Look, sometimes it’s just nice to hang out with dogs. If those can’t be real dogs, then maybe, just maybe, happy 2D renders of dogs will have to do.

Dogs Organized Neatly is a 2D puzzle game. It is - as the title suggests - a game centred around organizing dogs of varying shapes, sizes, and colours on a grid. Why the dogs are going on the grid doesn’t matter. What matters is they are dogs, they must all fit on the grid, and they are all excited to play this game with you.

It’s delightful. There’s no other word for it. This game is a delight.

This is not a complicated game. There is no story, no nuance, nothing but the barest biography of each dog, quickly forgotten and replaced with “the corner-shaped dog” and “the giant one.” That lack of nuance doesn’t change the sheer charm of the game, however. There is something deeply cathartic about being presented with a space and the dogs wishing to occupy it, and knowing that you have the skills to make all their canine dreams come true.

On a more technical level, Dogs Organized Neatly has a satisfying difficult ramp and number of levels. Indeed, there are a seemingly endless number of doggy permutations waiting to be discovered, full of happy little faces and waggy little tails. This isn’t a game that’s here to take itself seriously, but one which recognises that, sometimes, we all just need to relax with a friend.

I’m happy to let myself just having a lovely time with a few canine companions.

Developer: DU&I
Genre: Puzzle
Year: 2021
Country: Germany
Language: English
Time to Beat: 2-3 hours