THE GAMER: Fun with ‘Faunasphere’

Have you been looking for a fun, non-violent game you can play online with your friends? Do you like the idea of exploring a virtual world full of colorful characters and activities to participate in but just hate the idea of paying a monthly fee? Well, “Faunasphere” might just be the game for you!

In the world of “Faunasphere,” you control various types of creatures called “fauna.” You start off by choosing one fauna of your own and deciding what type of fauna it is, how it will look and the various abilities it has. From there, you explore the world, performing various activities to gain experience so that, eventually, your fauna will lay an egg and hatch more fauna to play with. By breeding fauna, you gain different abilities and access more of the world for a much richer experience.

It really doesn’t take very long to learn how to play “Faunasphere.” Almost everything is done simply by clicking with your mouse to move your fauna around and interact with the environment — exploring the world, collecting items and fighting pollution. Fighting pollution is about the closest thing to combat this game offers. All throughout the world, you’ll find blocks of inert gas, solids and water. Sometimes pollution blocks will actually affect your fauna if it gets too close. In order to break up these blocks of pollution, your fauna has a special device around its neck that it uses to zap them away. In return, you earn items and experience which your fauna needs to level up and lay eggs. When not fighting pollution, you go on quests to learn more about this strange, new world and report back. As you go about your business, leveling up your fauna, you slowly unfold a rich story all about this world’s ancient inhabitants, why there is so much pollution and about the fauna, themselves. You can also sell or trade items in the game’s auction house while participating in group activities with other players. There’s a big world to explore and a lot of depth if you you’re interested in doing a little digging.

I first came across “Faunasphere” while at the Penny Arcade Expo and just had to find out more. For one thing, it’s completely browser-based, so you won’t have to download anything. Being browser-based also means it’s PC and Mac compatible. As long as you have a browser that can run Flash applications, you should be able to enjoy “Faunasphere.” For another thing, it really is free. You can play as much or as little as you like without ever spending a dime. However, with the free membership, you can only have three fauna to play with. Subscriptions start at $2.49 per month and allow up to six fauna. Subscribing to the most expensive membership —— a Platinum membership at $9.99 per month — allows you up to 60 fauna to play with. You also receive a monthly allowance of 4,000 Bux on the Platinum plan to buy exclusive, in-game items not otherwise available. So, depending on how deep you want to get into this game, it might be worth it to buy a subscription.

Officially launched in August, the game is still young but has been attracting a lot of attention — especially with women. I’m told the target demographic for “Faunasphere” is working moms who aren’t quite into something as big as “World of Warcraft” but still want that casual, social gaming experience that can be hard to find, elsewhere. From the unique art style and expansive worlds to explore to the rich storyline and social networking tools, it’s not exactly the kind of game you’ll be sucked into for hours on end, but there’s plenty to keep you coming back for more.

If you’re interested in trying out “Faunasphere” for yourself, head over to faunasphere.com.

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