Railbound
Railbound
Game
Game2025
Pup Champs
Developer Afterburn
Lead a team of puppy soccer players, solve 170+ challenges and score goals in this cozy tactical puzzle game! From the Steam store page
89 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
98
LovedLoved
52 positive · 1 negative
95% range 90–100%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 52 | 1 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 10 | 0 | 22 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
55 of 56 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
98% recommend · 50 yes, 1 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 51 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (107 of 109 positive).
Many find the puzzles clever and well-balanced, with a natural difficulty curve. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note it can feel like trial and error or tedious at times. [4][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
PROS: + charming art style + chill music + a lot of levels (168+) + accessibility settings + great on the Steam Deck CONS: - can feel like trial and error - rival team cloning magic Comment: The Afterburn recipe works. And so this plays similar to their other titles like Golf Peak or Railbound. If you like those this might be right up your alley. The cute art style follows a simple but likable story of a retired …
- [1]
Afterburn is a master of puzzle games, so their next title is a must-have for all fans of the genre. This time, they’ve mixed small and clever puzzles with football. As always, they demonstrate what great design truly means. Pup Champs is a beautiful game with a well-balanced difficulty level – there are both easier stages and some very challenging ones that will really make your brain sweat.
- [8]
Another very polished Puzzle game. As with previous Afterburn titles the standout quality of Pup Champs is a very smooth gameplay experience paired with cute graphics. The puzzles offer a great variety of simple enough golden path levels and increasingly complex optional levels with a regular influx of new mechanics keeping things fresh. Most puzzles (in the first four biomes) seem to have a more or less unique …
- [6]
A really cute and well polished puzzle game anyone can enjoy! The art style and music blend seamlessly together in this happy adventure to become the best footie team this dog world has ever seen! Absolutely perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee and each puzzle feels so rewarding to solve! Highly recommend everyone to try it!
- [2]
Another hit puzzler from Afterburn! I quite like pup champs, but kind of got tired of it midway through from puzzle game burnout more than any fault of pup champs. The puzzles are fun and the difficulty curve feels natural. As another reviewer (BugFree) said, it feels like solving chess puzzles and you try to find the final position, then work backward from that final position. Similar to Golf Peaks in that sense, …
Summarised from 34 of the 87 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
98% of the 51 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Pup Champs. The complaint that keeps coming up: can feel like trial and error in some levels. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 89 · most liked firstPup Champs, our newest game is out now! 🐶Control a team of soccer-playing dogs, ⚽Pass the ball and score over 100 goals, 🧩For puzzle novices and experts alike, 💬Cute story told through interactive comic books, Get on Steam, App Store & Google Play: afterburn.games/pup
neutral · AI labelView post →Pup Champs: Lead a team of puppy soccer players and score goals in this cozy tactical puzzle game! afterburn.itch.io/pup-champs by @afterburngames.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Featured in Wholesome Direct 2024, Pup Champs is a cozy puzzle game where you guide a team through soccer matches. "Use your wits to solve over 100 challenges and become the best team in the neighborhood!"
neutral · AI labelView post →In case you didn't know, I am currently working on Pup Champs, a cozy puzzle game together with @afterburn.games team!❤️ If you like sports, puppies and puzzles, I recommend checking it out on steam and play the demo! 🐶⚽
positive · AI labelView post →Pup Champs is the Game of the Day on the US App Store! 🥰 apps.apple.com/us/story/id1...
neutral · AI labelView post →🐶 Pup Champs launches on May 19th 2025! ⚽️ You can wishlist the game on Steam or pre-order it on App Store & Google Play :)
neutral · AI labelView post →Got mad enough about Best Mobile at TGA that I went looking for great mobile games I’d missed this year. Led me to Pup Champs, the latest game from the Railbound/Golf Peaks dev. Excellent puzzle game so far. Can’t believe I missed this one.
positive · AI labelView post →Pup Champs releases next week! We're putting final touches on the game and can't wait for you to play it on May 19th! 🐶
neutral · AI labelView post →I can feel like Dogichi Isagi and i love it. Graphic is dog-like. Gameplay is quite a puzzle. but most important there is a mole in the game and i don't know if he is on my side or not Anyway first review so let's keep it positive from now on! Good Game Guys.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs is out in just 4 days! 🐶4️⃣ One aspect of the game that we spent the most time on (aside from art, UX and... well, all else) was designing "enemy" units for your team to play against. 🐂🐒🐇 We wanted their moves to be easy to grasp while also giving them enough depth for late-game puzzles.
neutral · AI labelView post →we've worked on Pup Champs for over a year and it's finally coming out tomorrow! 🥺 Please check out our game and support my sons! 🐶🐾
neutral · AI labelView post →Pup Champs launches in just 6 days! 🐶6️⃣ The game is all about planning your moves, passing the ball between teammates, avoiding obstacles and shooting some sweet, sweet goals:
neutral · AI labelView post →I've played and enjoyed the other Afterburn puzzle games, but this one didn't land for me. Instead of building and refining things like in their other games, here you're tediously looking for one specific precise sequence. Add to that the characters all appear very similar, and I found the challenge here less satisfying to overcome. Go play their other games, Golf Peaks and inbento - they're great!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent, but I might suggest starting with their first game, Golf Peaks. The style and enjoyment is similar, but this one is quite challenging, and Golf Peaks is a bit smoother, but still a good challenge. After that, if you want more, come back to this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We've just updated our Pup Champs Steam demo - featuring 30+ levels from the full version of the game and save data transfer after you purchase and want to continue playing :) store.steampowered.com/news/app/284...
neutral · AI labelView post →Coach a team of dogs with limited moves and score goals in Pup Champs by @afterburn.games, this week's #WishlistWednesday! thinkygames.com/game...
neutral · AI labelView post →Pup Champs is now available on the Crunchyroll Game Vault: App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/crunc... Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/d...
neutral · AI labelView post →We’re showing a new build of Pup Champs at Poznan Game Arena - today’s the last day to drop by and check it out! (we also had stickers but underestimated demand and they’re all gone now 🥲)
neutral · AI labelView post →PROS: + charming art style + chill music + a lot of levels (168+) + accessibility settings + great on the Steam Deck CONS: - can feel like trial and error - rival team cloning magic Comment: The Afterburn recipe works. And so this plays similar to their other titles like Golf Peak or Railbound. If you like those this might be right up your alley. The cute art style follows a simple but likable story of a retired coach helping some pups become champions (of the local park). It is told through…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some extra photos from our Pup Champs booth from last week’s Poznan Game Arena 🐶🐑
neutral · AI labelView post →Afterburn NEVER MISSES! This game is amazing
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Our new game 🐶Pup Champs⚽️ is now available on Steam, App Store and Google Play. Please check it out and if you like it feel free to give us a positive review- it means a lot to us. 😊
neutral · AI labelView post →🔹 EXPECTATIONS: a logic/strategy game about dogs and football. 🔹 REALITY: a pathfinding game about cute dogs playing football. 🔶 Pup Champs is a logic and pathfinding game where a football coach dog finds some puppies playing football and takes them under his wing (leg?) to make them win the cup. You embody the coach, but directly control the pups individually as if you were playing tactics. 🔸 The game is grid-based, so the dogs move on a board. The are 4 doggies, each kicking the ball in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs #review ⚽ Friendly match 🔹 EXPECTATIONS: a logic/strategy game about dogs and football. 🔹 REALITY: a pathfinding game about cute dogs playing football.
neutral · AI labelView post →Another cute & cozy puzzle game from Afterburn! Having finished all the base and bonus levels without the hints, I conclude that I like this one better than their previous title, Railbound, because it requires much less trial-and-error (also fair to say it is easier in that regard). The Pup Champs experience is more like solving chess puzzles: most information can be inferred and retained in one's head statically due to the effect of most operations are locally-contained. In contrast, a small…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very pleasant and well-crafted puzzle game. The deduction aspect reminds me of Golf Peaks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Afterburn is a master of puzzle games, so their next title is a must-have for all fans of the genre. This time, they’ve mixed small and clever puzzles with football. As always, they demonstrate what great design truly means. Pup Champs is a beautiful game with a well-balanced difficulty level – there are both easier stages and some very challenging ones that will really make your brain sweat.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[I listed some decent Android games I know of in a past thread.](https://sh.itjust.works/comment/12448845) The real secret is to look for board game adaptations and stuff you'd normally find on Steam. I also have expanded my list for when I have the Play credit and desire for more mobile games: * Golf Peaks, Pup Champs, and Railbound — more puzzle games by Afterburn, the same developers as inbento * Digital board game adaptations by Dire Wolf Digital, like Root, Everdell, Clank!, and the…
neutral · AI labelView post →Pup Champs on Steam and other stores. Lead a team of puppy soccer players, solve 170+ challenges and score goals in this cozy tactical puzzle game! [itch.io](https://afterburn.itch.io/pup-champs) [Play store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Afterburn.PupChamps) [App store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pup-champs/id6743483654)
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm a huge fan of this dev having played all their games and they're my favourite puzzle-specific game developer and this game absolutely delivers. The puzzles are very well done, although a few I struggled with due to my aphantasia. I think the most remarkable thing with this one is how it solves one problem puzzle games run into in that you can just go "where do I even start with this?" (Railbound - their previous game - had a few levels like that) and that's more or less solved by having…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →POSITIVES: 🙂+ 😄+ art, music and SFX 😍+ difficulty NEGATIVES: 🙁- 😠- 😡- 🔷 Find Pup Champs here 👇 Steam ⚫ store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/... Google 🔵 play.google.com/store/apps/d... Apple ⚪ apps.apple.com/us/app/pup-c... 🔹 and more puzzle games here 👇 www.youtube.com/@Mael_Duin
positive · AI labelView post →super solid puzzler, sidesteps one of my most common gripes with the genre by telegraphing, with some thought, what dog is going to score the goal and letting one work backwards from there to iteratively build a solution. it's much more solid than even railbound, which i also liked. these folks just keep improving game on game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Afterburn once again shows that it knows how to craft a challenging puzzle game on simple premises.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy and adorable puzzle game. I feel at ease when trying to solve these puzzles.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Another very polished Puzzle game. As with previous Afterburn titles the standout quality of Pup Champs is a very smooth gameplay experience paired with cute graphics. The puzzles offer a great variety of simple enough golden path levels and increasingly complex optional levels with a regular influx of new mechanics keeping things fresh. Most puzzles (in the first four biomes) seem to have a more or less unique solution and are much easier when approached "backwards" (instead of considering…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This hurts my brain but in a good way
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs Extremely cute puzzle about dogs playing tactical football. You must score a goal in each level, with limited moves and a ton of different mechanics. Somehow passing between different characters feels as satisfying as playing a real time sports game store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/...
positive · AI labelView post →#3.- Pup Champs (by @afterburn.games)
neutral · AI labelView post →🔸 Pup Champs' art is great, as is its music and sound effects. With different control options (available on PC and mobile) it has everything that one could ask to a puzzle game, and one that I recommend to everyone (all ages and profile players).
positive · AI labelView post →🔶 Pup Champs is a logic and pathfinding game where a football coach dog finds some puppies playing football and takes them under his wing (leg?) to make them win the cup. You embody the coach, but directly control the pups individually as if you were playing tactics.
neutral · AI labelView post →POSITIVES: 🙂+ 😄+ art, music and SFX 😍+ difficulty NEGATIVES: 🙁- 😠- 😡- 🔷 Find Pup Champs here 👇 Steam ⚫ store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/... Google 🔵 play.google.com/store/apps/d... Apple ⚪ apps.apple.com/us/app/pup-c... 🔹 and more puzzle games here 👇 www.youtube.com/@Mael_Duin
positive · AI labelView post →🔸 Pup Champs' art is great, as is its music and sound effects. With different control options (available on PC and mobile) it has everything that one could ask to a puzzle game, and one that I recommend to everyone (all ages and profile players).
positive · AI labelView post →🔶 Pup Champs is a logic and pathfinding game where a football coach dog finds some puppies playing football and takes them under his wing (leg?) to make them win the cup. You embody the coach, but directly control the pups individually as if you where playing tactics.
neutral · AI labelView post →POSITIVES: 🙂+ 😄+ art, music and SFX 😍+ difficulty NEGATIVES: 🙁- 😠- 😡- 🔷 Find Pup Champs here 👇 Steam ⚫ store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/... Google 🔵 play.google.com/store/apps/d... Apple ⚪ apps.apple.com/us/app/pup-c... 🔹 and more puzzle games here 👇 www.youtube.com/@Mael_Duin
positive · AI labelView post →🔸 Pup Champs' art is great, as is its music and sound effects. With different control options (available on PC and mobile) it has everything that one could ask to a puzzle game, and one that I recommend to everyone (all ages and profile players).
positive · AI labelView post →🔶 Pup Champs is a logic and pathfinding game where a football coach dog finds some puppies playing football and takes them under his wing (leg?) to make them win the cup. You embody the trainer, but directly control the pups individually as if you where playing tactics.
neutral · AI labelView post →Adorable art style and very tight puzzles, if you liked Railbound you'll definitely like this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs, crafted by Afterburn, is a delightful tactical puzzle game that puts you in the role of a retired soccer coach guiding a team of adorable pups through over 170 hand-crafted soccer-themed challenges, blending strategic gameplay, charming audiovisuals, and a heartwarming narrative. The gameplay revolves around positioning your pups on a grid to pass the ball and score goals, with each pup having unique kicking styles—like the Shiba Inu’s lob or the Labrador’s straight shot—requiring…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's incredibly fun, I haven't finished quite yet but it has gotten extremely challenging which I love for these games
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is ostensibly a turn-based soccer game featuring doggies facing off against other animal friends. In reality, it's a puzzle game where the ball needs to be dribbled or kicked around various obstacles within a limited number of moves to score a goal. Each pup has a unique kick style and distance that has to be used in turn. The opposing players will either move when you move, move when you kick, or create traps of some kind. The field also features various obstacles like leaf piles,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs - A tile based puzzle game about soccer with charming aesthetics and theme (36 reviews) store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/...
neutral · AI labelView post →This game changed my life
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Afterburn is my favorite puzzle developer, and they made another phenomenal puzzler that's perfect for relaxing and winding down after a long day. From the cute visuals to the relaxing music, Pup Champs is an excellent game that is as enjoyable as Railbound, Golf Peaks, and In Bento. Highly recommended!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really cute and well polished puzzle game anyone can enjoy! The art style and music blend seamlessly together in this happy adventure to become the best footie team this dog world has ever seen! Absolutely perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee and each puzzle feels so rewarding to solve! Highly recommend everyone to try it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs is yet another excellent puzzle game from Afterburn. The puzzles this time are based around dogs playing soccer in a 2D grid with each dog having a certain number of squares they can move on each map. Each dog has their own pass which goes for a certain number of squares, either in the air or on the ground. The goal of each puzzle is to score a goal simple as that. Much like Afterburn's other games, the charming art and intuitive tutorial draws you into its world, using minimal…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs Tactical football! It's an Afterburn game so it starts very easy and gets tricky in a way you don't expect. store.steampowered.com/app/2848800/...
positive · AI labelView post →Another awesome game from Afterburn! The graphics are super cute, and the music and story slides give off such positive vibes. Like always, you can think things through and solve the puzzles, but what I really love about these games is that you can just fiddle around and sometimes stumble upon a solution. The puzzles are getting more challenging with each iteration, but never impossible. I only used a hint once as a little pick-me-up after a long break. That said, I spent an embarrassing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super clean, original, great puzzles, recommended
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pup Champs is the fourth Afterburn game on Steam. It follows the footsteps of Golf Peaks, Inbento and Railbound. It's another puzzle game with cute aesthetics and perfect interface along with robust controls. You have 8 worlds this time with plenty of bonus levels within them. However, Pup Champs is closer to Railbound than the other games, when it comes to the difficulty of the puzzles. The first 2-3 worlds had a better balance in that they're not so complex that you feel discouraged from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun puzzle game. Gets extremely hard, but there's a hint system you can use whenever you want.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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