Demo code provided, with many thanks to July12 Games.
Tailgate is an upcoming adventure game by July12 Games about Hyde, an ageing Labrador retriever who wakes up to find that his beloved human, Derek, has disappeared. The dog leaves the house to investigate, only to find itself caught up in an ancient dog prophecy. The demo gives a brief sneak peek at a part of the first chapter of Hyde’s story.
The Gameplay of Tailgate
The demo starts with Hyde waking up to an empty house, and Derek, his Human, gone. We learn to use our senses, our nose and our instincts, and meet some unexpected allies along the way. The demo includes all the core mechanics – sniff mode, stamina, abilities, dialogue choices, collecting memories, and free exploration of the neighborhood. The full game will include power-up snacks, outfits, permanent upgrades, and new abilities. Overall, the game will include 7 chapters and is expected to release sometime in 2027.
Using our sniff sense, we can sniff out items and follow the scent trail. Stamina is shown on the side of the screen as a dog-tail-shaped bar. It runs out as we move around the neighborhood, and we can recharge it by resting, eating, or drinking. The world is mostly empty, which makes it a bit unsettling. We meet some animals, but no humans, and it seems that not just our humans are missing.
The empty buildings and overall lack of life, the dark colors in some places and the warm, soft light in others, give the world a feeling of something not quite right. I felt unsettled playing the demo; it wasn’t quite what I expected. That is not necessarily a bad thing; it just means the full game will probably appeal more to fans of games with more mystery than coziness.
Some Other Things
As mentioned, the Tailgate demo includes part of the first chapter. The full game, coming next year, will include 7 chapters altogether. The demo is available now on Steam here. The demo has full controller support, but its Steam Deck support is categorized as unknown.
Final Thoughts
Tailgate allows us a brief glimpse of what the world will look like if we were dogs. While the neighborhood is not exactly friendly or welcoming, the adventure is still worth it.
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