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 A Virtual Pet Like No Other 

Posted: April 5, 2025 | 

What makes a virtual pet feel truly alive? Bernie Yee shares the inspiration behind Ember and how Stay: Forever Home brings digital companionship to life.

 Blog Series: Team Founders

 | Part of the “Team Founders” series– meet the creators of Windup Minds and explore the passion, ideas, and stories that shaped
Stay: Forever Home.

 

 

 

 

The Inspiration Behind Ember

Bringing a virtual pet to life is no small feat. It requires an intricate blend of AI, animation, and an understanding of human-animal relationships. At Windup Minds, Bernie Yee leads the charge in crafting a virtual companion unlike any other. In this interview, we explore Bernie’s journey through game development, his connection to pets, and the philosophy that shaped the up-incoming virtual pet game, Stay: Forever Home.

Bernie’s journey into the world of gaming began with curiosity and a love for computers. Recalling his first experience with a TRS-80 computer, he described the moment as akin to the apes encountering the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. That fascination led to his first job as an external QA tester for Infocom, where he experienced the magic of text-based adventure games. From there, his career expanded into working at industry-defining studios like PopCap, Bungie, and Oculus.

“The first time I used a TRS-80, I never imagined a computer could be in my home. The possibilities seemed endless and magical. It wasn’t until I used consumer facing VR for the first time, that I felt that sense of wonder come back to me again. And of all the reactive characters we made at Oculus– like Bogo– made me feel a child-like imagination come alive, too. As if the magic was somehow real.”

Bernie Yee

BOGO ROOTS

At Oculus, Bernie’s team was dedicated to crafting charming, virtual characters that made VR feel more alive. Bogo was a clear example of how naturally pets fit into the medium– players didn’t just try it once, they returned to it again and again, forming real emotional connections.

Even though Bogo was a small-scale experience, it resonated deeply, proving that the presence of a virtual pet could transform VR from something isolating into something warm and inviting. That understanding laid the groundwork for Stay: Forever Home, where Ember isn’t just an AI-driven character but a true companion, designed to bring that same sense of connection to players in a more expansive, meaningful way.

The Spark Behind Stay
"WHEN YOU PUT ON A VR HEADSET, SOMETIMES IT FEELS LONELY. YOU DON'T SEE YOUR BODY, YOU DON'T SEE THE FLOOR. WE REALIZED THAT ADDING A CREATURE MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WEREN'T ALONE. THAT WAS A POWERFUL MOMENT."

BERNIE ON FEELINGS OF ISOLATION IN VR

“When you put on a VR headset, sometimes it feels lonely. You don’t see your body, you don’t see the floor. We realized that adding a creature made you feel like you weren’t alone. That was a powerful moment.”

Bernie on feelings of isolation in VR

The Role of Real-Life Pets in Design

Bernie always wanted a pet but struggled with allergies growing up. When he finally got a dog later in life, it changed everything. That experience shaped how he and his team approached designing Ember, the virtual companion in Stay: Forever Home.

“I think I always had this desire to have a pet. When I finally could, I realized how much dogs enrich our lives. That love and companionship is what we want to capture in Stay: Forever Home.”

Bernie talking about pet ownership

VR Doesn’t Have to Feel Lonely When Playing Solo

While working in VR, Bernie noticed something: the medium often felt isolating. The lack of a visible body, the darkness of the headset– it created a sense of detachment from the real world. To counteract that, his team introduced creatures into their early VR experiences, sparking the idea that would eventually lead to Stay: Forever Home.

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Designing Ember: More Than Just AI

Developing a virtual pet isn’t as simple as programming responses– it requires creating an entity that feels alive. Ember isn’t just a collection of pre-scripted behaviors; she has personality, unpredictability, and a touch of mischief, just like a real pet.

“We wanted Ember to feel real, with non-deterministic behavior. She doesn’t always do what you expect, and that’s part of what makes her special. Sometimes we try to capture gameplay footage and she refuses to cooperate– just like a real dog!”

Bernie considering what makes a pet fun

Building a virtual bond

Lessons from Bogo

Before Stay: Forever Home, Bernie and his team developed Bogo, a VR pet experience that provided key insights into how players engage with virtual animals. While it was a short experience, it revealed just how much people craved meaningful interactions with digital pets.

One of the biggest takeaways? Teaching a pet tricks is far more complex than it seems. In reality, training an animal is an intricate blend of body language, reinforcement, and timing– elements that don’t easily translate into game mechanics. The team experimented with different approaches, including gesture-based training, but ultimately realized that the joy of a pet isn’t just in what they can be taught, but in how they naturally interact with and respond to their human.

That understanding shaped Stay: Forever Home, shifting the focus from structured training to organic, playful engagement that makes Ember feel truly alive.

From Perry to Ember: The Evolution of a Companion

Early prototypes of Ember were far from the expressive, lifelike companion she is today. She began as a simple geometric shape, a placeholder in a world still taking form. Each iteration brought her closer to life– refining movement, adding expressions, and layering in small details that made her feel real. Along the way, the team made an intentional choice: every prototype had a name.

From “Perry,” a bouncing cube with a face, to “Otto,” a balloon-like creature with shifting behaviors, each version had an identity. Naming them wasn’t just a fun quirk– it helped the team emotionally connect to their creations, reinforcing the idea that they weren’t just developing an AI, but a companion. That philosophy carried through to Ember, ensuring that she wasn’t just a collection of animations and behaviors, but a virtual pet players could truly bond with.

Navigating the Emotional Weight of Virtual Pets

One of the biggest questions the team faced was how much realism to bring into Stay: Forever Home– should virtual pets experience loss, sadness, or even injury like real pets?

While real-world pet ownership comes with challenges, the team wanted Stay: Forever Home to be a cozy, safe experience that celebrates the joy of companionship rather than focusing on hardship. Lessons from Bogo reinforced that players connect most with pets through presence and personality, not rigid mechanics like training or punishment.

Instead of emphasizing difficulty or loss, Stay: Forever Home focuses on the warmth, spontaneity, and joy of having a pet– ensuring that Ember isn’t just a character, but a true companion.

“Perry was just a cube with a face, but it showed emotion. We learned that even the simplest design could create emotional engagement. That foundation eventually led to Ember.”

Bernie Yee

A New Horizon for Virtual Pets

Stay: Forever Home isn’t just about creating a virtual pet– it’s about redefining what a digital companion can be. Windup Minds is a team driven by their love for animals, and that passion is woven into every aspect of Ember’s design.

Ember isn’t just programmed to respond– she exists within the world, reacting, learning, and surprising players in ways that feel genuinely alive. She has quirks, moods, and a mind of her own, creating a bond that goes beyond scripted interactions. Stay: Forever Home is an invitation to experience that connection, to share in the little moments that make having a pet so special. And just like in real life, sometimes the best memories come from the unexpected.

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