Pou

Pou is a virtual pet game where you look after a small brown alien creature, keeping it fed, clean and entertained. The more you care for it, the more it levels up, and the more outfits, wallpapers and items you unlock.

Pou was made by Lebanese designer Paul Salameh and first came out on Android in August 2012 and iOS in November 2012, in the spirit of the Tamagotchi. The web edition keeps the same loop: a kitchen for meals, a bathroom for washing, a lab where you experiment with potions, a games room full of mini-games that pay out coins, and a wardrobe for outfits, hats and eyeglasses. Each room can also get a new wallpaper, and achievements unlock special items.

How to play Pou

Everything is done with the mouse or touch. You move between rooms and tap items to use them on your pet.

• Open the kitchen and feed Pou to fill the hunger meter.
• Use the bathroom to wash it; clean care keeps the health meter up.
• Go to the games room and play mini-games to collect coins.
• Spend coins on food, clothes, wallpapers and potions, and check the lab to try potion combinations.

Tips for Pou

• In the web version, mini-games may refuse to start if your pet is too tired, so fill both the hunger and health meters first.
• Wash in the right order: soap, shower, towel, then toothbrush, to refill health in one go.
• Earn coins in the games room before shopping; cheap outfits are an easy way to waste early funds.
• Use the lab for experiments once you can afford potions, instead of buying them one at a time.
• Check in often with short sessions, because the meters fall back down as time passes.

Pou was created by Paul Salameh and published by Zakeh Limited.