Pup Champs review - "A cosy puzzler with good bois and good vibes"

• Cosy vibes and visuals
• Wholesome story and compelling puzzles
• Lack of a hint system might frustrate some players

There's a reason why an entire online movement exists for the sole purpose of knowing whether or not you can pet dogs in video games. Doggos always add furry fun to any experience, and in Pup Champs, you'll get to surround yourself with wholesome good bois with a bunch of cosy puzzles thrown into the mix.

It's a lovely little mash-up of genres - part football sim and part puzzler - that's made even more appealing thanks to its puppy-fied coat of paint, but is it all bark and no bite?

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Table of contents:

• Pup Champs visuals

• Pup Champs gameplay

• Pup Champs verdict

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Visuals and Story

Okay, so I know that last line made it seem like there's some sort of underlying flaw here where looks can be deceiving, but to be honest, the visuals alone should tell you just how charming Pup Champs truly is. 

The colours and overall vibes are just too pure to criticise, and because you play as a retired coach teaching your son the basics of football after seeing him fumble in your backyard one day, it's got plenty of dad-energy that I am all for.

The lovely soundtrack adds to the cosy feels too, and each level looks polished, clean, and filled with persistent puppies trying their hardest to score a goal just because it's fun. The puppies themselves are absolutely adorable - each new pup pal you meet as the story progresses (yes, there's a story!) offers an interesting skill that will switch up how you play. 

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• Finest puzzle games for iPhone and iPad

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And speaking of the narrative, the pups that join together to form your ragtag soccer team have their own little tale too, all told via comic book-esque panels wordlessly. 

Pup Champs Gameplay

As for the puzzles themselves, you'll need to move across a grid to get your ball into the net, but to score a goal, there's a limited number of moves for each puppy. Things get progressively more challenging the more puppies join the play - sometimes, you'll really have to take advantage of their special moves to get your ball across.

For instance, one pup can shoot in a straight line, while another can skip one tile and land the ball on the other side - a handy trick to have up your sleeve when there's an obstacle right in front of you that you desperately need to skip. 

Said obstacles can be anything from a messy bush to a particularly nosy mole, whom I actually feel sorry for because my backyard football shenanigans are causing quite a ruckus for his little underground home. This is where your tactical thinking comes in - how can you score your goal with the limited moves you're given?

Eventually, more and more obstacles pop up, including rival teams looking for a piece of the action. The whole thing plays out across four seasons, and you can choose to unlock all levels from the accessibility options should you so wish.

What's the appeal?

Admittedly, I went for that handy option because there's no way to skip a level if you ever get stuck - and you will get stuck at one point or another. There's no hint system here either, but I suppose the fact that you can undo your actions or start all over again from the beginning of a level should be enough of a nudge in the right direction.

That said, the frustration really will creep in every so often despite all the cosy vibes and the absence of a timer. It might be tempting to breeze through and skip all the levels in that sense, but I wanted to see how the story of the titular pups unfolded so badly that I just didn't have the heart to skip to the end.

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• Oby Adventure review - "An adorable and nostalgic platformer"

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Overall, Pup Champs offers an interesting mix of genres for puzzle aficionados and soccer fans to enjoy. It's a wholesome take on how innocent kids can be when it comes to just playing games and having fun - a welcome lesson we all need to remind ourselves of in this rough world we live in today.