Russian Subway Dogs

I feel pretty sad giving a thumbs down to this game. It’s a hilarious concept, beautifully executed and accompanied by extremely detailed, high-level pixel art. It’s fascinating how it keeps turning silly cultural stereotypes into actual mechanics, piling up new elements until the screen is filled with the most charming chaos, and I’m surprised it got so little attention, despite the polished presentation and pure meme factor. Unfortunately, the gameplay just isn’t there at all. It is too basic, but what’s worse, it is too hard. It’s not hard in "absolute values" (in fact, it is about 2-3 times easier than [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/211260]They Bleed Pixels[/url] by the same developer, which is a title I love dearly), yet it’s demanding to the level that doesn’t mesh with the game’s inherent randomness at all. The core mechanic of "hunger" means your health is always draining (on top of all the regular damage you might take) and needs to be replenished using pickups. Furthermore, hunger increases every time you reach a certain score threshold, up to a total of 9 times, meaning that the better you play, the faster you die (in contrast to a normal health system where being good early on gives you some leeway later). In theory (I assume), this was supposed to create engaging gameplay where you’re always on the move and under pressure. In practice, it literally punishes you for playing well and creates situations where you can lose in seconds due to a temporary lack of pickups or a couple of unlucky hits. And both of those are bound to happen, considering that the other core mechanic, air juggling, is very unreliable and tricky to get right. Another problem comes from various "do X with Y while Z" challenges, which are required to progress through the campaign. These tend to force you to play in a specific, potentially risky way or wait until a number of conditions line up. They’re also considered complete only after you finish the level, meaning you can fulfill a requirement but still fail later. And then there are ranks, awarded for maintaining combos and raking up a big score, as is customary in arcade games. Strangely enough, on top of the usual optional stuff like S-ranking, they’re also required for progression after a certain point. If you don’t get a fixed minimal score, the level just won’t end, forcing you to wait in a now-empty area and helplessly watch the depleting health bar. So it’s entirely possible to be denied a clear at the very last moment because your combos happened to get interrupted while you were focused on all the other stuff. To be fair, it’s not as hostile and unplayable as it might sound when formulated like that. The levels are very short (the average is 2 minutes), some challenges actually have room for meaningful planning or provide interesting variety, and even the luck-based ones can usually be "brute-forced" within 10-15 tries. Yet 10-15 tries is still too many for something that often feels completely out of your control. And once a challenge is behind you, there’s rarely any sense of accomplishment, since luck takes precedence over skill. It really feels like a fundamental design contradiction, because the game's silly setting practically begs to be paired with some unobtrusive, casual, relaxing fun. Conceptually, Russian Subway Dogs peaks when the screen gets full of over-the-top madness, yet mechanically it makes you dread those moments rather than revel in them. RNG gameplay can still work, provided it errs on the side of the player, but if you insist on turning everything into a tight challenge, that’s just a recipe for frustration. And this is exactly how I felt for most of my playtime – neither excited nor rewarded, just frustrated.

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nice dogs

Russian Subway Dogs is a challenging, yet charming, arcade game with simple, clean, mechanics. There is enough layers here that will have you juggling food, trying to maximize combo scores. Campaign mode is well thought out by introducing you to each of the many mechanics in this game. Objectives are difficult to complete while you juggle around a very crowded and chaotic screen. There is a endless mode too, for those who mastered this game. Visually, it looks great. Nice fluid pixel art, with many characters to play as. Soundtrack is good too. Best to pick this one up during a sale. Great on Steam Deck.

One of the best! A first-rate modern arcade game with [i]inexplicable[/i] theming that adds depth on depth with each new level of the campaign mode -- and an endless, [i]proper[/i] arcade mode that will keep you gamin' well after bedtime. It feels really tough when you pick it up, so hang in there, squint those eyes, and seriously engage with the game's special [i]ballistics[/i]. Because it's worth it. Campaign is a whopping [b]36 stages[/b] in which you collect bones -- used to unlock later levels -- by completing increasingly wild challenges (fatten the bear and feed his meat to an elk! now feed an elk [i]to[/i] an elk! kill pigeons with fire breath! don't let the poodles chow on vodka-cooked pelmeni!). You can also play for [i]raw score[/i]. I had a manbaby blast doing both, S-ranking all stages and gathering every last bone to build my bony gamer throne (in my own ossified mind, [i]dawg[/i]). I haven't done every challenge in endless yet -- I guess because some of the set-up for those depends on semi-random circumstances. Game jumping is just ballistics, right? And with most games in which you jump -- like this one -- you can adjust yourself [i]during[/i] the arc. Call it [b]correctional ballistics[/b]! This game has that, in the "person" of the dog himself . . . and then it has an almost [b]reverse platforming[/b] in its [b]bark[/b] mechanic, where you come up behind guys on the platform, scare them with a canine cough, and make them toss their food or [i]explosive vodka[/i] in a -- you guessed it! -- [b]ballistic arc[/b]! Now call that [b]deflectional ballistics[/b]! You can bounce food and vodka with other barks -- and the vodka is just as important as anything, because where it lands determines what enemy animals gets toasted and in what [b]ballistic arc[/b] the Russians throw their smoking food (worth more points, more filling too)! So it's a jumping game and an inside-out jumper too! A reverse platformer! A bit of a stretch, huh? But the game is not; the game is wonderful! I just love this scruffy little Ruskie dog! I was born in the year of the dog, and I care more about cats than my own life, and this dog? This dog here completes his missions at the behest of a natty catty called the [b]Proletaricat[/b] and his gaggle of occult kittens! This dog is me, baby! (Except I'm a redneck, not a Russian. But I would totally kill a magic chicken-legged hut to feed my cats, yes I would!)

works on the steam deck

Russian Subway Dogs is ultimately more frustrating than fun. The constant hunger meter is clearly designed to create tension, but instead it often feels like an annoyance hanging over every run. The game encourages you to build massive score multipliers by juggling vodka bottles, yet every action increases your hunger and pushes you closer to failure. Rather than creating satisfying risk-versus-reward gameplay, it frequently feels like you're being punished for engaging with the game's core mechanics. The physics can also feel inconsistent at times, making already difficult situations even more frustrating. Most levels eventually devolve into desperately trying to keep a vodka bottle multiplier in play, because the score multipliers are so important. One small mistake can instantly ruin an otherwise great run. That wouldn't be such a problem if levels were shorter, but losing after nearly three minutes because of a single juggling error creates a lot of "feels bad" moments. To its credit, the game has a charming visual style and a unique premise. There's definitely an audience for its challenging arcade-style gameplay. However, the difficulty often feels excessive, and too much of the experience hinges on mechanics that can be unforgiving or unreliable. At its regular price of $14.99, it's difficult to recommend. It frequently goes on sale for around $5, which feels much more appropriate for what's on offer. Beyond the arcade gameplay, there isn't much additional content, story, or progression to keep you invested. What remains is a decent but frustrating arcade game that has some good ideas but never quite reaches its full potential.

My new obsession! I love playing as a dog that steals burritos & attacks other dogs with vodka bottles!!

One of the best arcade games i've ever played. also head hurts REALLY BAD from headbanging to the menu theme just now hoooooo boy. this ost is disgustingly fire.

I just found this difficult and dumb.