Wobbledogs Review: dog breed dog world
Have you ever wondered what it’d be like if Spore and Viva Pinata had a dog egg? And then that dog egg hatched into a dog and bred with another dog to fertilize another dog egg? And then generations later you have dogs with wings, 3 – 6 legs (or none at all) and a variety of tails? And then they eventually die and come back to hang out with your current dogs as ghosts as part of the circle of dog life? No? Just me?
Okay listen, it’s a legitimate TRAVESTY that Viva Pinata is not easily accessible on PCs (I gave up and just stuck to the DS version), but we’re lucky that Wobbledogs has stepped up to fill the void. Developed by Animal Uprising and published by Secret Mode, Wobbledogs is the dog-breeding game of our wildest dreams. Available on PC for only $19.99, I’ve already spent nearly 20 hours over the course of 2 days just feeding, breeding, and repeating, trying to get the most ridiculous dogs known to man or canine (and having a great time while I’m at it!).
For those who have played both Spore and Viva Pinata, you’re already off to a good start in terms of understanding Wobbledogs. Players will have a room with an incubator, a food machine, and, of course, a dog. The dog needs to be taken care of, so be sure to watch its hunger, sleep, and entertainment meters and keep them as filled to the top as possible. To do this, make sure you feed the dog regularly, tell it to go to sleep when it gets tired, and keep plenty of toys on paw; when in doubt, blast some music (the dogs love to dance!) and be sure to get those chin scratches in — it should go without saying, but yes, not only can you pet the dog in Wobbledogs, it’s highly, highly recommended that you do.
The central focus of Wobbledogs is breeding, which is impacted by several factors. First, the parents’ phenotypes — long, short, blue, red, winged, 3-legged, etc. Second, the gut flora, or the microbes from various foods that live in the Wobbledogs stomachs after they’ve been ingested. Some foods will encourage body type and size adjustments, while other foods will manipulate nose shape, color changes, and more. Be sure to feed your dogs a wide variety of foods to generate dramatically different dogs in your care!
Once your dogs have grown from puppy to adulthood (they’ll have several pupating stages — get it?), they’re ready for breeding — head to the simulation chambers to pick up a pup that’s right for you! Whether by accepting the first roll of the dice or continuously crossbreeding until you break the simulation, a new dog is just a few clicks away! Ermm, I guess I should say, a few clicks away AND some dog egg fertilization, that is.
In a nutshell (dog eggshell?) that’s Wobbledogs for you — feed, breed, repeat — but every aspect about this game comes together in such a way that created a full blown addiction in me. The colors are bright and vivid, the core loop is balanced in such a way that it’s not a true idle game but it’s also not too time-intensive, and the music is chill and relaxing. Decorating is actually really fun, and that UI is straight out of the 90s/Y2K era (glorious). And did I mention it’s funny? I mean, it’s a clearly ridiculous game, but there are so many little humorous details that add to the super silly tone; you can tell the dev team had a blast making Wobbledogs!
There is so much to love about Wobbledogs, it’s hard to just narrow it down to one or two talking points; however, I have to point out one endearing factor that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen in gaming (or honestly media in general outside of a documentary) and that’s the very nature of the Wobbledogs. The confusingly egg-hatched canines seem to be based off a condition called “cerebellar hypoplasia,” or CH, wherein the cerebellum (the part of the brain responsible for movement and balance) is malformed. Dogs and cats with CH can express this by walking with a bit of a wobble or flat out being unable to stand without losing balance, all activities being done in a lying down position. Wobbledogs is no different, the dogs running the gamut from standard silly dog with some slight wobbling to living life entirely off their paws.
What’s nice about these CH pups is that they’re not restricted to the ground; in an act of kindness for both players and pets, Wobbledogs features a gravitational device that can manipulate the gravity of any given room. This is immeasurably helpful when you have dogs that can no longer stand on Earth due to completely mismatched front and back legs but can soar on the Moon (literally). The fact that CH dogs were not only featured, but celebrated and then accommodated for in light-hearted and silly ways not only made the game more interesting, but more endearing.
I have nothing but praise for Wobbledogs. It’s ridiculous yet captivating, its enduring adorability carrying players through the occasional wait times between prayers to the RNG gods (spindly Wobbledog why are you so hard to get??!). If you loved Spore and Viva Pinata and want the perfect blend between the pair, it’d be a doggone shame if you passed up Wobbledogs.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: PC (reviewed); Publisher: Secret Mode; Developer: Animal Uprising; Players: 1; Released: March 15, 2022; MSRP: $19.99
Editor’s note: This review is based on a digital copy of Wobbledogs provided by the publisher.
