{"id":1251257,"date":"2026-03-01T07:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=612438"},"modified":"2026-03-01T07:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:47:10","slug":"where-are-all-the-good-dog-games-at","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/where-are-all-the-good-dog-games-at\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are all the good dog games at?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If the internet loves one thing, it\u2019s cats. Cat memes, cat rescue stories, cat vids. Cats have taken over people’s lives, real and virtual, and are quietly dominating the games space. Surely you\u2019ve played a great cat game in recent years, like Stray<\/em>, Little Kitty, Big City<\/em>, or the Cat Quest trilogy. I\u2019m not much of a cat person myself, yet even I fell in love with Stray<\/em> and its orange, single-brain-celled feline. Still, I can\u2019t help but lament the dearth of games starring cats\u2019 mortal enemy: dogs.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, dogs are frequently featured in games as enemies destined to be killed by the player, whether we\u2019re talking military dogs in first-person shooters or Bloodborne<\/em>\u2019s grotesque hounds. Let\u2019s reverse that trend.<\/p>\n

A dog game could be a very simple thing. Taking inspiration from Little Kitty, Big City<\/em>, we could control a wayward hound searching for a way home. Naturally, hijinks would ensue \u2014 just think of all the trouble your homebound pup gets into, and imagine the damage he could do when loosed on the world. Digging random holes, rolling through mud, peeing on fire hydrants. Chaos!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What I\u2019d really love is a dog game pulling narrative inspiration from Stray<\/a><\/em> or the heartbreaking Copycat<\/em>, which tackles themes like abandonment and loss. Having a dog is an emotional endeavor \u2014 they\u2019re not called \u201cman\u2019s best friend\u201d for nothin\u2019 \u2014 and a game like Stray<\/em> succeeds because of the emotion threaded through its six-hour playtime. No reason a \u201cStray<\/em> but a dog\u201d game couldn\u2019t do the same.<\/p>\n

Sure, there are games that have you play as a dog \u2014 Okami<\/a><\/em> is a highlight here. And we\u2019ve been able to pet dogs in many an open-world game<\/a>, while others let you get a dog companion, like best boy Scratch in Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em>. Wolves are common as well, like the titular Neva in Nomada\u2019s emotionally devastating 2024 hit<\/a>. But those aren’t strictly dog games<\/em> in the way Stray<\/em> or Little Kitty, Big City<\/em> embody the idea of a cat game.<\/p>\n

I need a game that lets me chase squirrels, get the zoomies after dropping a deuce, tear up a human\u2019s socks before giving them an adorable \u201cI\u2019m sorry (but not really)\u201d guilt face. I want a dedicated \u201csnuggle\u201d button in my dog games. <\/p>\n

What I\u2019m looking for is a rash of dog games, a wave of hound-starring adventures ranging from \u201cDog Quest The RPG\u201d to a post-apocalyptic \u201cStray Pup\u201d to a tear-jerking \u201cFrom Shelter to Forever Home.\u201d This shit writes itself!<\/p>\n

Hopefully, that wave is on the horizon, and maybe even already begun. Farewell North<\/em><\/a> launched last year and embodies the aspects of a dog game that I want out of this genre; it\u2019s an emotional adventure where you, as a border collie, restore color to the world. Ikuma<\/em><\/a> sits comfortably on my 2026 radar \u2014 blending the climbing and dog game genres, I can\u2019t wait to check it out. And Haunted Paws<\/em><\/a> is an upcoming cozy horror game where you and a friend each control a pup. Hell<\/em> yeah. Give it to me now.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, I suppose I\u2019ll have to go back to the well and replay the excellent Stray<\/em> a few more times. It\u2019s not a dog game, but it provides a great cheat sheet for future dog games to steal from.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the internet loves one thing, it\u2019s cats. Cat memes, cat rescue stories, cat vids. Cats have taken over people’s lives, real and virtual, and are quietly dominating the games space. Surely you\u2019ve played a great cat game in recent years, like Stray, Little Kitty, Big City, or the Cat Quest trilogy. I\u2019m not much of a cat person myself, yet even I fell in love with Stray and its orange, single-brain-celled feline. Still, I can\u2019t help but lament the dearth of games starring cats\u2019 mortal enemy: dogs. Unfortunately, dogs are frequently featured in games as enemies destined to be killed by the player, whether we\u2019re talking military dogs in first-person shooters or Bloodborne\u2019s grotesque hounds. Let\u2019s reverse that trend. A dog game could be…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1251258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1251257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nWhere are all the good dog games at? | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If the internet loves one thing, it\u2019s cats. Cat memes, cat rescue stories, cat vids. 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