The Tamagotchi Mini, known in Japan as the Chibi Tamagotchi, is a miniature and deliberately stripped-down Tamagotchi. Released in 2005 and reissued in 2017, it has no icon row and no mini-game: button A handles most of the care automatically. This instruction guide in English covers the buttons, feeding, care, the differences between versions and the characters you can get.
What is the Tamagotchi Mini (Chibi)?
The Tamagotchi Mini came out in Japan in 2005 as the Chibi Tamagotchi. It stands about 4 cm tall and uses a screen of just 16 × 16 pixels, without the usual icons around it. A reissue followed in April 2017 in Japan and November 2017 in the United States, for the brand’s 20th anniversary.
- Battery: 1 × CR2032.
- Screen: 16 × 16 pixels.
- Games: none at all.
- Meters: hunger and happiness exist but are not displayed; button C tells you whether one of them is empty.
What do the three buttons do?
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| A | The main care button. It automatically offers whatever your Tamagotchi needs: food, cleaning, medicine or the light. |
| B | Display the clock (hours and minutes only). |
| C | The meter: if one of the meters is empty, your Tamagotchi spins around (hunger) or sulks with its back turned (happiness). No animation plays if nothing is empty. |
| A + C | Set the clock, and switch the sound on or off. |
On the 2005 English edition, A + B pauses the Mini: an exclamation mark appears above your character. The 2017 reissue does not have this function.
How do you look after the Tamagotchi Mini?
The Mini is very simple: when it needs something, press A. The device prioritises the urgent care. If there is poop to clean, it cleans it; if your Tamagotchi is ill, it offers medicine; otherwise it may offer food. The egg hatches one minute after the clock is set.
Food and happiness
The Mini still has a four-heart hunger meter and a four-heart happiness meter, but they are hidden. When it is hungry or unhappy, the food menu offers a meal and a snack.
The meal is a bowl of rice on the Japanese 2005 version and the 2017 reissue, a bagel on the international 2005 version, and a fish on the Good Luck version. The snack is a sweet, except on the Good Luck (a mochi). On the 2005 editions, button A does nothing if both meters are full; on the 2017 reissue it opens the food menu anyway.
Poop and illness
When your Tamagotchi relieves itself, press A to clean up. If it falls ill, the same button treats it. It poops every 3 hours and can pile up to 6 on screen. Poop left too long and calls left unanswered will make it ill.
Sleep and the light
When your Tamagotchi falls asleep, press A to bring up the light choice and select OFF. As on the classic Tamagotchis, forgetting the light counts as poor care.
Why are there no icons and no mini-game?
That is by design: the Mini was built as a heavily simplified Tamagotchi. There is no icon menu, no discipline and no mini-game. The point was to keep the raising experience in a much smaller, much easier device.
Tamagotchi Mini characters
The growth cycle is far shorter than on a P1/P2. The Mini starts with Marutchi, then evolves after 24 hours into an adult based on the quality of your care. If that adult lives for 7 days, it changes once more into a secret character.
| Character | General requirement |
|---|---|
| Mametchi | Excellent care |
| Maskutchi | Good care |
| Kuchipatchi | Average care |
| Nyorotchi | Poor care |
Mametchi becomes Lucky Unchi on the Japanese 2005 version and the Good Luck, Ginjirotchi on the international 2005 version, and Bill on the 2017 reissue. The other three adults become Oyajitchi, or Darumatchi on the Good Luck version. On that version, if a Darumatchi dies after receiving good care, the next Marutchi can become Mikotchi, again with good care.
Japanese, international and the 2017 reissue
| Version | What’s different |
|---|---|
| Japan 2005 | The original Chibi Tamagotchi: rice bowl meal, Lucky Unchi among the special characters. |
| International 2005 | Bagel meal, Ginjirotchi as the secret character, pause with A + B, death animation with a UFO. |
| Good Luck | Japanese edition: fish meal, mochi snack, Darumatchi and Mikotchi characters. |
| 2017 reissue | Bill as the secret character, no pause, identical behaviour in every region. |
Lifespan and death
The Tamagotchi Mini can live to around 15 years. It dies sooner if its meters stay empty or if it stays ill for 24 hours. The Japanese versions and the 2017 reissue then show a ghost beside a grave, while the international 2005 version shows a UFO taking it away. On the death screen, press A and C together for a new egg.
Tamagotchi Mini or P1/P2: what’s the difference?
| Mini / Chibi | P1 / P2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 4 cm | Standard format |
| Icons | None | 8 icons |
| Mini-game | No | Yes |
| Discipline | No | Yes |
| Growth | Baby, adult, then a secret character | Baby, child, teen, adult |
| Battery | 1 × CR2032 | 2 × LR44 on the vintage originals |
For how the classic models work, see our Tamagotchi P1/P2 guide. If you are still unsure which model you own, our guide on how to identify your Tamagotchi will help.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t my Tamagotchi Mini have a game?
Because it simply doesn’t have one. That is one of the main differences from the other Tamagotchis.
Why are there no icons around the screen?
That is normal too. Care is triggered straight from the buttons, mainly button A.
How do you pause a Tamagotchi Mini?
On the 2005 English edition only, press A and B together: an exclamation mark appears above your character. The 2017 reissue does not offer this.
My adult has changed, is that normal?
Yes. After 7 days as an adult, your character evolves one last time into a secret character, which varies with the version of your Mini.
What battery does the Tamagotchi Mini take?
One CR2032 cell. See also our guide What battery does my Tamagotchi need?
Browse our Tamagotchi Chibi / Mini units in stock and all our Tamagotchi guides.