Are you expected to raise a travel frog?

The Japanese mobile game "Travel Frog" has become a real hit in China lately, topping Apple's App Store as the most downloaded free game, despite being available only in Japanese. Many users now sharing their experiences of the virtual green amphibian on social media.

My frog has disappeared for one day.

I had thought my frog wouldn't be hungry until i finally saw he was eating.

My frog son……(Please see the picture……)

Players collect clovers that grow in the frog's garden so they can buy supplies for the frog's journeys. In turn, the frog sends players souvenirs and snapshots from its travels. He is a travel addict who loves adventures, and he leaves his footprints at tourist destinations all over Japan. Users cannot control when the frog chooses to go on its adventures. 

The role of the players of the game? To feed this frog, prepare him for long journeys, and harvest clovers that are used as currency. Apart from this, all they can do is wait patiently for their frog to start a journey or return home.

While news of the game's appeal among mobile phone users on the mainland was first reported on by local media outlets last week, its popularity hasn't diminished in any way since: "Travel Frog" on Monday was still ranked first on a list of the most downloaded games from Apple's app store in China.

CNBC

"Tabikaeru: Journey Frog" ranks at the top of the list of the most popular free mobile apps on Apple's app store in China on Jan. 29, 2017.

The game has only two scenes-- courtyard and home, and it is only in Japanese, which means users need to overcome a language barrier in order to raise a virtual frog. 

Despite all this, fans of Travel Frog say they can get loads of enjoyment without giving too much commitment. Many players say the game makes them feel like a parent waiting for their child to come home, and refer to the frog as their "frog son".

Warning to all those who have raised frogs: Your son are trapped here. If you don't want them be in trouble please transfer 10rmb for each to my wechat or alipay account. (lol)

The secret of the game’s appeal isn’t readily obvious. But the frog is cute, for one thing. Some players say they enjoy the feeling of traveling vicariously.

And it’s also really easy.

“You don’t need to do a lot of things, you don’t even need to think about anything,” said Yu Ting, a 28-year-old accountant in the northeastern city of Tianjin. “It’s not a competitive game, so it’s very relaxing.”

The game also has a strong connection to child rearing. Before the frog leaves on a trip, you have to pack its lunch. And in Chinese, the word for “frog,” wa, is a homophone for a word for “baby.”

“My friends and I all call the frogs our ‘frog sons,’ ” said Gao Lang, 22, a graduate student in Beijing. “After raising this frog, I suddenly understand the feeling of being a parent, at least partly. And I think when I am traveling somewhere far in the future, I will try to send some photos to my parents.”

“Some people compare it with raising a child,” said Zhu Juan, 35, a sales director at a medical instrument company in Beijing. “I have a 3-year-old daughter, and I know it’s different.”

The game is also believed to reflect a "Buddhist lifestyle" and its spirit of "whatever will be, will be", because you never know when the frog will come back. Weibo user "alsta star" believes the surging popularity of the game reflects the needs of players who seek an unconventional experience.

However, not everybody is drawn to the animal, as this player says he "'doesn't see the point" of raising this virtual pet. Whether you like it or not, it seems the virtual pet has hopped its way into most people's view through their social media platforms.

Have you ever raised a frog son? How is your feeling? Feel free to comment below to share with us.

Source: cgtn/cnbc/nytimes

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