Grapple Dog

Grapple Dog is a lot of fun, and for platform fans new or old it should provide plenty of entertainment. But the concept doesn’t push the ingenuity slider high enough, and many of its other tricks have been used aplenty elsewhere.

88%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

grinding, optimization

88% User Score Based on 434 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 19 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $14.99

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About

Grapple Dog is a fast-paced 2D platformer where you play as Pablo, a dog with a grappling hook. Swing, climb, and jump through levels filled with challenges, enemies, and secrets. Collect medallions to unlock new abilities and save the world from the evil kitty corporation in this charming and engaging adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+23

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 434 reviews

gameplay78 positive mentions

grinding17 negative mentions

Charming visuals and engaging character design that evoke nostalgia for classic platformers.
Fun and fluid grappling mechanics that allow for creative movement and speedrunning opportunities.
A variety of levels with unique challenges and collectibles that encourage exploration.

Repetitive music tracks that can become grating over extended play sessions.
Frustrating level design that sometimes punishes players for backtracking or missing collectibles.
Inconsistent difficulty spikes, particularly in later levels and boss fights, which can feel unbalanced.

gameplay
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The gameplay of "Grapple Dog" is characterized by its engaging grappling hook mechanics, which provide a fun and fast-paced platforming experience, especially when mastered. While the game features charming visuals and a variety of mechanics introduced throughout the levels, some players noted issues with precision and control, particularly in later stages, leading to frustration. Overall, the game is praised for its solid mechanics and enjoyable flow, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its occasional reliance on collectathon elements and difficulty spikes.
- “Gotta say that the gameplay is solid and relaxing, the songs are just so good man!”
- “The gameplay is fun, making great use of the grapple hook.”
- “The platforming + grappling mechanics feel great, which is the number one thing to nail in a game named 'grapple dog'.”
- “Unfortunately, the music repeats itself to exhaustion, the animations can't save the momentum mechanics combined with restricted grappling angles, and charm can't hold against frustrating 'you went past the checkpoint, so start the level over to try to find the purple stone.'”
- “The graphics are beautiful, but the gameplay is awful!”
- “The levels are quite long, and the main mechanic, grappling, is rather unwieldy.”
music
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
42%
11%
The music in the game is generally praised for its charm and catchy quality, contributing to the overall whimsical atmosphere. However, many players find the soundtrack repetitive, with only one track per world leading to fatigue after extended play. While some tracks are considered standout bangers, the lack of variety is a common critique, suggesting that additional music would enhance the experience significantly.
- “The visuals, the music, the sound design - everything in this game is just bursting with passion and whimsy.”
- “The movement is very fluid, the music is amazing and the overall style of the game is top notch.”
- “The soundtrack is fresh, the platforming is snappy, and the vibes are immaculate.”
- “The music is the same for every stage in a world, and while some of them were okay, others I was tired of immediately, and I ended up turning the music off for much of the game (looking at you, world 1).”
- “The soundtrack is the worst part, but you can just turn it off and listen to your own music while you play.”
- “Having one song per world is not enough at all; there is a desperate need to vary tracks with more frequency. It gets absolutely numbing to hear the same song for like an hour.”
graphics
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
30%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and colorful art style, reminiscent of classic pixel art and GBA aesthetics. Players appreciate the adorable character designs and vibrant environments, which contribute to the overall whimsical atmosphere of the game. While some minor graphical glitches were noted, the visuals are generally considered a highlight, enhancing the engaging gameplay experience.
- “The visuals, the music, the sound design - everything in this game is just bursting with passion and whimsy.”
- “The art style of this game is so freakin adorable, the story is funny, the characters are likable, the dialogue is well written and the sound effects are cute as heck.”
- “The artwork is absolutely beautiful, and the music and sound design wrap a great game up with a pretty bow.”
- “Very charming writing and visuals and a very well made game all around, however the fuzziness of the character controller against the expected precision platformer gameplay often left a bad taste in my mouth.”
- “The graphics are beautiful but the gameplay is awful!”
- “Aside from some spelling mistakes, graphical glitches and bugs, this game is definitely worth picking up for the price!”
story
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
6%
The story in this platformer is generally described as simple and lighthearted, serving primarily as a backdrop to the engaging gameplay. While some players found it charming and humorous with well-written characters, others noted its lack of depth and complexity, suggesting that the focus is more on gameplay mechanics than narrative. Overall, the story is considered enjoyable but not groundbreaking, fitting well within the genre's expectations.
- “The art style of this game is so adorable, the story is funny, the characters are likable, the dialogue is well written, and the sound effects are cute as heck.”
- “The story is simple enough to not overshadow the gameplay, but still gives you enough to keep you intrigued - and the music!”
- “Surprisingly, the story and lore are also engaging by platformer standards.”
- “Lastly, like I already mentioned, the story is pretty weak.”
- “I'm fully aware of the fact that the story was not the priority of this game, but it is also terrible.”
- “And the story, which starts insipid, becomes unbearable.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The reviews for "Grapple Dog" highlight a significant issue with grinding, particularly in the latter half of the game where difficulty spikes lead to tedious gameplay. Players found the need to collect gems and replay earlier phases of boss battles frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment and flow of the game. While the initial levels are fun and engaging, the grind for achievements and collectibles ultimately diminishes the experience, making it hard to recommend for those averse to repetitive tasks.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Sadly it falls apart a bit in the second half; once the difficulty ramps up, the game also becomes incredibly tedious.”
- “Grinding away for all 300 gems took me about 16 hours.”
- “I simply can't recommend the game. Based on the achievement percentage of only 11.7% of people having beaten the final boss, it seems like the positive reviews are coming from a lot of people who only played the first world or two, had fun (and they are a lot of fun), and then didn't play the back half of the game where things become tedious, frustrating, and lacking in flow state.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players praising its witty writing, charming dialogue, and funny characters that enhance the overall experience. The cute art style and engaging story contribute to the humor, although some players found certain characters to be bland or generic. Overall, the game successfully combines solid mechanics with a lighthearted tone, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate humor in platformers.
- “It has solid mechanics, a good skill curve, some good humor, cute characters, and a simple story.”
- “Genuinely funny writing.”
- “The art style is phenomenal, and the story is authentically generic for a brightly-colored platformer, but the writing makes up for it with lots of smart and funny lines.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of *Grapple Dog* to be heartwarming and charming, with its adorable graphics and polished gameplay evoking feelings similar to those generated by a compelling story. While the narrative may not be the game's primary focus, its wholesome nature and engaging mechanics resonate deeply with fans of the genre, creating a delightful and emotionally satisfying experience.
- “Usually I don't feel inclined to review a game unless the story moves me emotionally in some way, or I feel an opportunity to make a silly joke or something.”
- “This game isn't really focused too much on story (though one exists, again feeling very GBA-ish), but the gameplay itself had so much polish and love put into it that I'd say it may have actually reached me on an emotional level akin to what a good story would do for me.”
- “Throw in a little charming graphics and a bit of a wholesome story and Grapple Dog is the complete package.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features charming character designs and an engaging art style, complemented by smooth gameplay mechanics and a lighthearted tone. While it maintains a fun atmosphere, it also includes moments of genuine conflict that contribute to character development, making it a well-rounded platformer experience.
- “The game doesn't take itself too seriously, but still has a few moments of genuine conflict and character development.”
- “Grapple Dog combines super smooth grappling mechanics, a great sense of humour, and fantastic character design to produce a truly standout gaming experience.”
- “It's got an impeccable art style with adorable character designs, as well as really fun gameplay that escalates nicely in difficulty throughout the game.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while performance on the Steam Deck and Linux is praised as great with no significant issues, some users report lag and stuttering, particularly when restarting from checkpoints. There are hopes for future patches to address these performance concerns.
- “Decent performance on Steam Deck.”
- “Performance on Steam Deck and Linux is great; absolutely no problems.”
- “But the performance on that box was pretty bad.”
- “The other complaint I have about the game was the lagging and stuttering during the first few seconds when I restarted from the last checkpoint or whole level, but hopefully these issues get fixed in future patches.”
- “Some audio and stuttering bugs.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on the Steam Deck and is enjoyable, players report occasional minor glitches and bugs that can impact gameplay, particularly during respawning. Despite these issues, many still find the game worth its price.
- “It runs great on Steam Deck!”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense moments.”
- “I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “Pretty fun but buggy.”
- “There are some glitches occasionally, most of which are minor, but a couple did get me killed, both of which were around the respawning after falling into lava/vines.”
- “Aside from some spelling mistakes, graphical glitches, and bugs, this game is definitely worth picking up for the price!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability through its fun platforming levels, short playtime, and the inclusion of collectibles and bonus challenges that encourage players to revisit the game.
- “Fun platformer with replayable levels.”
- “It's a short game, but it has high replay value.”
- “The collectibles and bonus challenges add a ton of replayability!”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its catchy and fun music, which creates a funky vibe that sets it apart from typical platformers.
- “The music is perhaps a bit unusual, but it's catchy and fun, creating a funky atmosphere that sets it apart from your typical platformer.”