Steam’s current Fest is all about animals! There’s plenty of cuddle and fierce variety here, and I’ve put together a list of my favorite games that you might want to grab by November 17th if you don’t want to sift through over a thousand games that were included in the Animal Fest. I was aiming for a good variety of genres, each with at least Positive (most Overwhelmingly Positive), and the games with a healthy discount!

Restaurats

$14.92 (25% off)

First up is this newly launched co-op, which hit the shelves on November 7^th. In this game, you’ll run a medieval restaurant by yourself or with up to 3 friends as rats. The goal is to learn and master new recipes and keep your patrons happy.  From Orcs to vampires, you’ll be serving some interesting guests, each with different preferences. You can play seriously to upgrade and expand your restaurant, or cause chaos by tossing dishes and scampering around. If things get too unruly, you can arm yourself with weapons, like a baguette, to demand order in your kitchen or escort out an unruly guest. There are lots of little details and missions to keep things interesting, and you can dress up your rat character! There are already plans for updates and DLC, so grab this game while it is 25% off to get in on the fun!

Whiskerwood

$23.99 (20% off)

In this game, your goal is to build up a city for colonist mice to appease the demands of your cat masters. Each city is built on an island, each with a different design, but all with limited space. You’ll need to plan carefully to utilize the space provided, sometimes venturing into the earth and cliffsides. Although you’re mice, the essential services are broad and very civilized. Buildings and networks require proper infrastructure, like heating and cooling and you’ll need to keep the mice comfortable according to Mouselow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If your colony is not up to par, your colonists will abandon the civilization; doing this is no easy feat, as your feline overlords will demand their dues as the game goes on. It’s a delicate balance that needs to be maintained by utilizing each specialist mouse with a unique set of skills. If you’re looking to use your brain while enjoying gorgeous animations and settings, check this one out! It’s in Early Access for now, and developers welcome as much feedback from the community as they can get, so leave a review if you’d like to give them notes on the game. 

Wingspan

$9.99 (50% off)

Released in 2020, Wingspan has made a name for itself as a strategy game for 1-5 players. The goal is to attract birds to your three wildlife preserves using chains of combinations designed to attract different types of species. Each bird you attract delivers a perk that positively impacts your gameplay, like hunting, laying eggs, or giving you the ability to draw more cards. In the news updates, online play is now enabled! You’ll now have an easier time challenging friends from your Steam friends list as well as friends within the game. If you haven’t had the chance to experience this birder’s favorite, snag it now at a healthy discount!

Goat Simulator

$1.99 (80% off)

Goat Simulator has made a name for itself in the gaming community since its initial release in 2014. From its name, you might think you’ll be spending your days in a pen, munching on whatever you can get your hooves on, but the reality is so much more than that. You’ll walk around as if you were a human, but without many of the consequences. There are endless opportunities for fun as you headbutt people around the map, cause destruction, and complete simple missions. It’s a great time for anyone craving a little chaos.

Little Kitty Big City

$14.00 (40% off)

When the trailer for Little Kitty Big City first dropped, I was skeptical that the game could be both adorable and a lot of fun, but it proved me wrong! Roam around as an adorable feline trying to find their way back to their high-rise apartment after mistakenly falling out of a window. Now, falling through a window sounds like a pretty devastating way to start the game, I’m happy to report the kitty survives this just fine, and the game is less about staying alive and more about traversal and exploration. You can wear some adorable hats, make wholesome friends, and leave this game feeling a warm fuzz,y feeling in your heart. It won't deliver heart-stopping thrills, but it will make your heart grow two sizes each time you play. This is not a statement backed by science, but just look at that face!

Those are my recommendations, but if you'd like to take a look at every offering during the Animal Fest, check them out here! Let me know if there are any from my list you end up grabbing, or let me know if there's something else that catches your eye!