Pup Champs brings together two of my favourite things: puppies and football. The game blends tail-waggingly clever puzzles with a delightful kickabout, through a world of canine charm. Decked out in their snazzy football kits, these plucky pups are ready to dribble, dash, and doggedly defend.
You lace up your boots and hit the training pitch with your dad, a retired footballing legend, who guides you and your teammates along the way; there’s seven distinct worlds, packed with over 130 matches to master. Each pooch brings their own paw-some skills to the squad; learning to pass, tackle, and work as a team is key if you want to fetch that championship trophy.
Ruff Rules, Clever Plays
If you’ve ever wrestled with old-school sliding tile puzzles, Pup Champs will feel instantly familiar, though far more paws-on. Each level gives you a limited number of moves to dribble into position and slot the ball between the posts. You can move in any direction, but if you run out of moves then it’s back to the drawing board.
As you progress, the pitch gets trickier. Witches’ hats, roaming rivals, and shifting obstacles turn the matches into proper brainteasers. I really enjoyed how each pup had a distinct kicking style; some send the ball flying long, others pass short, straight or even backwards. Hazards like piles of leaves can cause your pup to lose the ball, while burrowing moles (the biggest match disruptors) forced me to rethink my strategy again and again.
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With limited moves, varied kick types, and increasingly chaotic setups, Pup Champs kept me planning several turns ahead. I especially appreciated the use of touchscreen controls, to quickly test out solutions (I was playing on the ROG Ally). Solving the tougher puzzles felt like nailing a last minute top-corner goal, and yes, I always rewarded myself with a well-earned puppy treat. Who’s a clever boy?
Fetch, Rewind, Repeat
Pup Champs starts off approachable and relaxing, but some of the later puzzles really had me scratching my head. But thanks to a handy rewind feature, every failed attempt feels more like a training drill than a red card.
As the difficulty ramps up and more mechanics come into play, I sometimes found myself completely stumped. I would have loved a few extra accessibility options or gentle hints to help keep the momentum going when I hit a wall.
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Drawn to Score
Pup Champs‘ comic strip-inspired visuals are full of charm, with vibrant colours and expressive animations that bring each pup to life.
The soundtrack may be a little samey, but it suits the pace; soft, unobtrusive, and perfect for puzzling. Character grunts and cheerful transitions round out a cosy, polished presentation.
Full-Time Thoughts
Pup Champs had me busting my brains in the best way. It is a smart, satisfying puzzler that blends thoughtful design with a heap of personality. The layered mechanics and comic style kept me hooked, even when I was stumped. I’ll definitely be back on the pitch soon, treat in hand, barking at the screen ready to score that perfect goal.
Quest Daily scores Pup Champs:
8/10
Pup Champs is available now on PC via Steam for $18.95, it’s also on the Apple App and Google Play stores.
A copy of Pup Champs was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
