Pupperazzi Review

Like puppers? Like pictures? Have we found the game for you! Read our review of Pupperazzi to learn more.


Published: January 20, 2022 9:00 AM /

Reviewed By:


pupperazzi header intro

Dogs are fantastic. They rank right up there with cats in the general order of “things people love on the internet” and are also tied for one of the best things in the world, along with parfaits, baby ducks, and rainbows. Indie studio Sundae Month, developers of Diary of a Spaceport Janitor, decided to harness this love of dogs, and of taking pictures of them, and thus we have their brand new game Pupperazzi.

In Pupperazzi, you are a camera with legs that moves to Muttropolis and its surrounding area and begins to make a name for yourself as a “pupperazzo.” I mean, what else are you going to do with your life? You’re a literal camera. Many dogs have requests for things they’d like you to see and find, and it’s your job to get out there and help them whilst acquiring a massive social media following by broadcasting the cuteness of all these dogs to the world. While there are a few recurrent requesters, the game isn’t terribly story or character-heavy, with the focus instead on the gameplay and the dogs themselves.

pupperazzi picture lifeguard chair
Say cheese slices!

Starting out, you have access to basic film types and camera lenses. You can crouch down to photograph the dogs and pet them, but you don’t have a whole lot of options. As you complete requests and earn “Bonks” the in-game currency, you’ll unlock different types of film such as black and white and alien-themed, and different lenses like the fish-eye and pixel lenses. You’ll also find props as you explore the world, from sticks that you can play fetch with to an evil vacuum cleaner, to give your pictures some flavor and give you more options for playing around with the dogs. It’s a solid system, and completing requests actually gets you more than just money, which helps to keep the feeling like you’re actually progressing.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot of in-world progression. While there are different times that you can unlock to take photographs, ie. the beach at sunset, and you can explore Muttropolis itself, the world feels very small. Not that it’s not populated by tons of dogs, but it would have been cool to see dogs on the moon or even something as simple as hiking in the woods. Three changes of scenery gets rather boring after an hour or so.

pupperazzi on a bike
I have been assured there are safety features in place.

Both a good and bad thing, Pupperazzi is the kind of game that it’s easy to pick up and play for a short while before dropping again. If you have ten minutes to kill, great! Get in there, take a few pics and log back out. However, if you’re actually looking to sink your teeth and time in, the gameplay gets repetitive.

The dogs themselves are adorable, and there are many different kinds to find, from Chihuahuas to borzois. Dogs take up different activities too, and you can experiment with their outfits, which is fun. However, the blocky, 3D art style of the game feels unpolished at times, which isn’t helped by the numerous bugs encountered. While none of them were game breaking, it’s hard to know how to advance when your quest objectives occasionally disappear and when dogs don’t always register correctly in your photographs.

pupperazzi bug
I'm quite certain there IS a dog there though.

Overall, Pupperazzi is a fun, light experience. While it definitely lacks polish and could use some bug-busting, it’s a nice, short game about taking pics of puppers, which is exactly what it says on the package. If you’re looking for something narrative or character-driven, you’ll do better to look elsewhere, but if you’d just like to see some cute puppers and doggos and relax, Pupperazzi has got you covered.


TechRaptor reviewed Pupperazzi on PC with a copy provided by the publisher. The game is also available on Xbox One.

Review Summary

7.0
Pupperazzi is a nice, light diversion for those willing to put up with a few bugs for the love of dogs. (Review Policy)

Pros

  • Light Experience, Easy To Pick Up For a Short Time
  • Puppers! Cute Ones!
  • System of Unlocking Camera and Film Upgrades

Cons

  • Plenty of Bugs And General Lack of Polish
  • Gameplay Gets Rather Old, Quickly

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Courtney
| Former Staff Writer

Courtney Ehrenholfer is an aspiring novelist and screenwriter, and current journalist who greatly enjoys video games, especially those of the point and… More about Courtney