BackyardDog

Backyard Dog is a textless virtual pet game about caring for a dog in a backyard.

The player can feed the dog, clean poop, collect coins, and watch the dog follow a simple day-night routine. The game uses icons, animation, sound, and environmental changes instead of written instructions.

This project was made as a small personal gift and focuses on calm interaction rather than challenge or pressure.

Controls:

Click objects to interact.

Click coins to collect them.

Click the shovel when poop appears, then click the poop to clean it.

Click the food and water bowls when they flash.

Audio:

Due to browser restrictions, sound will start after the player clicks the game screen once.

Mode Switch:

The small square button in the bottom-right corner switches between two modes:

Black = Test Mode

White = Normal Mode

Test Mode makes the dog’s behaviours happen faster so the systems can be tested more easily.

Normal Mode uses a slower, calmer pace. In Normal Mode, the dog is active during the day from 6:00 to 22:00. After 18:00, the dog can have dinner once per day. At night, the dog leaves the backyard and the interactive objects are hidden until the next morning.

Credits:

Game design, art, animation, and implementation by Chenkai Wang.

Made with GameMaker.

Sound effects and music:

Free sound resources from Pixabay.com.