Pupperazzi review – Snap happy

“Had a rough day. Send pics of your pets.”

Are you even on social media if you’ve never seen this message? Or, posted it yourself?

Well, now there’s a casual game that hinges entirely on the pick-me-up activity of taking photos of cute dogs. Published by Kitfox Games, Pupperazzi comes from Sundae Month, an indie game studio previously responsible for such titles as the child-tossing platformer Dad Quest, and quirky trash-collecting adventure Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor.

The highly stylised Pupperazzi takes place in a dog-centric universe populated by canines, with the occasional human lumbering around like some poorly programmed robot. Meanwhile, you’re playing from the first person perspective of a sentient camera, and your entire purpose in life is to take photos.

If you want to leave your understanding, and playthrough, of Pupperazzi as that, you can. You’re free to roam the game world’s locations, revisiting each at different times of day to take photographic advantage of the different lighting and weather effects. When you’re not being snap happy, you can pet all the good boys and girls, and interact with them by using found objects (also available in vending machines) such as sticks, beach balls, a Frisbee and even a music box that puts all nearby puppers to asleep.

There are advantages to engaging more deeply with the game, though. By accepting tasks from the likes of FOMO-afflicted other dogs, rude corporate cats, local business owners, and the Dalmatian-fronted fire department (concerned about the size of Muttropolis fire hydrants), you’ll be rewarded with Pupperazzi’s currency, golden bones called Bonks, as well as other benefits.

Bonks can be spent on different film types, as well as lenses and miscellaneous camera accessories. These extend your photographic repertoire along with player interest, as you have more creative options to experiment with every time the perfect photo opportunity – like skateboarding legend Tony Bark – appears.

In general, the further you advance in Pupperazzi, the more customisation choices you unlock, like the ability to edit the dress of every dog in your viewfinder. This ability is particularly useful as you strive to advance your follower count on DogNET, the Pupperazzi parody version of Instagram. True to social media, everyone has an opinion on the platform, complaining about the stylishness of the photographed dogs, how often you post – don’t spam! – and they’re especially critical of images where other dogs have slipped into the frame. Still, it’s worth persevering, because increased influencer status comes with even more rewards and opportunities.

That’s about the extent of realism in Pupperazzi, however. The game is positioned as a charming, low-stress experience for dog lovers and game photography enthusiasts of all ages. Collectibles fans aren’t left out either, as there’s a Puppypedia of dog breeds and other special in-game canines to capture for your photo album. So there’s plenty to keep you occupied, regardless of your interests. That said, you’ll probably still be done with the game in around four hours. There’s currently not that much to do unless you become obsessed with achieving unique shots, or returning to roam the relaxing game universe after a long day.

On the downside, Pupperazzi is rough (ruff?) around the edges. Playing into the stylisation of the game, dogs and other characters hop stiffly around environments, which may grate players who prefer more credible doggie animations. Meanwhile, you’re likely to encounter off-putting bugs and clunky navigation choices. For example, you can’t access your gallery of favourite pupper pics, or collectibles checklist, at will. You have to leave your current location, abandoning all unsaved photos in the process, and return to your Home base every time.

Then there’s the game’s underwhelming image sharing. When you have similar light, cosy titles like Unpacking that give players an impressive extended repertoire of posting opportunities, Pupperazzi lags behind. Or, you assume that the game lags behind because I was never able to access its album sharing features on Xbox Series X. That’s a major failing when seamlessly posting your creativity and silliness is a major drawcard for photography centred games.

These gripes aside, it’s hard to stay grumpy with Pupperazzi for long. It’s just so light-hearted and loveable. And, on the plus side, the game does have a lot of room to grow and smooth out its bumps. It’s ripe for expansion opportunities, broadening its quirky world and increasing its winning cast of four-legged inhabitants, to lure players back for a few more hours.

Pupperazzi is out now for Xbox console and PC through Steam, Epic, Windows Store, and itch.io. It’s also available as a day one release with Xbox Game Pass.