Doggy Don’t Care is the debut game from Australian developer Rohan Nowall and publisher Rotub Games. The indie game has already won several awards, including the Indie Showcase at PAX Aus 2025. It is an excellent addition to the animal chaos genre alongside Untitled Goose Game and Squirrel with a Gun. In this single-player simulation game, you play as Charlie, who has no qualms about causing chaos. I grew up with dogs, and Doggy Don’t Care is pretty much every pet owner’s nightmare with how we imagine them left alone. Being responsible for the carnage was a lot of fun, though, especially when it’s not my house to worry about. A demo is available on Steam, and the full game is released on September 24th.
Doggy Don’t Care, so why should you? Cause chaos and give their owner an aneurysm
I’ve had a lot of fun so far playing Doggy Don’t Care, and I’m looking forward to playing more. I’d love to know what you all think or what you’re looking forward to in the game.
Gameplay
Doggy Don’t Care begins with Charlie playing a cute, somewhat derpy dog as his owner leaves him at home. As soon as they leave, the mood shifts and the house becomes his playground (including the back garden playground). The game kicks off when Charlie is a ball of energy, so Rocko the cockatoo gives him various tasks to occupy him. Everything is fair game, from overflowing the toilet to using the oven to cause a fire. Anything fragile is unlikely to survive since all items are within Charlie’s reach. I will admit it was fun to destroy the digital house, as the game cleverly used typical household items. I enjoyed the puzzle element to achieve Rocko’s tasks with very liberal physics, but Rocko was there to give hints too.
Doggy Don’t Care seems to have few consequences for Charlie. We see little of his owner after they leave, except in Charlie’s dreams, which are a mystery so far. I hope they’re a very understanding owner. As soon as his mischief is managed, he moves on to a new area to explore and cause havoc. Starting at home, he moves from location to location, unleashing carnage guided by a feathered friend. Each level builds on the last, which helps avoid the game feeling repetitive. The locations have creative puzzles using the environment; even other animals unwittingly assist. Completing tasks smooths the way for others, and being on a roll felt very satisfying. The humour fits very well, chock full of puns and literal & figurative toilet humour. I didn’t have Charlie pee everywhere, but I understand those who do/will.
Graphics & Audio
Doggy Don’t Care is a very silly and tongue-in-cheek game, so the stylised graphics match that tone. It’s not the most detailed game, and it doesn’t have to be; I feel it actually benefits from this choice. The cartoon-like aesthetic also works well with the anthropomorphic animals, having that extra element to suspend belief. I feel having more realistic graphics would clash with the humour at the game’s core. Doggy Don’t Care ran smoothly, and the graphic style highlighted significant parts of the environment, which helped with puzzles. My only criticism is that levels like the farm could have benefitted from more dynamic backgrounds. Charlie would be running around too much for that to really affect gameplay.
While the graphics were solid, I found the audio wasn’t as strong. I felt the audio was average, with the run-of-the-mill background music. It didn’t add much to the experience, especially with the dialogue delivered in text. I would have liked more animal sounds, especially from Charlie, who barks but always at the same pitch and tone. That being said, the environmental sounds worked well, ranging from squeaky dog toys to tractors running. They were satisfying to trigger each time, rarely feeling old, especially when alongside solving puzzles.
Longevity
I am still having a fun time in Doggy Don’t Care after a good few hours, so it’s easy to keep playing. The multiple levels/locations are different enough as well to keep players engaged. Exploring and wrecking the place as Charlie easily passes the time. The puzzle hints vary in how abstract they are, encouraging you to find uniquely designed solutions. I would have liked the option to revisit earlier levels, but maybe that comes later in the game. There’s also optional content, such as the 17 dog outfits, which are an adorable addition, and 25 Steam achievements to keep you busy.
Final Thoughts
I had fun with Doggy Don’t Care, and I’m looking forward to what Rohan Nowall makes next. The game has a creative concept with Charlie the dog causing chaos everywhere he goes. The surprisingly creative levels and puzzles sucked me in and kept me playing. The visual design was very good and made up for the not-quite-as-strong audio. There is plenty more for me to see and revisit in later playthroughs. And I’m looking forward to 100%-ing the game with those 25 achievements, which is rare for me.
I am pleased to give Doggy Don’t Care a Thumb Culture Silver Award! I hope you enjoyed the review, and if you’re feeling nostalgic for other sim games, check out the review for Retro Arcade Shop Simulator.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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