Hasbro Nano-Mals: Screen-Free Virtual Pet & Fidget Toy

Hasbro’s Nano-Mals are a virtual pet that rewards fidgeting

For nearly three decades, virtual pets have largely stuck to the same script: feed them, groom them, play with them, all through button presses on a small handheld device. While some modern versions have added Bluetooth or downloadable content (and gotten a bit bigger!), Hasbro is shaking things up with their new $20 Nano-Mals. These aren’t just virtual pets; they’re designed with a unique twist: they’re also fidget toys.

Pick up one of the eight adorable initial Nano-Mal models, and you’ll first notice their charm. Styled after a variety of animals – from cows and cats to a red panda, narwhal, and unicorns – they’re undeniably cute. But the real surprise? There’s no screen. Instead, the toy communicates entirely through a light-up heart on its front. This heart has three levels and changes color to show how well your Nano-Mal’s hunger, affection, and play needs are being met.

Here’s where Nano-Mals truly stand out from their digital predecessors. Forget navigating menus. You interact with these creatures by physically manipulating their parts. Gently push an ear to “pet” your Nano-Mal, flip its arms up and down to make it “dance,” and press its nose to “feed” it. As you perform these actions, the heart progressively fills up with color, eventually bursting into a vibrant rainbow display across the toy’s chest.

The beauty of these interactions lies in their design – they’re engineered to be satisfying fidget actions. Flipping the arms and squishing the ears feels incredibly good. The nose button, however, is a bit of an outlier; it’s shallow and less satisfying to press, often making “feeding” the least enjoyable task. Hopefully, future versions will improve on this!

Once you get the hang of it, figuring out the best ways to hold and interact with the Nano-Mal becomes a game in itself. It’s designed for one-handed operation and doesn’t require you to look at it, making it perfect for fidgeting. I found myself instinctively rotating it between my fingers while flipping the arms. There’s even an accelerometer inside, so any significant movement counts as “play.”

If you pick up more than one Nano-Mal (which is likely, given their affordable price), they’ll interact with each other, lighting up and “talking.” It’s charming, though a little reminiscent of the unsettling “Playthings” episode from Black Mirror, with their mysterious bleats and chimes. Thankfully, there’s an off switch, and your Nano-Mal will happily burble before shutting down.

However, the off switch isn’t entirely absolute. If you press any of the buttons, the Nano-Mal will still react, though less enthusiastically than if fully powered on. This could be an issue if kids carry them around (there’s even a clip for this purpose), potentially leading to classroom bans if they accidentally trigger sounds. While you can mute them by holding the nose for a few seconds, this only works when fully on and resets every time the toy is turned off and on.

Despite the non-removable clip getting in the way when I tried to spin it and the tricky nose button, I think the Nano-Mal is a strong first attempt at this type of toy. Kids will adore their cuteness, especially when dressed in the included clothes (which double as protective cases). Adults will appreciate them too: parents will love a screen-free option, while the young-at-heart will enjoy having something engaging to keep their hands busy that isn’t their phone.

Nano-Mals are available now at major toy retailers.