Spooky Squid Games’ adorable arcade game Russian Subway Dogs scampers out onto PC today. Until August 8, the developer will donate $1 from each sale to the nonprofit Save Our Scruff, which rescues and finds new homes for stray pups.
Russian Subway Dogs is loosely based on the canny canines from the streets of Moscow, which are a beloved iconic feature of the city and have inspired literature from great writers like Anton Chekhov. The dogs have been seen taking public transportation and developed a keen sense for how to beg for food from commuters.
Spooky Squid’s take is frenetic and cheeky. Your scruffy protagonist must avoid obstacles like glowing bears while chowing down on steaks and other snacks, and you receive missions from a kitty known as The Proletaricat as you work your way through the city. The game also seems to draw on Russian and Eastern European folklore, featuring an appearance by Baba Yaga‘s chicken-legged house.
The Canadian indie studio previously released the punishing platformer They Bleed Pixels in 2012.
