DOG WITCH: A Hidden Gem Crippled by Bad Luck

The roguelike deckbuilder is a genre built on a knife’s edge of balance. Games like Slay the Spire succeed by making strategy the king, while games like Dicey Dungeons succeed by making “controlled chaos” the fun. DOG WITCH, the new title from developer Heckmouse, tries to do both and, for better or worse, lands almost entirely on the side of pure, untamed chaos.

This is a game you will desperately want to love. It’s a “dice” builder with a charming, whimsical art style, a fantastic trip-hop soundtrack, and a solid strategic foundation. And yet, it’s also one of the most “wildly discouraging” and frustrating roguelikes to release this year, thanks to a core reliance on brutal, unmitigatable Random Number Generation (RNG).

“A paw-some blend of strategy and luck! Crafting combos with enchanted dice and unique items keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting. Unleash your inner dog witch!”

The combos are indeed exciting, but only on the rare occasions the game’s brutal dice rolls allow you to actually use them.

A World of Whimsy and Chaos

On the surface, DOG WITCH is a delight. You play as a witch… who is a dog. The first thing you do is customize your pup, including fur, hat, bark, and, most importantly, “chonk level.” From there, you’re thrown into a whimsical world to battle “gun-wielding Russian Dolls,” “vengeful Cat Ladies,” and “questionable Vending Machines.”

The core loop is familiar but fresh. Your “spells” are items, and those items are fueled by dice. You combine over 150 items to find powerful synergies, summon allies like Laser Ponies and gun-toting rats, and try to survive. The art is cute, the music is a “bop,” and the “roguelike flow state” is real. It has that “one more run” magic that sucks you in.

The Brick Wall of RNG

Here’s the problem: DOG WITCH is “way too reliant on RNG.” Your entire run, all your strategic choices, mean absolutely nothing if the dice don’t roll in your favor. And the game gives you almost no tools to influence that luck.

You can have a “run-ending position far too quickly.” Players report having entire turns—including three re-rolls—where they never roll a single “bone” die (the main defense) and are forced to sit there and die on the second encounter. It’s unbalanced. You can go from one-shotting a boss to being wiped out by a basic enemy, all based on a single bad roll. There’s no “Balatro”-style mechanic to skew the odds or add dice to your pool. Your build is irrelevant if the dice decide you aren’t allowed to play it.

A Frustrating, Addictive Gem

So, why are people, including myself, still playing? The charm is undeniable. Creating a small, chonky dog named Robert and seeing him fight is just fun. But more importantly, the low price point (~$9) makes the frustration easier to swallow.

Reviewers are right to leave “positive” reviews, not because the game is perfect, but because the idea is. This game has “real solid bones,” and it feels like it’s one major balance patch away from being a true indie darling. It’s a game you recommend with a heavy sigh, praying the developer addresses the RNG, because what’s here is almost something special.

https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3548520/extras/be3f338859b592dc0ddc74d2a65f40fc.webm?t=1762511434

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Adorable Art & Customization: You can customize your “chonk level.”	❌ Overwhelming, Brutal RNG: Luck is more important than strategy.
✅ Excellent Trip-Hop Soundtrack: A perfect, dreamy, and relaxing vibe.	❌ Almost No Luck Mitigation: No reliable way to skew dice rolls in your favor.
✅ Deep Synergy Potential: 150+ items and summons create (theoretical) fun.	❌ Extremely Unbalanced: Runs feel totally unfair and out of your control.
✅ Unique, Bizarre Enemies: Fighting Vending Machines is memorable.	❌ Frustrating Progression: A bad roll can end a perfect run instantly.
✅ Great Price Point: The ~$9 price makes the flaws more forgivable.