Swedish developer Nicklas “Nifflas” Nygren, known for indie titles like Knytt, NightSky, and Uurnog, is developing a new puzzle platformer titled Rhythm Doggo. In this neon-hued adventure, players assume the role of a human transformed into a dog, navigating a rhythm-based world where musical manipulation is key to solving puzzles. A notable design choice in Rhythm Doggo involves a network of small rooms, connected by doors, that exist outside the game's primary playable map. These areas are intentionally unreachable by players and are intended as a dwelling for the game's dog characters.
Nifflas explained his reasoning for this design in a Bluesky thread, stating that for the sake of code simplicity, he avoids excessive entity creation and deletion. When a quest is completed and a dog character is no longer needed in the active game world, it is simpler to relocate it outside the map rather than unload the entity. However, the developer expressed a feeling of unease at the thought of these characters ending up in an empty void. "I felt bad for the dog to end up in an empty void outside the map," he noted. The interconnected rooms were thus created as a space where these characters can "hang out with each other."
While acknowledging the conceptual nature of his concern, Nifflas added, "but somehow it feels like I'm nicer to them if I do it this way." He humorously speculated about the dogs' activities in these backrooms, asking, "There’s no code that makes them interact in this state, but how can I be sure they don’t go all ‘Toy Story‘ when nobody is watching?"
Nifflas has a notable history in the indie game scene, with past titles including Within a Deep Forest, the Knytt series, Saira, NightSky, and Uurnog. His most recent release was Ynglet in 2021. Rhythm Doggo does not yet have a confirmed release date, but it has garnered significant interest from players and critics alike.