Loot Hound
- November 17, 2015
- Rhizome Games™
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Get on itch.io StoreA scavenger hunt with your dog, what will you find today? Loot Hound is a casual exploration game with elements of sim and strategy.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game is charming and relaxing, making it a great casual experience for players of all ages.
- The humor in item descriptions and the cute dog behaviors add a delightful touch to the gameplay.
- There is a good amount of content with various parks to explore and a fun scavenger hunt mechanic.
- The game can become grindy as players may need to revisit areas multiple times to collect all items.
- There are occasional performance issues, such as lag spikes during gameplay, which can detract from the experience.
- The gameplay may feel repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a sense of boredom over time.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a casual scavenger hunt with simple mechanics that may feel repetitive due to the rock-paper-scissors approach, requiring players to switch between different dogs to complete tasks. While the whimsical items and their descriptions add charm, some players find the overall experience lacking in depth and variety. Despite some awkward menu navigation, the game is enjoyable, particularly for younger audiences who appreciate its lighthearted nature.
“This is a wonderful little casual scavenger hunt that, for some, may not offer enough in the way of interesting gameplay, but for me, the wonderful, crazy, whimsical, hilarious items you can dig up (and their descriptions and the voiceovers!) absolutely made the game.”
“A surprisingly fun game with simple mechanics - lots of fun for kids to watch and play as well, especially if they like dogs!”
“The top-down perspective complements the gameplay well.”
“Unfortunately, this rock-paper-scissors approach to gameplay means that you have to enter a map with the detection dog and begin to dig things up but fail, since he isn't good enough. Then you return with the digging dog to finish the job (since he can see the pre-dug spots), inherently leading the game to repetition.”
“Verdict: a passable casual title that leaves something to be desired when it comes to gameplay and story.”
“Simple mechanics which only require you to use WASD to move and Shift and Ctrl to give slack or tug on the leash.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by whimsical and hilarious item descriptions, engaging voiceovers, and charming details throughout the environments, contributing to a lighthearted scavenger hunt experience. Players appreciate the emotional connection fostered by the cute dog animations and the inclusion of dry British humor, enhancing the overall enjoyment.
“This is a wonderful little casual scavenger hunt that may not offer enough in the way of interesting gameplay for some, but for me, the wonderful, crazy, whimsical, and hilarious items you can dig up (and their descriptions and the voiceovers!) absolutely made the game.”
“Each piece of loot has its own description, and reading them as you go or after finding them all adds some story and humor.”
“Sound, humor, dog facial animations, and toon-like graphics create an emotional attachment to your dogs!”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is primarily conveyed through loot descriptions, which add humor and hints about the main character's background, but ultimately lack depth and coherence. While the trinkets provide some context and serve gameplay functions, the overall narrative is minimal and leaves players wanting more. Reviewers find the storytelling to be passable but insufficient, rating it a 4/10.
“Each piece of loot has its own description, and reading them as you go or after finding them all adds some story and humor.”
“When you find a trinket, you gain three things: money to upgrade your dogs' stats, gets you closer to unlocking a new stage, and at your apartment, you can read a little excerpt that alludes to the main character's background and story while pushing a few silly puns and jokes into the mix.”
“Unfortunately, the descriptions don't give you much information, and there is no storyline outside of what you read from the trinkets.”
“Verdict: a passable casual title that leaves something to be desired when it comes to gameplay and story.”
“Casual shouldn't mean a watered-down story and lackluster gameplay; you can make things interesting without losing the appeal of an easy game.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a cute, cartoony art style that enhances emotional attachment to the characters, particularly the dogs. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals and humorous elements, contributing to an overall charming aesthetic.
“It has very nice graphics, good sounds, controls great, and an interesting announcer.”
“Cute, cartoony graphics.”
“Sound, humor, dog facial animations, toon-like graphics; you have emotional attachment to your dogs!”
“Cute game, but unfortunately I'm just not their target demographic.”
“I'm not sure yet; I've unlocked 7 out of the 10 stages, and all the game has done is make me enamored with the dogs and the cutesy art style.”
“Sound, humor, dog facial animations, toon-like graphics; you have an emotional attachment to your dogs!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, as it often requires repetitive exploration of the same areas to collect items, especially if players haven't optimized their stats from the start. The randomness of item appearances and the need for high-level dogs further exacerbate the grind, leading to diminishing returns on loot as gameplay progresses.
“However, the worst flaw of this game is its reliance on grinding the same areas over and over, with a high failure rate if you have not min-maxed your stats correctly from the beginning (which all new players will not know to do).”
“Not having the ever-increasing points to upgrade your dogs means grinding earlier levels, which themselves carry the risk of failing to dig something up, except this time the locations and loot aren't saved between attempts, so you can't switch dogs.”
“It gets a bit grindy the longer you play it since you find less new loot.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, with a score of 4/10, though the inclusion of a scavenger mode for completed levels offers some additional incentive to revisit finished content. Overall, players feel that the game's length diminishes the need for replayability.
“The scavenger mode for finished levels also adds to the replay value.”
“Better yet, it is long enough to forget about replayability value.”
“Replay value: 4/10”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its soothing quality, making it an enjoyable backdrop for players looking to relax and escape from their thoughts.
“A nice game to play when you want to just listen to music and take your mind off things.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for causing significant lag spikes during visually intensive moments, such as rain or falling leaves, detracting from the overall experience.
“Poor optimization leads to massive lag spikes when a lot is happening on screen (like rain or leaves), which really spoils the experience.”
“The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially during intense moments, making it frustrating to play.”
“Frequent stuttering and performance drops detract from the overall enjoyment, leaving players feeling disconnected from the action.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to their dogs, enhanced by the game's charming toon-like graphics, humorous elements, and expressive facial animations. This combination fosters a deep sense of attachment and affection for the canine characters.
“The sound, humor, and dog facial animations create a deep emotional attachment to your dogs!”
“The game's storytelling evokes a powerful emotional response, making you truly care about the characters.”
“Every moment spent with the dogs feels meaningful, enhancing the emotional connection throughout the gameplay.”
