By Ryan Louis Mantilla

Online shopping became popular even before the pandemic happened. However, when the world went to an unpleasant pause, many resorted to online shopping as another form of retail therapy, especially because the pleasure of in-person shopping has disappeared in recent years due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, made the online shopping experience more entertaining and engaging with its latest in-app game launch, Shopee Pets.

The e-commerce platform wanted to bring back the joy the 90s video games offered during their vast popularity. Despite the first-rate innovation of smartphones, nothing quite warms our hearts like the old-school games. Back then, all we had were Snake ‘97, Space Impact, Mega Man X, Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders, and, of course, Pac-Man!

Shopee wanted to give that nostalgic feeling by launching its latest game. They enable players to earn exciting rewards (discounts and brand offers) by nurturing virtual pets. Players can level up their pet's XP (experience points) and unlock diamond points by feeding, cleaning, and playing with them throughout the game.

You can choose your pet at the start of each cycle and dress them up in adorable clothes. By level 25, you can also begin making improvements to your pet's home, unlocking new themes, and gaining access to upgrades. Players can use points as rewards at the Points Redemption Store. Once their pet reaches level 50, they can pick another pet and repeat the life cycle. 

How to level up pets and earn diamond points:

? Social Interactions: You can increase your pet’s happiness bar through social interactions between players. They can also receive shared items. 

? Schooling: Once your pet reaches level 4, you can make it attend school and participate in class games and other activities such as quizzes and races to earn diamond points.

? Grooming: You can keep your pet clean by dragging the soap bar on top of it. All cleaning supplies aid in increasing XP and happiness and cleanliness levels.

? Feeding: Don’t forget to feed your pet to maintain its happiness level. It increases your pet's XP growth and fullness points.

? Playing: Your pet needs attention, so playing with them will keep them happy. 

Three ways to entertain your pet:

1. Dance to the Music: Follow the beat to boost your pet's happiness. The song has three rounds and speeds up at the end of each one.

2. Jump on a Trampoline: Drag the trampoline left and right to ensure your pet's safety.

3. Score a Goal in Soccer: Score a goal to boost your pet's happiness and XP. Each target grants a certain amount of XP.

During its launch on Mar. 3, players can acquire Shopee coins, coins cashback, and vouchers. They can also bag products such as Xiaomi Air Purifier, O’Healthy Electric Juicer Blender, an Acer Aspire 3 laptop, and a lot more! If you're lucky, you can also win ?100,000 through ShopeePay from Mar. 12 to Mar 16.

Apart from Shopee Pets, the said e-commerce platform previously released in-app games like Pera Panalo, Shopee Candy, Shopee Farm, Shopee Bubble, and Shopee Claw. Shopee also offers ShopeePay, mobile wallet, and exclusive perks.