Stealth horror

Don't bark

A little dog, a rainy night, creepy cats. Barking scares them off – and wakes the human.

Planned for iPhone, iPad and Android (landscape)

Watch the trailer
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At a glance

Genre
Stealth horror
Platforms
iPhone, iPad and Android (landscape)
Languages
English, German
Price
Free – no ads, no purchases
Status
Beta: all four chapters playable
Developer
grubenhund games · Patrick Gruben

What is Don't bark?

You are a small dog without a collar, alone on a rainy night. Barking drives away the creepy cats – but it also wakes the most dangerous enemy of all: the human.

You never see him fully. Only light behind frosted glass, a silhouette, a shadow, a hand with a flashlight. Sneak past creaking floorboards, hide, and decide when a bark is worth the risk.

Four chapters take you from the backyard through the hallway and the laundry room all the way home. Don't bark plays offline too, with no sign-up, with touch, a gamepad or a keyboard – best with headphones.

How Don't bark plays

Sneak through the night

Gravel is loud, old floorboards creak, carpets are quiet – every step counts.

Bark at the right moment

A bark chases the cats away, but turns on the lights and wakes the human.

Hide

Wait under benches and behind furniture until the flashlight moves on.

What to expect

  • A story in four chapters, unlocked one after another – right up to the finale and epilogue
  • Quiet, psychological horror – no blood, no monsters
  • Hiding spots, checkpoints and three keepsakes per chapter
  • Dog movement based on real gaits: walk, trot, gallop
  • Play with touch, a gamepad or a keyboard
  • Sound captions, adjustable brightness, graphics levels up to “Ultra” with effects you can switch on and off one by one, left-handed mode, reduced screen shake, vibration you can switch off
  • Plays offline too – no sign-up, no ads, no purchases
  • Your progress is backed up to the cloud automatically – you can turn this off in Settings

Screenshots of Don't bark

  • The little dog lies hidden under a bench while a flashlight from the kitchen window searches the gravel path.
  • In the wet backyard a cat with glowing eyes blocks the way; the hint suggests scaring it off with a bark.
  • After the bark a light comes on behind the frosted glass of the back door; heavy footsteps sound inside.
  • In the dark hallway an old floorboard creaks, and someone coughs behind the bedroom door.
  • The dog creeps past the sleeping man's armchair in front of the flickering TV.
  • While the washing machine spins, the bark is drowned out – and the bolt of a cage springs open.
  • In the rain the freed pack gathers on the sidewalk while the dog sniffs for the scent trail.
  • The street home with warm windows – for the first time the game says: Bark.

Don't bark: frequently asked questions

Do I need a microphone to bark?

No. You bark with a button – the game does not use the microphone.

How scary is Don't bark?

Quiet, psychological horror: shadows, sounds, light behind glass – no blood, no monsters. If you are caught, you get a brief scare and carry on from the last checkpoint. The age rating will be set at release.

Are there ads or purchases?

No. Don't bark shows no ads and contains no purchases.

Do I need the internet or an account?

No. The game plays offline too, and you don't need to sign up. For the cloud backup it creates an anonymous account by itself – no name, no password. Your progress is backed up to the cloud automatically when you're online – you can turn this off on the title screen under “Settings” → “Cloud save.” Your settings stay on your device.

Can I play with a controller?

Yes, with a gamepad or a keyboard – the menus work with them too.

How does the game save?

Automatically at every checkpoint.

Help & legal

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