Welcome Time Wasters!
I’m sticking to my computer this week for my time wasting needs and I’m glad I did. You see, I ended up discovering this random browser game called Revenge of Dog to pass the time with.
It is easiest to explain Revenge of Dog as an exploration game with a few puzzles along the way. It was made in seven days by the developers for the StrayJam this month. For only a week’s worth of effort, it’s an interesting game.
The main character of Revenge of Dog is, unsurprisingly, a dog. His, or hers, name is never given. This dog is left behind by their master, a jerk wearing a grey hoodie, in the middle of the night. This jerk specifically ties the dog to a tree to make sure it doesn’t follow him back to his car.
Once jerk face is out of the picture, the player can take full control of the dog. Movement is on the left and right arrow keys, the down arrow key digs, and the space bar causes our canine friend to bark. Using these abilities, players will have to figure out how to escape their situation and what to do afterwards.
It doesn’t take long to figure out a puzzle and reach the end of Revenge of Dog. However, there isn’t just one ending. The game features a total of six endings for players to find. My first one had me digging all the way to China for a new life. Once I got all the endings, I was given the title of “Explorer”. This is based on the first ending that I unlocked. There’s also title for completing each of the other endings first, but I didn’t put in the effort to do that. The game also has a few secrets to help keep it interesting.
Honestly, it won’t take players all that long to unlock all the different endings in Revenge of Dog. Most of the puzzles were easy enough to solve, but were also entertaining and clever. I spent about 15 to 20 minutes with the game, which felt about right for what it is.
The visuals in Revenge of Dog of are simple, but nice. It uses pixel art and operates on a 2D plane, which is nothing new. However, there was a lot of atmosphere in the game and it was a joy to see.
The audio in Revenge of Dog was also a treat. The background music playing during the game is somber and fits well with the nighttime visuals. There’s also an incredibly soothing title song that combines simple tunes with ocean waves. I’ve been listening to it the entire time I’ve been writing this review.
Revenge of Dog also includes sound effects that line up well. The only one that stood out as unnatural was when the rabbit runs off at the start of the game when the dog chases it. It has this cartoon-like sound effect that makes me think Bugs Bunny. This just didn’t feel right with the rest of the atmosphere that the game was creating.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Revenge of Dog. It was short, but fun. In truth, that’s really what the Time Waster is all about. It has changed over the years to include more mobile games and larger indie titles, but it’s games like this that made me want to start the piece in the first place. So go check it out if it seems up your alley.
Revenge of Dog earns 4 GiN Gems out of 5!
(Note: This game doesn’t currently work with Apple browsers. Sorry Mac users.)
What a bummer that it doesn’t work with Macs. I think I’d like this.