Wander Hero
Wander Hero
Game
Game2025
DOG WITCH
Developer Heckmouse
Dog Witch is a roguelike deckbuilder where your spells are fueled by enchanted dice. Combine over 150 unique items to forge ever-evolving strategies, perfect synergy combos, summon minions, and tackle an endless range of foes so bizarre, they’ll leave your tail wagging in disbelief! From the Steam store page
235 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
178 positive · 21 negative
95% range 84–93%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 178 | 21 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 10 | 0 | 25 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
351 of 378 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
89% recommend · 179 yes, 22 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 201 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (385 of 424 positive).
Players praise the game's charming art, music, and unique dice-based mechanics. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note that RNG can be brutal and hard to mitigate. [4][5][6] Some players find the game addictive and rewarding despite its randomness. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
Aesthetically very creative and pleasing. Gameplay is very disappointing. I think the largest drawback is the lack of options to manipulate dice odds. Sure there is the three-reroll mechanic that is in place so that builds aren't completely unviable, but even then, creating a scaling build doesn't seem satsifying because there's simply too little player ability to ensure or increase the odds that the right dice are …
- [1]
A lot of the negative reviews are saying there's too much RNG, and as someone who *has* bounced off of card games and roguelikes with too much RNG, I don't think this is true for Dog Witch. This game feels more about using your choices to fill holes in your character so all of your dice feel like they have a purpose, as opposed to making Number Go Up. Not to say there isn't fun synergies and effective strategies, …
- [4]
Dog Witch is a pretty fun "dice" building roguelite. The art is cute, the customization of the dog is fun, and overall it's a solid idea. That said, the RNG in this game is brutal and there's no real way to skew it in your favor except through more re-rolls (which are at the cost of upgrading a different item and you have to be lucky enough to have an item with that ability offered to you in the random offerings you …
- [5]
A genuinely fun game that gets held back from its full potential by some baffling design decisions. Combat is very reliant on RNG, and unlike with most deckbuilders, there is no easy way to thin your deck. As a result it's easy to die from simply getting multiple bad hands in a row. Especially when certain enemy types can only realistically be countered by using stun. Don't have stun in your build? Have stun but …
- [3]
Dog Witch is the best game I've played all year! This game oozes style, from the hypnotic music and unique art style to the addictive gameplay loop and hilarious encounters. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the runs are quick and varied enough that you do find yourself saying "just one more run". Dog Witch also nails the difficulty balance, you can't just roll over the early game and you have to really …
Summarised from 34 of the 236 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked DOG WITCH talk about charming art and music create a great atmosphere; those who didn't talk about rNG can be too swingy and hard to control. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 235 · most liked firstcan I show you a game in under two minutes? this is Dog Witch
neutral · AI labelView post →✨Announcement Day!✨ Back in 2021 I had the pleasure of working on this charming cute game and today it’s finally announced! If you like deck building rogue-likes you should wishlist DOG WITCH! 🧙♀️ 🐶 I’m so excited for this game to finally be out! youtu.be/TS3ijjefJdQ?...
neutral · AI labelView post →Aesthetically very creative and pleasing. Gameplay is very disappointing. I think the largest drawback is the lack of options to manipulate dice odds. Sure there is the three-reroll mechanic that is in place so that builds aren't completely unviable, but even then, creating a scaling build doesn't seem satsifying because there's simply too little player ability to ensure or increase the odds that the right dice are rolled. A build that scales on bones and summons can be ruined by a bad roll.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dog Witch comes out a week from today! I did a lot of contract work on this game, which has been in development for over 5 years. With the recent ascent of slop gambling-addiction roguelikes, I am hoping and praying that this market still wants a lovingly-crafted deckbuilder with a 0% slop factor.
neutral · AI labelView post →there arent a lot of games that let you be a dog and also not a lot of games that let you be a witch so its good this game covers those well
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Many have asked: “When DOG WITCH out? We want moar doggo.” Which roughly translates to, “When’s the full game coming?” Our answer? Soon™. Until then, here’s a little update on how Shmoo’s doing. 🐾✨ #wishlistwednesday #indiegame #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →*arf arf* What's that, boy? You're chasing after a wizard and you need to roll dice to defeat his minions? *arf arf* And this game is called DOG WITCH and it's on Steam right now? *pants* retronauts.com/article/2450...
neutral · AI labelView post →LIVE -- @dogwitchgame.bsky.social PUT CARL IN THIS GAME -- MY CAT CARL!!! We gotta find him. DOG WITCH is out now and we're checkin' it out. You can check it out here: bit.ly/DOGWITCH-Ski... #sponsored twitch.sktn.tv yt.sktn.tv
neutral · AI labelView post →Not recommended. This feels like an early access game but doesn't have the label. Either wait for updates or spend your money on a better game in the same genre. Beyond the gameplay there's a bunch of missing quality of life features that make playing it fun for longer sessions. The biggest example is no replay button after losing a run. It boots you out to the menu and you have to navigate back to the same difficulty you were on- wasting a bunch of time. Bugs are common- like steam…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1. the Dog Witch game update, which lets your dog witch turn into a werewolf 2 & 3. these creatures I found in my home, who could be dog witches, werewolves, or a secret third option
neutral · AI labelView post →www.tiny-gaming.net/posts/dog-wi... -> DOG WITCH is a weirdo little game. An essence of roguelike dekbuilders, stripped of pretense, loaded with wacky nonsense, and aiming to be a respite for genre veterans. As well as a great starting point for beginners. #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Thanks to @dogwitchgame.bsky.social for extending the Dog Witch x Muttville campaign until June 23! You can still share a screenshot of your in-game dog petting until then to help raise support for Muttville's senior pups! store.steampowered.com/app/2564820/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Dog Witch feels like a game made in the lab for me Cute, feel-good aesthetic with an weird, charming style :) The RNG is a little punishing but I made it through 🫡
positive · AI labelView post →A lot of the negative reviews are saying there's too much RNG, and as someone who *has* bounced off of card games and roguelikes with too much RNG, I don't think this is true for Dog Witch. This game feels more about using your choices to fill holes in your character so all of your dice feel like they have a purpose, as opposed to making Number Go Up. Not to say there isn't fun synergies and effective strategies, but sometimes beating the game with a suboptimal build can be more rewarding than…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dog Witch is a pretty fun "dice" building roguelite. The art is cute, the customization of the dog is fun, and overall it's a solid idea. That said, the RNG in this game is brutal and there's no real way to skew it in your favor except through more re-rolls (which are at the cost of upgrading a different item and you have to be lucky enough to have an item with that ability offered to you in the random offerings you get between encounters). You can be early on in a run and basing your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty easy to pick up, it's a roguelike where you roll dice for combat, committing them to a few systems like summons, wand charges, mana for spells, etc. The cool bit is after each combat, you can upgrade one side of your dice from the basic options to more wild / specialized stuff. Most importantly, you can customize your dog witch and one of the options is a Chonk slider. Good stuff.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dog Witch is a quirky and enjoyable casual roguelite. Not too much to the deckbuilding here - there are a few nifty synergies here and there, but mostly, good tactical play will get you through to the end regardless of your build. Simple enough for my 5 year old to get through most of a run, which accounts for a fair amount of my playtime :) Overall, would be a reasonable buy at the price. I don't recommend it because of the bugs. A recent patch outright broke leveling up. That got rolled…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →HEY! Better late than never Weeks Schedule: 🥕 TUES - 8PM - Cronos - (Cont' game) 🍆 WED - 8PM - Dog Witch / Squirrel with a G*N (New games) 🥒 THURS - 8PM - Dispatch - ( Cont game) As usual catch me live on #twitch www.twitch.tv/kayjay_fusky #streamer #vtuber #furry #gaymer #furrystreamer
neutral · AI labelView post →When I won a run, it didn't really feel like my skill or decision-making had much to do with it. I got lucky with a couple good items (killer bee corrupted wand, wreath (?) necklace). Maybe I got lucky with some stun rolls and didn't get terrible RNG with dice rolls in general. Content-wise it also felt lacking to me. There are 3 zones (forest/desert/mountain), each with 3 normal battles and 1 boss battle, with 2 additional bosses and 1 final boss in the last zone. I guess all the extra…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In-game, you don't really have to do that little roundy motion before blowing up your enemies, but we strongly recommend it 'cause it's adorable 😍😘🔥 Show some love, wishlist DOG WITCH on Steam! bit.ly/DOGWITCH #wishlistwednesday #indiegame #indiedev #roguelike
neutral · AI labelView post →HEY! Better late than never Weeks Schedule: 🥕 TUES - 8PM - Cronos - (Cont' game) 🍆 WED - 8PM - Dog Witch / Squirrel with a G*N (New games) 🥒 THURS - 8PM - Dispatch - ( Cont game) As usual catch me live on #twitch www.twitch.tv/kayjay_fusky #streamer #vtuber #furry #gaymer #furrystreamer
neutral · AI labelView post →DOG WITCH is part of the Steam Animal Fest! 🐾 It’s a good week for anyone who believes every game is better with animals in it. We sure do. Go pet, bark, meow, bite, slash, drive and maybe cast a few spells. 👉 store.steampowered.com/category/ani... #animalfest #Steam
neutral · AI labelView post →There's the bones (no pun intended) of something really fun here - the general vibes are great, the art style is fun, the music is a bop. But sadly each run is too punishingly random to be enjoyable, with too few tools to mitigate it or recover from bad streaks - It feels like no matter how you play, you're always only one or two bad turns away from failing an entire run for reasons completely outside your control (you might not roll shields, your stuns might not work, and most enemies pick…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →💖Live now on Twitch!!💖 is it a dog? is it a witch?? Debra, it's both. let's check out Dog Witch Get in!! twitch.tv/sbooskie ((Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from www.keymailer.co ))
neutral · AI labelView post →HOW DOES THIS NOT HAVE MORE POSITIVE REVIEWS!?!? WHEN THE DEMO WAS THE ONLY THING AVAILABLE I PUT 10 HOURS INTO THAT ALONE EVEN. THIS GAME IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cold outside. Cozy inside. We bring good tidings! DOG WITCH goes 20% off during the Steam Winter Sale 🐾 AND The OST is out at last and free for our Discord community!!! Grab the game. Join the coven. Be festive with us! store.steampowered.com/news/app/354... #SteamWinterSale #roguelike
neutral · AI labelView post →as a huge fan of dicey dungeons, games like slay the spire don't really capture my attention; the dice are what really make it fun for me. for a long time i've been looking for something that scratches a similar itch. nothing else has really done it for me until dog witch. the dice add the perfect amount of randomness without having to read and learn tons of different card effects and getting bogged down in lots of math. everything is simple to understand but there is still plenty of depth.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here we see the systems from King of Tokyo (the board game) combined with the same-old-same-old roguelite enemy gauntlet we see in Slay the Spire. I'll play just about any roguelite, and this one felt like the developers were just chewing up tired systems and them regurgitating them into my mouth like exhausted mama birds. I found the choices I made mattered much much less than the results of my dice. It took me a few hours of losses before I got my first win, and in every one of my losses I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bite-sized roguelike deckbuilder (dicebuilder?) where everything simply relies on 6-faced die, but their interactions are surprisingly varied. I beta tested and played 40 hours and I'm still finding cool combos! It relies a lot on RNG, on top of the usual randomness of roguelike deckbuilders the whole game uses dice so you're not guaranteed to eventually pull what you want unlike cards. Plus each level has 2 sets of possible enemies so you eventually learn to prepare for all possible…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →maybe you read my review of Dog Witch on Retronauts where I lamented my inability to topple the Wizard. Folks, I beat that Wizard and finished my 37th game of the year
positive · AI labelView post →EDIT: Played another 2 hours and still a BS final boss that's damn near impossible to beat. Steal all your die, spawn bosses, spawn minions and you can't do sh1t about it Took me until over the refund window to actually make it to the RNGesus Wizard, who I managed to get down to 50HP after he'd spawned 3 lots of 2 bosses After many, MANY, runs of dying over and over because I couldn't roll any defence or get any heals you finally get to the final boss, who just spawns the previous bosses…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its a good game, even when rng blows me up i still wanna play another one, and the deckbuilding is unique and fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →lots of different viable builds, rng is ruff sometimes, but that makes the winning runs that much more exciting.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played Dog Witch, the game NL has been struggling to beat on camera - I beat my first run...........
positive · AI labelView post →Let's get this out of the way: This game is NOT about skill. This game is ALL about RNG. You cannot influence your playthrough in any but the most superficial ways. But i still love it. I don't know if it's the pseudo-Pikmin art style, or the rapidity of the gameplay, or the simplicity of it all, but I love this stupid Dog Witch.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Real shinobi ♥♥♥♥ is no joke son. There are forces out there that can travel on a broomstick in such canine finesse that all other dogs look on in envy. This game is the reason I now study the dark arts. Recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A customized my dog to just look like my IRL dog.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's very cute but also extremely unbalanced, there's not enough ways to heal yourself so you end up going into the boss level with like 1 health. I designed my dog witch as my own dog in real life and it's been depressing watching him die over and over. I will watch out for updates and hopefully it gets better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I first played the Demo back in Spring, and was also a beta tester. I like Dog Witch, and I want to love it, but I cannot truly recommend it. Gameplay results are ultimately dictated by RNG, not skill. When I lose, I mostly think "I wish I had gotten better dice", not "Oooohh, that mistake is why I lost." A great example of this reliance on RNG hurting the game is the mechanic where enemies sometimes try to steal your dice. The only way of stopping this is to stun the enemy, and you can…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To be honest, all this game really needs are a couple of extra routes with different enemies to be a full-on alternative to something like Slice and Dice. That all being said, the extremely low number values will make you think extra hard about your moves, but the game also moves so lightning-fast that it's alright if you mess up and go for another run. I've got to dig more into the meat of what's here, but what is here is pretty fun! There are synergies, and I am curious if the one synergy…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A genuinely fun game that gets held back from its full potential by some baffling design decisions. Combat is very reliant on RNG, and unlike with most deckbuilders, there is no easy way to thin your deck. As a result it's easy to die from simply getting multiple bad hands in a row. Especially when certain enemy types can only realistically be countered by using stun. Don't have stun in your build? Have stun but didn't get lucky enough to draw any? Drew stuns, but none of them hit because stun…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tutorialization is important. I played DOG WITCH and I was shocked to see positive opinions. One negative review on demo which I agreed with - the game is just randomfest of dice rolls. ... That is until I realized you can re-roll your dice, a few times each combat round. And now game is great!
positive · AI labelView post →Dog Witch joins the MIX Fall Showcase 2025 lineup alongside a whole coven of incredible games! 🪄🐶🔥🔥🔥 And we prepared something special for the occasion 🙃😉 There's a lot going on so pour a potion, grab a seat, and watch the magic unfold! www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JoK...
neutral · AI labelView post →I would classify Dog Witch as a sort of micro roguelite. Its runs are short, the mechanics are dense and since you modify the faces of your dice over the course of the run, the complexity is incremental so that it doesn't come out the gate as overwhelming. And you can't forget the vibes. The art is insanely charming in a very goofy Saturday morning cartoon kind of way and the music makes the whole thing a sort of lo-fi roguelite to chuck dice and die over and over to. Highly recommended for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →so fun and silly and really unique !! as a cat person, i wish it was cat witch T^T
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Freaking adorable concept with fun mechanics, a fire soundtrack, and goofy charm. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far, despite only having one complete run under my belt so far. I think I ended up wishlisting and buying purely because of the werewolf update LOL. Really glad I did because omg triggering the transformation then demolishing things is super fun! You also get to customise the dog, who you can make bark endlessly when you click it in all menus and gameplays where it's visible.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DOG WITCH is a roguelike deckbuilding game that takes a ridiculous premise and transforms it into an unexpectedly clever and highly addictive strategy experience. Developed by Heckmouse and published by Mystic Forge, the game follows a magical dog battling bizarre enemies and dangerous bosses using enchanted dice, wands, summons, and strange magical artifacts. At first glance, the colorful visuals and absurd humor make the game look like a lightweight comedy project, but underneath the goofy…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →💖I forgot to list some of the game demos I played last Friday, but the list was Downhill , Dog Witch, Scott Pilgrim EX, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Demo. Loved that Pipistrello had changeable difficulty lvls which made it more fun for me to play, but the art and story was cute too.
positive · AI labelView post →fun and unique little take on the roguelike deckbuilder. much quicker runs and less depth than some others, making it a nice little game to pick up for short bursts. fun art and enemy designs check out more indie recs on my curator page: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45672474-Indie-Gaming-Weekly/?appid=3548520
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best roguelikes on the market. Some roguelikes get to complicated with maps and a billion different things contributing to your score, attack or defense but this streamlines everything while also making you feel like you are in control of your own unique build. Each run feels different and attacking the different hats feel fun, fresh and a challenge. Highly reccommend if you like roguelikes or if you are new to the genre its super simple so a great one to get your foot in the door!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An excellent doglike spellbuilder
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fun little game. I do not feel that there is a best way to play. I have found multiple strategies that all can work. The Master hat that lets up pick your build and powers up all the enemies is a really neat fun touch.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. difficult but always fun. Tons of builds and replayability.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the concept, but it needs more mechanics for RNG mitigation before I can recommend it to others. The majority of lost runs are frustrating because you have no agency.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's the same vibe as a free flash game. Very short, briefly interesting concept, cute graphics, neat soundtrack. Would I pay $10 for a flash game with a 1~ hour gameplay loop again? Probably not. $2, maybe. The gameplay is frustrating. It's a strategy game, but entirely luck based. Playing well, strategically, is far too unlikely to win you a run. There are far too many opportunities for bad luck to ruin a run.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really enjoying the game! It's simple to learn but is engaging to play. I first watched Northernlion play on his stream and loved the gameplay. It was even more fun to give it a whirl
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dog Witch is a fun roguelike dicebuilder. The aesthetic really sets it apart from its often-pixelated peers in the genre, and the music is simply great. I've been waiting for the full release since I watched NL play the demo, and I'm not disappointed. That said, the RNG is a bit swingier than I feel like it should be. It's hard to get a real build set up, as your dice rolls matter than basically any decision you make. There seem to be very few ways to mitigate dice RNG, so it's easy to lose…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it's exactly what it looks like with the added benefit of respecting your time and not overstaying its welcome a run is like 12 minutes long or something
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flawless Steam Deck integration which is appreciated! Looks really simple and limited at first glance but the (small choice of) upgrades in each run really vary things up. Much of the time you've got to jealously guard your health so sometimes a healer run works, but there are super powerful attacks if you figure out how to activate them which can lead to more of a glass cannon approach. There's very little by way of meta upgrades which is a good thing, pretty much the whole game is available…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →*Edit note: I wanted to add this note to the beginning of my review because I think it's important for people trying to decide to buy this. I've noticed a lot of negative reviews mentioning the same thing, which really annoys me, and that's the RNG. This is part of the game, this isn't a negative. If you don't like a game with a lot of RNG, don't play (and don't leave a negative review on a great game!). Because of this, I feel it's getting a bit undderated. Ok, on to my original review. ~ I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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