version without the “I’m grateful for” prompt. Sometimes I just want to write how I’m feeling and don’t need the be reminded of something to be grateful for.

by INeedARaise25

Without paying for the expansion of the game, it few very basic. Being basic isn't nessesarily bad, but it does leave a tad to be desired. If you truly wanted to entice people to buy the expansion, make about half of it free to demo the functions that are expanded apon in buying the unlock. For instance, make a travel option, a different journal prompt, maybe a few treasures, and a few interchangeable tasks available in the base game, just so people can understand what they'd be buying. I think there should also be a better way to use beads, though this might be an issue of not having bought the expansion, only elaborating on my point further. However, despite the basic start, the game is very wonderfully made, sporting a very nice art style that fits it's mood.

by Twig_Root

It’s a really good game, it’s adorable, you can get some progress- daily goals/streaks still exist, and you can feed and play with this app, as well as write in the gratitude journal, do some (2) meditation exercises, and bond with him+grow your aura, but there’s a lot of missed out features. You cannot go to new areas, write in the normal “journaling” journal, complete your bond, or play all the games or even do all the mediation exercises without it- but I’m not upset, because it’s reasonable and makes sense! I would just recommend the full game if you get this, because if you don’t, you’ll miss out on a lot of stuff that you’ll really wish you could get. If not though, it’s still a great game! I don’t have the full game myself, and I still like it, so yeah! Has definitely helped improve my mental health, even if just a little bit 💖(it’s only been 50 days)

by Bag_Plays

I got Amaru for the cute cat-bird thing known as this app but I come back for the guided practice, games, and still this app, he’s really cute.

The guided practices are great, you can choose how long many of them are which I love! I also am usually in a better mood after I’ve listened to one.

The minigames are pretty fun and I feel like they’re sharpening some if my skills like hand-eye coordination and memory(unlike a lot of the games I play). They’re also only available when this app’s awake which I like because it prevents me from playing them into the night.

The journals, or should I say journal, is nice and it reminds me to be grateful. The one thing I don’t like is how there’s only one I can use because it gets boring doing the same one every day but I heard there’s one you can unlock and I’m sure as the game develops, more will become available.

Lastly, the world building and atmosphere. I haven’t traveled very far in Amaru but I love when this app brings me back little things, I love the sparkles after I complete a goal and the little messages with it. There’s also the ambient noise, including the one within the guided practices that you can turn off when you want.

My biggest negative with Amaru is just that I can’t get myself to use it enough but that’s more on my end and the goal gems and aura really helps.

by Eeurhe

I’ve always found taking care of myself to be something difficult. Amaru gives incentive to do it in the form of a cute magic cat. Unlike other apps though, you can interact with them and even play mini games. Seeing poor this app anxious certainly made me want to jump straight into breathing exercises which in turn helped me. For someone with ADHD that forgets to take care of myself, having this app here helps remind me and reels me in to stay.

For me, I feel as though the free version is enough though I did eventually buy the key as I want to support the creators. The animations and everything is extremely well done. It’s addicting in a good way. :) I’ve even reduced my overall screen time which is wonderful.

by JeremyJB

I have been supporting Amaru since the Kickstarter days and have been playing along with the beta version. Seeing it develop has been amaZing and the end product is phenomenal.
As an RN and someone who suffers from anxiety and depression I am so excited to see realized an amazing concept and idea as an approach to everyday mental health and well being.
I love this app so much so that even though I purchased a copy pre-sale to help fund the campaign I paid in-app and bought the FULL version because 1 - it’s with it and 2 - these developers are amazing and deserve all the support they can get!
Thanks for such a great app and journey along the way - can’t wait to see what left to come!

by Perrywina

As someone who struggles with self care and prioritizing mental health, I found this makes it much more fun and easier. I love the little notes of encouragement; for example, one of my favorites is “You are strong and validated.” Amaru really focuses on getting you to focus on yourself.
It starts out with this app being very anxious and untrusting of you. That is, until you do a self care task which usually involves a form of meditation. They have different categories and time lengths so you have options. I like to do some of them at night when I’m feeling especially anxious and can’t sleep. You can buy treats and feed this app, which increases your bond with him. You can also pet him. You can play mini games with him or have him explore.
I really enjoy the gratitude journal, because it helps me really think about the good things in my life.
I love the simplicity of the art. It’s beautiful, but not overwhelming. I also love the symbolism.
After interacting with this app a couple times, I couldn’t help but feel he was a representation of myself, mainly because I could not make this app calm and happy unless I was doing that for myself first.
I definitely recommend Amaru to anyone who wants to improve their mental health and learn to prioritize themselves in order to become a healthier, happier person.
Please support Amaru’s very thoughtful creators and download it!

by Ur Bestie From The Woods

This is such a relaxin game. i mean its not realy a game, but it also kinda is, like theres mini games(that are also calming like the bell game and rock stacking thing) that you can have this app do, or you can have him explore and he bring u back stuffs. also it has some lil meditation things u can do, which are free,(you pay with in game currency) and the baccround moosic has like birds chirping and stuff. So overall its a nice game that you set gaols in, like wake and bed times, and you have to take care of this app and its so cute cuz after doing ur goals he gets mor happy and energetic and also HE SO FRICCIN CUTE. So take from me, some random person who left a review, if your lookin for a self-care helping app, u should get this 1

by Rainbowremmy

this app is absolutely precious. Though I love mindfulness, I lack the motivation for daily practice. An adorable magical kitty however, is enough to get to me to do it. The meditations themselves are some of the best I’ve ever tried, which is a lot. I also love the beautiful background the game has, and all the cute things this app does from bent a loaf to rolling on his belly!

If you have the free version and are debating getting the golden key, I highly recommend it. I backed the Kickstarter so I paid a long time ago, but it still took a lil but after the game was released for every backer to get their key. While the free version has all the basic features and is good, the golden key really takes it to the next level.

Good luck on your mental health journey!!!

by Roseygal564

I just stumbled upon this game at first and decided to try it out. Happy I did. It’s guided meditations have such a soothing voice, and the animal character is so adorable and growing the bond somehow bring lots of joy to me just seeing them start to trust me over time. The games are genuinely entertaining and I have ADHD so that something! It’s motivated me to start trying again, I know it sounds cringey in a way but I blocked bad friends, I took care of myself, I ate, I cleaned a bit of my room, and I went to bed before 2am when I usually fall sleep at 6am due to my anxiety. Strangely this game has helped me a lot though I have much more to work on, it’s helping somehow. So if your considering this game as someone with depression, anxiety, ptsd, and adhd I suggest it for you 100% No matter what your going through!! And if a developer is reading this, great game I love it! Sorry for the long message and have a good day everyone! 🌸

by Katesi

I've used apps like Headspace and Calm, but wanted a meditation/mindfulness app that felt more unique. this app is beyond unique. There's nothing like it! I've been using Amaru every single day for nearly 3 months now. Taking care of this app has helped me feel such a stronger connection to taking care of myself. I'm just absolutely in love with the attention to all the small details, from the drawings to the story-writing – like the food and treasures that this app finds – I often screenshot them just because! I know a lot of people get bummed when they see they have to pay for certain features, but let me tell you, it's all worth it. By paying you support an amazing team of designers and developers working SO hard to make the magic of this app unfold. I look forward to when they allow you to donate games to others. I'll be first in line! That's how much I believe in Amaru :)

by RattieGamer

I love Amaru! 5 stars hands down! I was searching for a virtual pet and stumbled across this cute guy. Being an animal lover and quite a depressed person this is just what I need; a self-care app that actually encourages me to meet my goals everyday such as meditating. You can create your own goals and switch them if there’s a task you want to do sometimes but not everyday. There’s a journal to write in and mini games to play. I also like that it takes time for this app to like you and bond with you like many real pets. All this for FREE!!

I’ve never paid more than $2 for any app (and that was only once). I made an exception for this one after a few days mainly to support the creators; they do a good job. I can’t remember if the second journal to unlock is free or not. I believe they really don’t read what you write in the journals because I’ve put a few…..certain words in there and unlike some other journal apps nothing happens. No account on hold stuff.

I just really wish this were a thing: the background of the place where this app is would get dark like it’s nighttime when it’s his bedtime.

I’ve already recommended Amaru to a few friends. They say they’re real busy which I understand. I hope I’ll recommend this to someone one day and they actually use it. Thank you Six Wings!

by VeeIsMe

I originally heard about this game when it was a Kickstarter campaign, but due to having been burned more than once with Kickstarter games I decided to just keep an eye on its development and buy it when it actually released.

I’m so glad I did! It’s a charming game and has definitely helped me improve my mental health through the self-help guidance, but I do wish there were a few features:

1: Notifications when this app is fully rested or back from exploring, I often forget to check in on him again after I’ve played once in a day.
2: Notifications to continue my streak! Having ADHD means I often forget to check in on this app regularly, meaning that I haven’t managed a streak of more than one day so far.
3: The ability to have Amaru connect to either Fitbit or Apple Health to log mindfulness minutes—so far I’ve been using the Mindful app on my Fitbit Versa 3 to track when I’m using Amaru but I’d love to bot need to remember to turn on another app to have using this app count towards my daily Mindfulness practice.

Overall it’s a fantastic app so far, and it’s already gotten better since it’s release so I’m really looking forward to seeing where the dev team takes it next. ❤️

by Skylar Griego

So far I’ve only used the free version, but I DEFINITELY plan to buy the full $13 version in the next couple of months! This concept is so wonderful—a virtual pet that helps you build positive habits of mindfulness and self-care! I really love that. The music for the echo stones is lovely and I play the unguided one every day while drawing my daily tarot cards. It really soothes my mind and makes me feel especially in tune with my spirit guides. In-game currency is super easy to come by so I’ve always got food to feed the adorable this app and I love the gratitude journal. My only complaint is that I wish the character count of journal entries was unlimited so I could use the gratitude journal as a dream journal instead. But Amaru is beautiful in every way and I am more than happy to buy the full version when it’s in my budget to do so!

by Not As Anxious 42

I have never felt the urge to write any app review before, but this one has been so helpful to me, that I felt like I had to. I have anxiety and depression from chronic illness, and struggle to relax or do self care a lot of the time. I find the guided meditations super relaxing and the voice pleasing to listen to. I have been integrating the breathing exercises into my daily life, and enjoy being able to see this app and take care of him when I feel stressed out. All the nature sounds in each different location are very soothing, and I feel like Amaru is genuinely helping me to take better care of myself. I did pay for the full version, and I feel like with as much helpful content as Amaru has, it was well worth the money. I highly recommend this to anyone who struggles with self care and anxiety. ❤️👍🏻

by PupperFluff_WolfZ

So I have issues with focusing and problems with anxiety and ADHD. I also haven’t really seen a lot of reviews about the free version. It has a reasonable amount of stuff to do without buying the full version. I would still recommend buying the full version (although I can’t since I’m a little broke right now from buying a ukulele). It’s a really good app and I’d recommend this to anyone struggling with self esteem and anxiety. I would also suggest watching a tutorial of where everything is because I had a hard time finding everything when I first downloaded it.
So don’t worry about not being able to do a lot if you don’t buy the full version since there’s still a bunch you can do even if you don’t have the full version unlocked. Hope this helps someone who’s worried about having to spend money.
Amaru is really good though and when I’m better with money I’ll for sure buy the full version bit by bit.

by B3CC0

Amaru really helped me get through tough times and improve my mental health. Helping to calm this app’s anxiety often helped calm my own. I love the way the journal encourages reflection but doesn’t make me feel pressured to write a certain amount. One thing that really made me sad was you can’t create an account or back up your info! I lost months of journaling I had done on Amaru when my phone was stolen so I am hesitant to trust it again. I would love to see some updates In the future to link it to a google account or create and account within Amaru .
EDIT:
So happy to hear I can make an account now, really happy with the creators of Amaru and all who work on it!