What if Tamagotchi-Like Toys Were Really Alive? These Researchers Just Made It Happen

Tamagotchi —the egg-shaped handheld video game from Japan—taught us Gen Z kids the precariousness of life and the responsibilities that come with raising small creatures. A team of student researchers has given the premise of the video game an unexpected twist by using actual bacteria to literally bring the toy to life.

To be clear, SquidKid, the prototype toy, has no official ties with Bandai Namco, who owns the Tamagotchi franchise. But SquidKid takes inspiration from the Japanese game, in which children raise a tiny character that could “die” if it doesn’t receive necessary care.

The stakes are arguably higher for SquidKid, a bioreactor housing real, bioluminescent bacteria that young users can feed, nurture, and observe. SquidKid, a finalist of the International Biodesign Challenge