I was once left in charge of a toddler. I turned my back for two minutes and it managed to eat 14-and-a-half cigarettes (one lit). I've had three goldfish, one hamster and a cat; the goldfish ate each other, my sister killed the hamster and the cat left home (he didn't like being dressed in a nappy, strapped into a push chair and forced to drink from a baby's bottle). Yes, I'm irresponsible. Unfortunately for me, there's Creatures, a game in which 'responsible' is the name of the game. You care for and teach small fluffy creatures, or Norns as they're known. Your Norns will tell you what they need, and you can encourage/discipline them with yes/no commands and stroking. You can also teach them tricks and ways to avoid danger. Once your creatures reach maturity they will have offspring. Eventually, the Norns will die. The aim is to breed as many generations as possible. You might be thinking 'pointless', but Creatures has taught me that birth control is vital. (HM)