Why we made it
I have wanted a dog of my own. Just watching one warms my heart. But the thought of leaving a dog home alone bothers me. I cannot be there all the time, so sharing a home with one will have to wait a little longer. I have thought about a cat, too, but allergies get in the way.
That made me want to make a game about a dog. Someone on our team also loves defense games. How could we bring the two together? We started imagining a game where a sheepdog runs and barks to protect the animals.
That dog's name is Bori. “I'll be back soon. Take care of the house.” The story begins with these words from Bori's owner. Left in a foggy yard, Bori spends the day looking after the sheep.
The yard where Bori waits
Time spent with animals on screen
Games have found many ways for us to spend time with animals. We can feed them and watch them grow, or call their names and wait for a response. Some games let us quietly watch visiting cats; others put us in an animal's paws for an adventure. Even with the same animal, the role we play changes what it feels like to be together.
1995–1996 · Animals on the PC and in your pocket
In “Dogz,” released for PC in 1995, a puppy grows into an adult dog over time. “Catz” followed the next year (Guinness World Records). These were animals to keep watching as they grew, rather than something to look at once and leave behind.
“Tamagotchi,” introduced in Japan in November 1996, let people carry a little creature around in a small device. You feed it, clean up after it, and care for it when it is sick. Three buttons and a tiny screen were enough to give you someone to look after (Bandai history · Original Tamagotchi, with the original programming). There need not be a new event every time. A change in that little creature's condition is enough to make you look again.
1999 · Neopets — an online world to share
“Neopets” began in 1999. Its official description today includes adopting and caring for virtual pets, along with customization, exploration, collecting, and minigames (24th anniversary · November 16, 2023 · Official game introduction). It takes the pet beyond a room, into a world where you can spend time together.
2005 · Nintendogs — a touch of the hand, a call of the voice
Released for Nintendo DS in 2005, “Nintendogs” used the touch screen and microphone. You could pet a puppy, teach it tricks with your voice, go for walks, and play with balls and flying discs (Nintendo game introduction). The hand that usually chooses commands in a menu becomes a hand stroking a dog, while your voice enters the game. It brings choosing a care task closer to the feeling of interacting with the animal yourself.
In Nintendo's developer interview, Shigeru Miyamoto's experience of getting a dog is described as the spark for the first game (Iwata Asks · 2011). The pleasures found in spending time with a real animal became part of how the game was played.
2013–2014 · Caring on a phone, or quietly waiting
In 2013, “My Talking Tom” brought raising a kitten through feeding and play to the phone. Tom repeats what you say and responds to petting, and you can change his appearance and decorate his home (Outfit7 launch announcement · November 15, 2013). The fun of a brief conversation and the routine of daily care meet on the same screen.
“Neko Atsume,” released on October 20, 2014, keeps a little more distance. Put food and toys in the yard, and cats come to visit. You watch them play and take photos (Hit-Point launch announcement · October 20, 2014). Rather than telling animals what to do, you make somewhere comfortable for them to stay. Caring for Tom yourself and waiting for cats to visit create different rhythms, even on the same phone.
2022 · Stray — a city at a cat's eye level
BlueTwelve Studio's “Stray,” released on July 19, 2022, lets you explore a city as a cat. You meow, climb to high places, and push objects to open paths (Developer's release announcement · June 2, 2022 · PlayStation game introduction). Your role differs from that in a pet game where you provide the food. Here, you explore your surroundings through a cat's body and movements.
2025–2026 · My Little Puppy — an adventure in a dog's paws
“My Little Puppy,” made by KRAFTON studio Dreamotion, is a story adventure in which you control a Welsh Corgi named Bong-gu. It was released for PC in November 2025, with sniffing, barking, running, and jumping shaping the way you play as a dog (KRAFTON announcement · December 22, 2025). It also came to PS5 and Nintendo Switch on May 29, 2026 (PlayStation Store · Nintendo).
Bong-gu follows his dad's familiar scent and sets out to greet him. Along the way, he gives and receives help from dogs and people, moving through exploration, action, and running scenes. The creators say they hope the game offers comfort as players reflect on their relationships with dogs (Official Steam introduction). More than a dog's cute appearance, the acts of sniffing and running carry the story forward. Moving from caring for an animal to seeing through its eyes changes what the player does.
Bailey, a dog on the big screen
The film “A Dog's Purpose” is another work worth considering. Directed by Lasse Hallström, it is a 2017 film that opened in South Korea on November 22, 2018. It follows a dog searching for the meaning of its existence through life with people. Producer Amblin describes it as a family film told from the dog's perspective (Amblin's official introduction · Korean Film Council, November 2018 report · December 13, 2018).
In games, animals are often someone to feed or protect. This film also invites us to think about whose side a dog wants to stay by. The time people and animals share, and the affection in small gestures, can sit at the heart of a story too.
Bringing the group home and keeping it safe
Getting a group safely home takes different forms in games. You might make a path, herd them from behind, or build a fence before night falls.
1991 · Lemmings — a path for the group marching ahead
“Lemmings” first appeared on the Amiga in 1991. You guide the constantly walking lemmings to an exit by assigning tasks such as digging, building stairs, and blocking the way. The focus is on watching the group's route rather than expertly controlling one individual (d3t developer introduction · December 6, 2012 · Sad Puppy developer introduction · December 20, 2018). Herding has similar moments. Chase only the sheep in front of you, and another may run the wrong way. First, you need to see where you want to take them.
2009 · FLOCK! — herding animals with a UFO
In “FLOCK!” you use a UFO to herd animals back to the mothership. Fences, water, and pits stand in the way, and some places require you to move objects or open a path (Capcom game introduction · December 4, 2008 · PS3 release announcement · April 2, 2009). When moving animals, the direction you approach from matters as much as speed. It is an interesting comparison with Bori circling behind the sheep to guide them toward their pen.
2018 · Kingdom Two Crowns — daytime preparation, nighttime defense
In “Kingdom Two Crowns,” released in 2018, a ruler on horseback recruits people and builds walls and facilities. At night, the Greed attack the kingdom (Official Steam introduction). The work done by day feeds into the night's defense. Sheepdog Defense also shares one yard between day and night, but the one rushing out to defend it is Bori, under the player's control.
Bori's days and nights
By day, you gather the sheep into their pen. They move away from the direction Bori approaches. To send them toward the entrance, you need to circle behind them; press too close and they may scatter in unexpected directions. Before running faster, look at where the sheep have room to move.
At night, shadows approach through the fog. Get close and bark before they can carry a sheep away. One bark makes a shadow recoil; bark again while it is startled to drive it off. If one is already carrying a sheep, follow that one first. By day you move behind the sheep; by night you stand in front to protect them.
Gather by day, protect by night
Bori needs rest, too. Running and barking use stamina, while moving slowly or standing still restores it. Enter the doghouse to recover health and stamina. As you look after the sheep, you also keep an eye on Bori.
How to play
- Drag to move. Drag across the screen to move, or drag gently to sneak slowly. On a computer, use the arrow keys or WASD.
- Circle behind the sheep. Change Bori's position to guide them toward the pen. Gather them all and dusk comes early; otherwise, night arrives when time runs out.
- Tap to bark. At night, get close to a shadow and bark to drive it away. On a computer, press Space.
- Rest in the doghouse when tired. Move upward in front of its door to enter. Move again to come back out.
For now, the game brings herding and defense together rather than following a traditional defense format. We are thinking about how to develop the defense side further, and about making other series centered on dogs. We hope this little yard, shared with Bori, brings a little warmth to your day.