Russian Subway Dogs

Russian Subway Dogs is an incredibly unique arcade-style title that excels in short bursts. With a wonderfully zany presentation and great mission diversity, there is little else like this game. Its score-chasing, shawarma-munching action is diluted somewhat by its stunted game flow and superfluous unlockables, but neither flaw results in Russian Subway Dogs being anything short of good.

92%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

97% User Score Based on 201 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Russian Subway Dogs is a single player action game. It was developed by Spooky Squid Games and was released on August 2, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Russian Subway Dogs is a fast-paced, arcade-style game where you play as stray dogs navigating the Moscow metro. Scavenge for food, dodge obstacles, and compete with other animals to survive the chaotic city commute. Use special abilities and power-ups to master various levels and become top dog.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 201 reviews

gameplay29 positive mentions

Challenging and addictive gameplay with a unique scoring system that rewards skill and strategy.
Beautiful pixel art and a charming soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Engaging campaign mode with a variety of missions and unlockable characters, providing depth and replayability.

Gameplay can feel frustratingly difficult at times, with inconsistent challenge levels across missions.
Progression is tied to score requirements, which can lead to situations where players are forced to replay levels excessively.
Some mechanics may feel overly reliant on luck, detracting from the sense of accomplishment.

gameplay
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The gameplay of "Russian Subway Dogs" is characterized by its charming chaos and engaging mechanics, blending simple controls with depth as players navigate through levels filled with quirky elements and challenges. While the core mechanics, such as barking and juggling food, are easy to grasp, they evolve into a complex system that rewards skill and mastery, making the game both fun and addictive. However, some players find the reliance on RNG and the constant pressure of the hunger mechanic can lead to frustration, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Challenging gameplay with amazing art and music.”
- “The gameplay loop is quite fun and its varied mechanics add a good amount of depth to it.”
- “It's a charming arcade game with a ton of dogs to choose from, beautiful pixel art, and an incredible variety to the standard 'bark at a dude' gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay just isn’t there at all.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay never evolves beyond the score chase aspect.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
22%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many users praising its catchy and fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The combination of upbeat chip-tune melodies and charming sound effects complements the game's cute pixel art style, making it a standout feature. Overall, players find the music to be engaging and integral to the game's appeal, contributing to its replayability and enjoyment.
- “Wonderful art style, music, it's all there for a great arcade experience.”
- “The music is very catchy and the devs are still releasing new characters and extra features into the game.”
- “The art is gorgeous, and the upbeat chiptune music suits the game perfectly.”
- “The music is also charming and fitting, so crank up your sub-woofer, and get playing!”
- “The graphics, music, and overall environment has been a perfect 10/10 and it's great to play for two hours, it's great to play for two minutes.”
- “Finally, the pixel art and music couldn't be better.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
17%
13%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their charming and cute pixel art style, which enhances the overall arcade experience. Reviewers highlight the attention to detail, vibrant aesthetics, and how well the graphics complement the engaging gameplay and music. While some note a lack of graphic resolution settings, the overall consensus is that the visuals are beautifully crafted and contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Great arcade game with a super cute art style and a charming theme that has a lot of attention to detail.”
- “The graphics, music, and overall environment have been a perfect 10/10 and it's great to play for two hours, it's great to play for two minutes.”
- “Graphics are gorgeous and masterfully crafted.”
- “Sadly, I feel like we don't see enough of that in most independent game development anymore - everyone is concerned with their aesthetic, or their trailers, or a million other things that aren't the design of an experience: the design of a game.”
- “And the graphics are better quality than an old cabinet.”
- “- No graphic resolution settings.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
53%
14%
The game's story revolves around a humorous and quirky premise where a dog and a group of street cats, led by a character called the "proletaricat," navigate the Moscow metro to collect food from unsuspecting passengers. While the narrative is simple and serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, it adds charm and depth to the arcade experience, with missions designed to align with the storyline. Players appreciate the blend of fun characters, challenging missions, and a unique setting, although some feel the story is secondary to the gameplay mechanics.
- “The story is simple but funny: a band of street cats and dogs team up in order to get the most food out of the innocent passengers that ride the Moscow metro every day.”
- “And although it is an arcade game, it does have a story/campaign mode with progression.”
- “As Russian subway dogs’ story goes, players’ dogs travel in a cross-species pack with three kittens and, in a not-so-subtle nod to Karl Marx, a cat that calls itself ‘the proletaricat.”
- “My main issue with the game is that the difficulty of the campaign missions feels inconsistent.”
- “There's a story too, but to me that is inconsequential to the gameplay.”
- “Very little story, some annoying sound effects.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its hilarious concept and execution, featuring witty dialogues and amusing scenarios involving quirky characters like street cats and dogs. Players appreciate the blend of chaotic gameplay with light-hearted, pun-filled writing, making it an engaging and addictive experience. Overall, the game is described as a delightful and funny arcade adventure that appeals to a broad audience.
- “It’s a hilarious concept, beautifully executed and accompanied by extremely detailed, high-level pixel art.”
- “It also comes with a meaty campaign full of hilarious dialogues (subway animals coming up with, hmm, let's say 'creative' ways of cooking meat, kittens engaging in witchcraft, and plenty of other shenanigans), that is both accessible to people who prefer to play casually and not engage in scoring, and those who will try to get all the s-ranks and complete the greatly inspired side objectives.”
- “The story is simple but funny: a band of street cats and dogs team up in order to get the most food out of the innocent passengers that ride the Moscow metro every day.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game boasts excellent replayability, with many users highlighting its nearly endless replay value due to engaging stages, mini-challenges, and a polished design. Players appreciate the fun and responsive controls, as well as the opportunity to pursue achievements, making it a highly enjoyable experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “This game is a lot of fun - the stages have a lot of replayability for the achievements.”
- “Nearly endless replay value.”
- “A gorgeous, polished arcade game with a meaty campaign and endless replayability.”
- “Each level also has a set of three mini-challenges, which adds to each level’s replayability.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its engaging and charming designs, highlighting their fun and adorable qualities.
- “The character designs are fun and adorable.”
- “The depth of character development really makes you feel connected to the story.”
- “Each character evolves in a way that feels natural and engaging.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional tone, combining tight action with witty humor and a wholesome atmosphere, making it highly recommended for fans of arcade games, dogs, and lighthearted fun.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in games like 4A Games' Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light is highly praised for its immersive, post-apocalyptic setting, which effectively enhances the overall gaming experience.
- “In fact, there exist extremely high-quality console games like 4A Games' atmospheric, post-apocalyptic first-person shooters Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Russian Subway Dogs is a action game.

Russian Subway Dogs is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

Russian Subway Dogs was released on August 2, 2018.

Russian Subway Dogs was developed by Spooky Squid Games.

Russian Subway Dogs has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay.

Russian Subway Dogs is a single player game.

Similar games include Downwell, Assault Android Cactus, BZZZT, Voidigo, DAVE THE DIVER and others.

Russian Subway Dogs

Platforms

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[PlayStation 4] Russian Subway Dogs