Dogpile review - "Suika-esque merger where the dogs make all the difference"

I've been spending way too much time with cat-themed games lately, so I've almost forgotten what it's like to play with good doggos for a change. Thankfully, the aptly titled Dogpile has more than enough good bois to fill that gap - and before anything else, yes, you can pet the dogs here as much as you want. 

Basically, Dogpile is a mix of Suika and Tetris in that you'll pile - as the name suggests - as many dogs on top of each other as you can to fill up your yard, and two of a kind can merge into a bigger doggo and so on. Merging them means you get to free up more of your very limited real estate to make space for even more dogs, which makes for a lovely loop that's perfect for casual play.

What switches things up a bit is the Balatro-esque modifiers you get to tinker around with as you go along - some of them much-needed and some of them terribly annoying. And they're all very cleverly dog-themed Traits too, such as Barky dogs that push other dogs away and Showdog Traits that let you earn $2 when merged.

Money you earn can help you purchase stuff from the Pet Shop, but - as expected from roguelikes - dogs, Traits, and the appearance of the aforementioned shop happen randomly. After a few turns, the Dog Wash pops up, where you can scrub away any negative Traits from your doggos, like the Fleas that repel other Traits or the Sleepy Trait that makes your dogs heavier and harder to move (how very accurate).

Fail to merge enough dogs, and you eventually hit the top line of your yard, in which you'll have 10 seconds before you desperately try to merge anything before it's game over.

Now, while all that's perfectly fine, the thing for me is that I feel like the gameplay loop isn't engaging enough to keep me hooked for hours on end - but then again, I suppose it's not really trying to. The cosy vibes mean this is meant to be played in short bursts, which is perfect for mobile's pick-up-and-play nature. And while the gameplay doesn't really click with me, the presentation - which is very, very important - is everything here.

The dog-themed aesthetics and elements certainly add to its charm, especially since you get to see the hilarious reactions the dogs get when they fall, merge, or stumble into each other in the yard. Things get even more hilarious when certain Traits make your dogs zip around aimlessly, and everything spirals out of control in the yard - something that isn't too far off from reality, to be honest.

Overall, Dogpile offers a fun yet challenging merging adventure that caters to dog-lovers more than anything else. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel where mechanics are concerned, but if you're not fussed about innovations and you're happy to just tap away at cute doggos for some fast, fluffy fun, then this charming puzzler more than delivers.

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Dogpile