Any pet owner has had those moments where they wonder what their precious pets do when you’re not at home. I can only imagine that developer Rohan Nowell and publisher Rotub Games let their imagination run wild when they brought Doggy Don’t Care to life. Unleash chaos, solve puzzles, and leave your mark (literally) in this bone-afide puzzle platformer adventure.
If you love silly games like Untitled Goose Game or Just Crow Things, Doggy Don’t Care is exactly the type of game you will also love. A naughty little Pug named Charlie (who doesn’t love a pet with a human name) makes it clear that he truly doesn’t care when his owner leaves for the day.
Over the course of four progressively larger levels (home, a farm, an office, and a museum), you will collect a set number of treats before being presented with a series of collectible badges for that level. Each badge corresponds to a task you need to perform in the level, like a task list, to complete it and move on to the next one. In the first level, you’ll have badges like finding the TV remote and turning on the TV or finding a way to set the oven on fire.
They are relatively simple to decipher from the image on each badge, and you will have some light puzzle components required to complete some of them. Generally, interacting with things and being silly around the level will open most of them. If you get stuck, you can talk to the resident bird of the level, who will mock you for requiring help, but also give you some assistance. Don’t think too much, think like a silly puppy.
Don’t limit yourself to just the tasks associated with the badges either. You can destroy things just because, like your owner’s sofa. You can also pee on things, leave cute muddy footprints, and toss smaller items (like a beehive at a mean goose).
I loved being able to open cosmetics for Charlie, called Pawjamas and loved dressing the little cutie up.
The simple and cartoonish visuals set the tone for a game that simply does not take itself too seriously. This is also what makes it so easy to love the chaotic adventures of Charlie. Trying to figure out how to cause the most mischief, or how to unlock certain badges, results in so many laughs. One of my favourites was jumping on top of the photocopier in the office.
Doggy Don’t Care is a short game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. You can complete it in one sitting, but it is also a game that you can choose to take small bites should you choose. I am not sure how much replayability it will have, as the solutions and items don’t change.
Doggy Don’t Care doesn’t really give us anything new to work with, but it gave me a lot of laughs. If you enjoy silly games and the adventures of a small puppy making a big mess, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Until next time…be good to yourself and be good to each other.
**Special thanks to The IndiEXP for the review code**
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