Stealing Food and Avoiding Explosive Vodka In Russian Subway Dogs

Have you ever pondered upon the peculiarities of becoming a stray dog, having to steal food from unsuspecting humans? I know, that’s quite the specific question, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised if I told you there’s a game focusing exactly on that concept.

That game is called Russian Subway Dogs and it comes from Spooky Squid Games, the fine folks behind They Bleed Pixels (a rage-inducing, pixel-precise platformer released in 2012). This time around, the developers have come to Kickstarter with a more lighthearted arcade experience, putting players in the shoes (or, should I say, paws) of a stray dog in Moscow’s metro.

As the name implies, Russian Subway Dogs has you running around levels inspired by Moscow’s subway, barking at passersby for the chance of them dropping a tasty piece of pelmeni, kvass or other sorts of Slavic meals. Swiftly snatch said treat mid-air to fill your stamina while competing with rival stray dogs, all while avoiding flying vodka.

As I describe the concept on paper I begin to realize how absurd and odd it actually sounds. Even then, Russian Subway Dogs‘ Kickstarter page keeps expanding the list of craziness with burger-eating subway bears, the ability to heat-up fallen food with explosive vodka and a feline commander called “Proletaricat”. (Really, who doesn’t want a game that has a kitty comrade called Proletaricat?)

And yes, apparently there are a ton of stray dogs in Moscow’s metro.

Judging by what’s on display, Russian Subway Dogs is mainly determined to fill your screen with all manner of flying explosives and ushanka-wearing Muscovite commuters. I played a short prototype of the game which ran with what seemed like less than 20 frames per second. The experience did seem a bit sluggish and unresponsive, that being in stark contrast to the rather smooth footage shown in the Kickstarter campaign.

Nevertheless, I can certainly see the appeal of the game if aspects such as combos, timed challenges and different types of subway commuters become implemented. The campaign also succeeds in giving out a ton of information in regards to the game’s inspirations, its game jam inception and the team’s development goals.

Spooky Squid Games ask for $50,000, with 63% going towards actual development costs and the rest covering fees, taxes, localization and rewards. I’ve also heard that Peter Chapman will be responsible for the game’s soundtrack, which is rather great considering his splendid work on Guacamelee!.

(Ed. We’ve added the very promising Russian Subway Dogs to our Kickstarter Curator page, check it out at Kickstarter.com/cliqist.)