Adopt a New Virtual Pet With ‘Stay: Forever Home,’ Out Now

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Apr 24, 2025

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Meet Ember! She likes long walks in the woods, playing catch, and napping in your living room. Oh, and she loves digging holes—though luckily, not in your furniture. And Ember could be yours today, so long as you adopt a copy of Stay: Forever Home on Meta Quest.

Created by some of the developers behind First Steps and Bogo, Stay: Forever Home is a brand-new and expansive virtual pet experience. Your new pet Ember is part-fox, part-cat, part-magical being—or at least that’s how we’ve come to think of her.

Stay: Forever Home is a bit like two-games-in-one. There’s a Passthrough component where you’ll see Ember in your actual home environment. She’ll jump around on your furniture, play catch, beg for a scratch behind the ears, eat treats, or maybe just take a nap. Realistic AI means she’ll surprise you with new behaviors as you spend time together. You’ll also discover plants you can place in your home to add a pop of color.

Ember also loves to explore, though. She might not wake you up in the morning by whining to go out (a definite advantage of virtual pets), but she loves a good walk in the woods. Hop through a portal and you and Ember will travel to a fully immersive fantasy forest, full of secrets to dig up, sticks to throw, and fruit to eat. You’ll also encounter Mosslings, delightful bloblike creatures that will bring you gifts (or maybe steal something from you in a moment of implike mischief).

While exploring, you can also finish missions to unlock new items for Ember. Put her in a bowtie, a pair of glasses, or a hat—whatever you think best matches her personality. This is your pet, after all, and you know her better than anyone else.

Stay: Forever Home is more than just a game to be “finished.” The forest and its denizens are a starting point, a way for the team at Windup Minds to build a world around you and Ember and your relationship. It’s a magic refuge of play and companionship, a place to take a break from the day-to-day and relax.

Windup Minds wants Ember to feel like an actual pet—meaning you’ll check in on her regularly, but usually for short amounts of time. Feed her some treats, play catch, go for a walk. When she’s tired, Ember will lead the way home, curl up on your couch, and nap while you go off to do something else. Like a real pet, but without the early-morning walks, the chewed-up furniture, and the poop bags.