So I’ve been having a spin around Pet Society’s world this week - more quality Facebook entertainment from Playfish.

In a large nod towards Animal Crossing on the Nintendo platforms, it’s a character-building, wander-around-town affair. You’re rewarded for beefing up your avatar in the way of clothes, collectables and additions to your home, as well as being responsible for health, hygiene and happiness. It’s well polished and has hidden depths in the form of trophy achievements, hurdling(!) and other events.

What grabbed me about Pet Society is its closeness to the aforementioned console series whilst remaining accessible in a web-based format. Its platform also means there’s no additional financial outlay in terms of hardware for the player - find a web browser and you’re away. Admittedly it’s not quite the same experience in terms of depth, but you’ve got pretty comparable gameplay for the casual gamer without the need to buy a DS or Wii (and you can hop in and out of a stealthy game at work).

Connectivity is also made easier by being web/Facebook based. Hooking up with a friend on a Nintendo DS involves finding a Wi-Fi connection and prearranging identifying tags. Including a friend in Pet Society takes about two clicks - you’re already online if you’re playing, and your Facebook friend list is always to hand.

Obviously this is light comparison with Facebook and the console world, but it’s an area which will be opening up more in the near future. As the Flash Player advances and 3D libraries mature, there are interesting (and fun) times ahead.