Old Friends Dog Game ~ RIEview

It’s hard to believe that this is a mere beta game, especially with such a wonderful premise! The premise is that players will run a sanctuary caring for old dogs, and the best part – it’s inspired by a real life dog sanctuary! Read on to see the full review below! 

Game Plot

New town, new beginnings! You have just arrived in the nick of time to start an old dog sanctuary – with your first dog Mack! Each dog has its own storyline, and at a point in their story you will unlock the next dog and so on. All the dogs are based off real life dogs in Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, and you can also check out their real life adventures through the game’s official Facebook here.

Verdict (5/5)

I love the premise, and even more so the individuality in each dog’s story. There are points in time in the story where you have to make a choice, which does influence how the dog will react to your choices. Unlike otome and romance simulation games, there is no clear indication on how the choices you make will influence the number of friendship points gained.

Character Diversity & Personality 

Each dog has its quirky personality, like how Mack is a sweetheart and more people friendly, while Bagel is more wary about people and enjoys the outdoors. In addition to dogs, throughout the story you will interact with different characters that play important role in your journey with caring for the senior dogs.

Verdict (4.5/5)

Usually, beta phases only have brief sneak peeks of what is to come, but this is not the case for Old Friends Dog Game! The amount of content the developers have rolled out has been nothing but amazing so far, so I won’t be surprised there would be even more content when the full version is implemented.

Game & CG Art

Very cute art style, plus the artist(s) have done an excellent job in capturing the features of the actual dogs into their game counterparts. They made sure to set a warm and comforting tone that reflects the welcoming atmosphere in the sanctuary too!

Verdict (5/5)

There's nothing bad that I can say about this game. Note: You can dress up the dogs as you progress through their plot! 

Game Mechanics

Aside from giving the dogs belly rubs and reading their stories, there are other things to do in the sanctuary. You can purchase basic food ingredients to make doggie delights in the kitchen, buy new toys for the dogs (since the toys are a one-time use only basis here), and materials to build dog-friendly furnitures to decorate the sanctuary. It’s also important to maintain the cleanliness of the sanctuary, so remember to periodically clean up after the messy paw prints and random pile of dry leaves.

You can manage and edit player information in the dog blog, a place where players upload story-concurrent posts and gain followers. Followers are a highly important aspect of the sanctuary, as followers will give donations, and submit requests through Woofs Up. You can also gain items through hosting the Item Donation Stream, where players have to complete as many requests as possible during the duration of the stream. 

Ready to level up? Host the Unlock Stream, where the difficulty level corresponds with the current player level. The closer your player level is to the next, the easier the Unlock Stream will be.

Verdict (4/5)

I noticed that the biggest issue is insufficient dog coins. A lot of things need dog coins to be done, and as you have more dogs the demand increases even more. For players who want a casual game, the dog streams can be difficult and nerve-wracking. You can score higher points by not only completing as many requests as possible, but also forming combos by clearing several requests simultaneously.

In-Game Events

So far there haven't been too many events, probably because of how new the game is and that it’s in beta phase. The most recent event is the Great Barket Bake Off, which is a baking challenge where players can win cool rewards like costumes and furniture.

Verdict (4/5)

Events are key to keeping the game alive, mainly because as the affection gauge with each dog increases with each level, there’s less things to keep the player's interest. After all, there’s only so much baking and cleaning you can do before you run out of coins and/or items. Then again, as a casual game caring for senior dogs, players can simply enjoy the unhurried pace of the game as it’s designed to be.

Old Friends Dog Game is a game suited for casual players, pet lovers, and basically those who want to take a step back and care for old dogs with wisdom of their own. There are life lessons to be learnt, as players journey through the game and growing with each loveable dog. I should also mention that the developers work closely with the real life senior dog sanctuary the game is based off, which includes financially supporting the dogs with the profits made off from this game. 

If you can afford it, give your support to Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary or even your nearest animal sanctuary.

Happy Gaming!

~ RieRie