CANINE Review

Anything for my Dog

Oh boy, did CANINE tug at my heartstrings. This little forty minute project by PuKo begins with you travelling to a dog shelter to collect your dog, Tomy, who has been missing for a while. You’d think that it would just be an in and out job, sign some paperwork and what not, prove ownership - but you arrive to find the place abandoned, with a mutant dog-human hybrid, Reuben, stalking the premises. It’s up to you to find and rescue Tomy, whilst avoiding the towering monstrosity that is Reuben.

What follows is effectively a game of hide and seek, tied together with some minor mechanics such as finding switches and keys, and throwing tennis balls to distract Reuben momentarily. Expect to be hiding and crouching a lot, and sprinting away as fast as your legs will carry you for the remainder. There are also some minor puzzle elements present, such as locating the final switch, moving forklift trucks out of your way, but for the most part the game leans on its stealth system.

Reuben is a terrifying character, and when you first encounter him it is truly chilling. Standing at about 8ft tall on two legs, he skulks around menacingly, and if you’re hiding around a corner as he walks past, expect an increased heart rate - tension is very well handled here and the dynamic OST works a treat here.

CANINE is not the most elaborate game in the world, but it is one that tells the tale of how much our canine companions need us, and ends with a reel encouraging players to adopt dogs from rescue shelters, rather than from breeders - an honourable message for a pretty terrifying little indie gem.

Learn more about CANINE by visiting the official Steam page.

DEVELOPED BY:

PuKo

PUBLISHED BY:

PuKo

*This review was originally published in Issue #1 of Fearzine Magazine which was distributed in June 2024.

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