Features

App Army Assemble: In The Dog House - A bow WOW experience or a little bit ruff?

Our community has their say

App Army Assemble: In The Dog House - A bow WOW experience or a little bit ruff?
|
| In the Dog House

You may recognise the name 'In The Dog House'. Why? Well, because it came out as a free flash game a while back in 2008, but since it crept out on iOS and Android we just had to rope our App Army in.

In The Dog House is a quirky puzzler where you have to guide you doggo through the house by flipping or moving sections of the level about. There are all sorts of dogs to play with, lots of toys to collect, and over 50 puzzles to get into.

That's all well and good, but what will our App Army think? Let's take a look.

yt
Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

Funem (Samsung Galaxy 8+)

In The Dog House is a game that reminds me of one of those sliding puzzles you got as a kid, where there's a three-by-three grid and one empty space, and you have to slide them around to put the numbers back in order. In this game you're shown a house split into blocks and you have to slide them around to get your dog from one side of the screen to another location.

There some other mechanics involved here though. Some blocks only slide one way, some can be rotated, some have power-lines to join up, and some make paths for lifts to travel along, etc. There are a number of dogs and toys you unlock as you play the game. The toy is what you use to coax the dog from one part of the puzzle to another, and each dog has its own little animations.

The puzzles start off easier and gradually get harder as you go. New elements are introduced along the way to keep everything fresh. I absolutely love the game and sat and completed 25 or so levels before I notice how long I had been playing. Everything is great - except the music. I had to turn that off pretty quickly, but then all was right with the world.

A small tip: they don't tell you this, but it will make the game less frustrating if you look at the blocks. It tells you how the block can be moved by the arrow pattern in the wallpaper. I didn't notice this until I was a few levels in. This is a really easy verdict. Go buy it… now.

Paul Manchester (iPhone SE)

The whole pixel art thing is getting a bit tired now, but this game is so addictive I am happy to make an exception. It's so simple to pick up and has quickly become my go-to app for a quick mobile gaming hit. The controls work great on a touch screen and everything looks clear and colourful. It reminds me a little of Framed without the theatrics, and is certainly taken back to basics in its presentation.

Don't be fooled by the cute style though, this game has some tough puzzles up its sleeve. So don't paws for thought (*groan*), grab this game today!

Steve Clarke

In The Dog House is a cute puzzler which oozes charm. The deceptively simple mechanics belie what becomes a brain taxing series of challenges as the difficulty gradually ramps up. Avoid cats, construct lift shafts, and power security gates, all in the aim of getting your dog to its bone.

If you enjoy puzzlers I can't think of a reason why you shouldn't pick this one up. It's got great art, some tough levels, and lots of dogs.

Dennis McDaniel (Samsung Galaxy S6)

In The Dog House, is an amusing little puzzler where you have to create a path inside the house so that the dog can get to his bone. The puzzles are in the vein of the tile sliding puzzles dating back many years. It adds a few new tricks, like limiting which directions some tiles can slide, fixing some in place, and the ability to rotate tiles. Different tiles include staircases, dumbwaiters, and secret passages through matched sets of doors.

The mechanics are pretty simple, but the puzzles get challenging pretty quickly. Some require moving the dog in stages so that tiles at the beginning of the path can be used to complete the remainder of the path. In these cases, the tile with the dog on it cannot be moved until the dog leaves it. Other puzzles introduce a cat (avoid at all costs).

The graphics are well-done pixel graphics with appropriately cute animations for the dog. The music is a fitting, if repetitive, chiptune track of good quality. Though, I quickly tired of it and turned it off.

Completing certain levels unlocks other treats such a a tennis ball or rubber duck. Other levels will reward a different breed of dog. None of these appear to change the gameplay that I can see.

I did have a few niggles with the game. For instance, there's virtually no instruction or tutorial beyond a couple of levels to teach you the basics, so it took me a few minutes to understand that the background wallpaper pattern in each room tile indicates which directions that tile may move. However, I found it to not always be accurate. There were several instances where I found tiles indicating full movement, but the tile wouldn't budge.

Overall, I think it's a well-produced game. However, there isn't a lot of variety in the core gameplay beyond introducing a few obstacles. If you're a fan of this type of game you'll probably enjoy it, but I think $3.99 is a little high in the current market for a game of this type. Put it on your wishlist and watch for a sale.

Fernando Panero

The game is just about sliding and rotating tiles to let the dog reach its toy by connecting tiles together. While the first levels were fun, I reached level 21 and it became tedious and frustrating. I guess it's just not my type of game. I was hoping for some more content.

For puzzle fans this could be fun. Not to me, however. I don't think it's worth the full price. Maybe $2 is more accurate. There are some unlockables that are aesthetic-only. But, nothing much else.

Ed Davis (iPad 6)

This is a simple puzzler where the gradually-growing difficulty will almost keep you hooked just to find out what new mechanics it will offer. I played this on an iPad 6 and it felt like the perfect screen size (although, I don't feel an iPhone would be too small).

It felt responsive and it's a well-polished game. The music is charming with simple sound effects that make for an all-round pleasant experience. I feel that any puzzle fan would enjoy this one as it offers something that many others have tried, but this manages to keep you interested far longer.

Dries Pretorius (iPad Air)

I love Framed - it was just over too quickly. Nitrome puts its signature Arcade spin and pixelated aesthetic on the formula. The goal across levels remains the same: lure your dog to the exit using his treat to move him through a sliding array of room-panels.

As the puzzles progress, more gameplay elements are thrown in. The difficulty curve is smooth and the puzzle design reaches challenging depths. It is a solid title and my favorite game by Nitrome so far. I highly recommend it to those who enjoyed Framed and fans of puzzle games in general.

Rahul Mazumdar (iPhone 6)

As soon as you enter the game you can clearly see the Nitrome charm all over it. It's a puzzler at heart where you need to rearrange room-like tiles to get your dog to the end of the level.

The game has a very minimal FTUE (first time user experience) and puts you right in the hot seat. The puzzles start off relatively easy, but soon become more complex. The graphics are what you've come to expect from a Nitrome game and the animations are smooth. The audio is on-point as well with the simplistic gameplay.

There’s nothing here not to like. If you are a puzzler fan with a love for dogs, this is a relaxing puzzler that you ought to have in your collection.

Quincy Jones (iPhone 8 Plus)

Nitrome does it again. In The Dog House has a charm that's hard to miss. Its simple controls help make this an instant classic. The puzzles are fun and only increases difficulty as you progress.

Even though the other dogs are cosmetic I still enjoyed seeing them in action. I definitely recommend this one.

Jason Rosner

Nitrome's In The Dog House is best described as a puzzle platformer with a simple premise: get your dog to their bone. That sounds easy, but the challenge comes in by how the various stages are all mixed up.

The levels are designed like a puzzle - you shift pieces around to create open paths for your furry friend to reach the goal. Nitrome is one of my favorite developers thanks to their creative sense of charm. Their unique brand of polished, beautiful graphics and great sound is on display here once again.

Swapnil Kumar (Lenovo K4 Note)

I got a chance to play this 'charming, yet not quite there' puzzler. The charm obviously lies in the doggie reaching his bone, while making its way through a bunch of different puzzles. It reminds of Noodlecake's excellent game, Framed. But, this one has that retro pixelated charm.

The controls are smooth, and the animations and transitions, are top notch. Then again, its too nice to enjoy it for a long time. It lacked the sense of grit and challenge that Framed offers. Also, in order to keep that retro feel, the UI is a bit confusing. If you're a new gamer, you'll find the buttons on the top right hard to follow.

It's a charmer alright, but that's all it did for me. If you're a sucker for charmers, however, go right ahead. It won't disappoint you.

Oksana Ryan (iPad Pro)

This is a brilliant sliding puzzler. It starts off easy enough as you move the dog's bone to another location, ensuring there is a clear path for him to reach it. Then the puzzles get more and more complex and you think it's impossible to complete. But, suddenly the solution comes to you and it seems so obvious you wonder why you didn't see it before.

The graphics are great, but unfortunately the music is repetitive and the game is best played without it. The game itself is straightforward and it's very easy to just pick up and play. It's a game that is perfect, whether you want to play in short bursts or for longer periods, and as far as puzzle games go this one is definitely a winner.

Raman Sharma (iPhone 6s)

In The Dog House is about throwing your dog's bone/ball to a place and making sure your dog can reach it. That sounds easy, but try it once. The puzzles are a lot like the sort you've seen in the Framed series.

The initial few five or six levels are very easy, but then the difficulty starts ramping up. The music is okay and the controls could have been better. The positive of the game is that it keeps the user engaging by unlocking new dogs and artefacts. The animations are smooth and, overall, I loved the game.

What is the App Army?

The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this.

To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!
Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.