Year of the Dog is a slice-of-life game about owning a Shiba Inu in San Francisco, and it looks wonderful.
Seriously, look at these GIFs showcasing moments and gameplay, courtesy of developer @keanerie:
So idyllic~
Even the glitches look hilarious:
Some features listed on the Year of the Dog’s official website:
-12 interactive vignettes of dog ownership: Meet a furry friend, learn how to take care of him , and learn something about yourself
-Camera mode and photo album to capture and store all your memories
-Explore recreations of sections of San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district with your pal: locales like Sutro Baths, Land’s End, and more
-Encounter and get to know a neighborhood’s local characters: other dogs, other dog owners, and the local weirdos
-Minigame interludes between chapters provide fun asides and may even put you in the shoes (paws?) of the dog himself
-The story is structured an epistolary novel, following the emails between you and your partner overseas (who’s very concerned about how well you’re taking care of their dog)
-As you play, the emails to your partner are dynamically generated based on choices you made, leaving a unique record for each playthrough recounting details both banal (where the dog peed or pooped) and meaningful
-Learn what it’s like to own one of these bratdogs - those interested in getting a Shiba may consider this game’s contents as a warning