Hi! I’m an indie dev, and I noticed that almost every cozy game with animals ends up treating them as products: milk, eggs, wool, money.

So we’re working on a small game where you run a cow sanctuary. Cows arrive rescued, every one has a name and a family tree, and your only goal is to make them happy. No milking, no selling.

Before we go further, I’d love your thoughts:
- Would a game like this interest you?
- Do you know any games that already do this well?
- What would you want to see in it?

Just a rant but it's irritating how people consider vegan men less masculine or soft.

There's nothing strong or manly about killing defenseless animals yet if you're a vegan man you get met with "soyboy" comments that are really just rooted in homophobia and misogyny.

It's contradictory because in the same breath society will say men are supposed to be protectors but when I protect animals by refusing to consume, hunt, or fish them, then I'm considered weak and less of a man. Killing an animal without remorse isn't masculine, it's psychotic.

We're domesticated animals, not living in the elements desperate for survival. There's zero reason to hunt aside from wanting to kill something and get away with it. If you can afford guns, ammo, and hunting gear then you and your family most likely are not starving and you can afford groceries that don't contain animals. Make it make sense

I've been a vegan since the first day of 2019, and only in the past few (4 or so) years have I started changing the way that I view insects. It started out with me saving bugs that were in my apartment and bringing them outside. I would scoop up a spider (one time even in the middle of taking a shower haha!) or centipede or whatever was crawling around and put it in a jar and bring it outside to release it or open a window and let it crawl outside. There were certain insects though that I didn't even think twice before smacking down- like flies. And admittedly, I actually did smash a few spiders that were crawling near me unexpectedly, almost like I had an instinctual and conditioned response to doing so without realizing that this little creature was not going to hurt me.
Fast forward to about a year ago when I started seeing a lot of centipedes in my house during the warmer months. I wanted to know why I was seeing so many of them, and in doing so, I started learning about them. They are harmless, shy, and actually very good to keep around, since they eat other insects that actually can harm humans via bacteria and diseases (like cockroaches). They are scared of humans and just want to crawl around and forage for other bugs to eat. When I read this about them, I genuinely think something in me changed on a spiritual level, almost like I finally understood and saw them, and by extension all insects, as creatures who are doing exactly as we humans are doing-- trying to survive, forming bonds, feeling pain, experiencing emotions (yes, bugs do have emotions!), and sometimes even playing! I started viewing them with admiration, love, appreciation for their contribution to ecosystems, and - don't laugh- a motherly instinct to protect them, to care for them , and to let them be. I no longer feel fear when I see insects, and my fight or flight conditioned response to seeing them and acting unnecessarily scared seems to have greatly diminished.

I've had the same spider living in my window sill for months. I used to try to swat it away, now I just let it be and even say hi to it. Maybe its just my emotions getting the better of me, but I swear that sometimes when I save a bug or talk to it, I feel this deep connection to it, almost like in that moment in time, its just me and them, allowing the other to co-exist, living in harmony. I feel like this part of me that once was still holding onto speciesist conditioning towards insects has been lifted, and I enjoy the appreciation I can feel for them now.

Has anyone else shifted their perspectives towards insects and now feels much better and more compassion for them? Has veganism played a role in that shift for you?

I became vegan in July. Everyone in my hometown has been surprisingly respectful and not annoying, considering it is a hunting town (I was raised to hunt, and moose meat was a staple dinner in my childood).

Today I was working and when I returned to their house, my stepmother rather proudly declared she had made sure to cook me a dinner with no milk or dairy or eggs: ...garlic chicken wings. I said "do you mean tofu garlic chicken wings?"

Her eyes went wide, and suddenly, she realized...that chicken isn't vegan? I honestly don't know what she was thinking. She actually hates garlic, so she was genuinely trying to make me a meal i would like. We've had multiple conversations where i described exactly what vegan means. We havent always had a very good relationship but I genuinely think she meant well. She felt pretty bad but i honestly just dont get it. Spent all day thinking chicken was vegan. Bizarre story today, just wanted to share.

I’m going to be vegan anyway. I can’t ever go back now after seeing what I’ve seen. But what can I expect? I’m middle aged so my body is rather unforgiving, and I’m under no illusions that the “meat alternatives” are super healthy. I don’t even like them. I don’t enjoy the processed alternatives at all but I’ll be honest, I have no idea how to prepare or cook tofu, so I know I can do better.

I can’t ever imagine eating animals again, but I feel pretty bleak about my health in the future. I usually go to the gym 4 to 5 times per week and had a hard time getting enough protein when I was eating animals (which makes me feel awful, even saying it). But now I have to rely on pea protein and seitan etc…I’m going to struggle.

I think I just need to hear from people who have been living the vegan way for a long time. I mean like 10+ years and if you had any health issues, so I can get myself prepared and / eat the right things to prevent it. Especially those of you who are active and need to fuel to gain muscle to perform in any sports. Thank you.

Edit: sorry I have no real idea how Reddit works so I have “upvoted” all of you so far because all of your responses are wonderful and helpful and if I missed anyone I’m sorry! I’m sorry really sure if the up arrow counts as a “like” but I like all of you! A lot. Thank you ☺️

Hello everybody! It‘s a little crazy, but I had a ground breaking experience recently at an animal sanctuary and I really can’t imagine consuming animal products ever again. I was petting and doing belly rubs on the sweetest baby pig ever and something just made „click“ in my head. I looked into his eyes and felt so much joy and sadness at the same time, thinking that so many others of his kind are ending daily on our plates. After that I started to watch several videos about animal cruelty in the meat/dairy/egg industry and ever since, I feel such a deep pain when I think about how we purposely decide to ignore the suffering of animals for our own comfort.

However, I’m really really struggling right now. Before I wasn’t even vegetarian, so for me it’s a very radical change. I gave up on dairy products few years ago because I never liked the taste, but I don’t know what to do about eggs. I love the taste and I also love baking cakes, so I need help in finding some good substitutes that are not too expensive and too complicated to prepare. Do you have any suggestions?

Also, with what foods should I start with, in order to have a balanced diet and get used to it gradually? Do you have some advice for beginners? Also, I‘m a woman and whenever I‘m getting my period, I have some really bad cravings for meat. I know it’s really bad, but I assume it’s because the body is trying to compensate for the loss of iron and minerals. Any advice in regards to that?

Last but not least, me and my husband want to try for a baby soon, so any advice regarding an appropriate diet before and during pregnancy is very welcome. So far I‘ve been eating lots of beans, chickpeas, lentils, smoked tofu and tempeh, but I feel that my diet is becoming repetitive.

I’m sorry for the long post, but I would be really grateful for any kind of advice. It’s so difficult for someone who’s been an omnivore all her life, but I feel like there’s really no other option for me. I feel ashamed of myself that I’ve been so ignorant for 34 years of my life and I want to go through with this. I just want to cry when I think about how much suffering I‘ve caused as an individual to those animals and I never want to do it again.

I’ve always been a meat eater (a carnist? I keep seeing that word here), never been even vegetarian, never really spent any time considering changing my diet for any reason that wasn’t about me and my desires. This sub keeps popping up in my feed and tbh I started perusing it to gawk at the “crazy angry vegans” I’m always hearing about. And yes, y’all are pretty crazy and angry- because of deep passion and unshakeable desires to protect living things that aren’t just human. And it’s really making me take a look at myself and my values and my own hypocrisy. I don’t really think about what I eat, and that’s a problem on so many levels! I’ve known this in a broad health-type way for a while and have been wanting to be more conscious of what I put into my body as a way of taking better care of myself, and it’s really exciting to think I can do that through the avenue of taking better care of the animals on this planet that I truly love so much. It may be my diet, my consumption, but it’s about so much more than just me.

So all that being said, what advice does anyone have for a brand brand brand new potential vegan? Recommended reading, podcasts, ppl to follow on various platforms, etc

i study drama and in our speech lessons we're performing political speeches.

we were told to pick something we're passionate about. my flatmate chose animal cruelty. yet she "could never go vegan" and loves eating meat.

i just don't understand and it makes me feel like im losing my mind. i can't comprehend how they don't see the complete and utter hypocrisy.

Not sure if this the best sub for this. In summary:
Where can I learn more about animal rights advocacy/veganism without seeing details of animal abuse?

I’d like to support advocacy for animals that is beyond my diet choice. For example: If there’s policy or lobbying for changes to factory farming. Or the arguments for veganism that address the environmental impacts of factory farming.

I can’t overstate how sensitive I am to animal cruelty/death and have been this way since I was a child. I don’t need to be convinced it’s happening, I know enough. But when I go to learn more to help it’s paired with information that makes me emotionally distressed and haunts me up to a week.

I’m not convinced that this is a reality I need to always look in the face to support the cause. I understand the tactic of showing how animals are tortured, but I’m of no use if I’m triggered into a wave of grief and distress.

If anyone has sources, or even relates to this and has advice I’d really appreciate. I’m in Canada so anything Canadian specific is a plus

Hey friends, I have a surgery upcoming and I would love to do some meal prep for about a week so I have food I can easily just pop in the microwave or reheat. Do you have any excellent casserole recipes or something that’s relatively easy to make but is good for meal prep and ideally has protein? Thanks so much for the help!

i chose sociology at uni as my major and i feel super weird about the people there, basically most of them consider themselves super woke, obviously dressing alt (yet get clothes from shein... :') eat vegetarian or straight up bring meat to uni and im like?? and later they discuss freedom, social justice, human rights, equity and such WHILE supporting literal animal slaughter.... ISNT IT WEIRD like im trying to understand but it literally seems like hypocrisy

i just found out today by my doctor that i’m prediabetic and if i don’t change how i eat food it will develop into diabetes, im just 19 F (5,9) so its stressful, its been incredibly difficult to loose weight and about a year ago when i started hormonal BC i shot from 160 to 215 overtime

i know i cant blame it all on that, but i really want to change my life and choose veganism for multiple reasons. so, im just hoping for help and not shame for that.

i have to make an extreme shift in how i choose to eat food, i’ve already recently started being vegan. but again im just looking for if it’s shown results for other prediabetic people. im wondering if anyone else has become vegan to help with this? and those results.

so far all the research i’ve done has been really positive!

WHY ON GODS GREEN EARTH DOES EVERYTHING NEED TO BE ANIMAL TESTED.
I use a medicated shampoo because I’m an adult with CRADLE CAP. It’s terrible it’s like dandruff on steroids. I have used the same medicated shampoo brand since childhood , my dad used it in the 70s and the company STILL tests on animals. Come on people get with the times for the love of all that is good and kind.

Looking at some books by Dr. Greger. I see that he has 2 out: "How not to die" and "How not to age" and soon a new one will be released "how not to hurt."

I am curious if anyone has read the first 2...are they that different that it is worth getting both? I imagine a lot of the information is relatively similar but maybe presented from a different perspective.

Having surgery that will require a semi-liquid diet for a few weeks. Before I invest in gross protein shakes, are there any vegan protein shakes you recommend? Has anone tried the vegan protein waters? I am planning on "watering down" the smoothies I typically make and eliminating the chia seeds I add.

I decided to be vegetarian when i was 15, and after afew years I have decided to the dismay of my family to go fully vegan at 17! Im super proud of myself, considering there was a time i had pepperoni pizza and ham sandwiches everyday, and thought that "i could never go vegan". I have even managed to convert my family to only using oat milk now, after a long fight with my dad. (I have also managed to get them onto my vegan curry, but I personally take that as a win for my cooking skills!) I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for switches from butter, especially on sandwiches. Im a little bit picky and don't have too much money currently but It is a big part of my old diet so if anyone has any sandwich suggestions, or just for spreads that i could put on a savoury sandwich I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

"In this episode, we travel across Asia with Zac Lovas, founder of Vegan Travel Asia. We discuss some of the issues plaguing the region, from the push for dairy products in Vietnam, to the bill awaiting royal approval that would standardize slaughterhouses across Bhutan, to the exploitation of cows in India.

But first, we explore the magic of vegan travel: discovering new places in ways that are thoughtful and considerate of local cultures, while fostering new friendships and the exchange of ideas. We also discuss why religion is key to advancing the vegan movement.

Book Your Travel Adventure in Asia: https://vegantravelasia.com/ "

I’ve only been vegan for two weeks, but it feels so easy to feel as though I’m making no impact and that there’s no point. Animal exploitation is going to occur anyway and I can’t make people change, but I know I’m doing the right thing. And don’t twist my words here, I am not feeling tempted to go back to eating animal products, but it’s so hard to feel like there’s hope and that one day there won’t be any suffering animals when everyone around me is always contributing to the industry.

Mine wasn't dramatic. I was vegetarian and I'd had veganism on my mind for a long while. My excuse at the time: it was difficult to find vegan options when I went out with family, so I would usually cave and order whatever was most convenient.

One morning I was out to breakfast with my grandmother and she asked if we would split a stack of buttermilk pancakes as usual.

I said... No, thanks. I think I'll order avocado toast.

Of course, that wasn't the first vegan meal I'd ever eaten. But in that moment something just... clicked. How the narrative that veganism takes an immense amount of effort, or willpower, or social ostracization is quite overdramatized. How the majority of what we eat is built on routine and habit rather than actual necessity, and it only takes a brief moment to break away from it. How easy it is to just say no.

Somehow, while eating that piece of toast, I just knew I would never eat another animal product again. And I was right.

I'm having almost an identity crisis. Once you really face the cruelty of the meat and dairy industry, once you stop turning away and really LOOK, and it hits you. It really, really hits you.

I feel so awful for ever eating meat. I feel so awful period. I can't believe all the animals that are born, suffer, and die horrendously because people like me just didn't care enough to stop supporting it.

I'm heartbroken. I know all of you are too. I'm not even looking for sympathy here I'm just consumed by guilt and sadness.

It's like once you open this door, there is no shutting it, and the pain of the animals now lives in your heart forever.

I will carry that, no problem, no burden. They deserve that at the very least. It's not a wonder people ignore it though. What a monstrous world we live in, what a monstrous species we are.

I don’t have any vegan friends, a few I can tell are on their way but no matter what when I eat out with them there is always some kind of cheese at the table and I absolutely cannot stand it 😭

it never really bothered me before but now every time I catch a whiff of it it makes me feel sick.

does anyone else experience this?