Don’t Disturb

Developer: Midnight Party | Publisher: PQube Limited | Release Date: 2016 | Genre: Puzzle / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

It is always a sad experience when a beloved pet dies, but what if a pet loses an elderly owner? This is the question that Don’t Disturb, a single-player puzzle adventure by Midnight Party, explores. It is set against a traditional Asian backdrop, where singing, playing, or causing any disturbance during a funeral is frowned upon. In Don’t Disturb, players take control of a dog who sets out on a journey into the afterlife in search of his deceased owner. It is a very short and simple game, so don’t expect it to really answer any questions about the afterlife or underworld, but it is undoubtedly a unique experience.

Don’t Disturb uses a unique two-dimensional art style for the visuals, which gives the game the look of something hand-drawn on paper. This style is very eye-catching and a good match for the mood and theme of the game. While the art style looks good, the animations used for Don’t Disturb are sparse and simple. We also encountered the issue of being unable to play the game in full-screen mode.

Starting in their home, players will guide their dog into the underworld and to the “Bridge of Helplessness” to be reunited with their owner. However, what happens when you finally complete your quest is up to the players, as the game features two different endings. Both endings are pretty emotional, especially if you are a pet owner.

In terms of gameplay, Don’t Disturb is relatively simple. The game features a couple of puzzles, but most are very easy, and experienced players should have no trouble figuring out what needs to be done to make progress. For example, very early in the game your passage is blocked by a couple of demons who demand a paper with a red stamp on it before they will let you pass. Luckily, there is a piece of paper on the ground and another deceased person waiting in line who is still bleeding from their injuries. Later, puzzles see you digging up dirt patches to collect ten coins, looking for the combination to a safe, and even helping two lost souls reunite. Your dog can only hold one item at a time, and most items can be found quite close to where you must use them, so there shouldn’t be any worries about getting stuck.

Controlling the dog can only be done with the arrow keys on your keyboard while interacting with people or objects is accomplished by pressing the space bar. It is a bit annoying that this can’t be reconfigured, but the controls work fine for the most part. The game makes it very obvious what objects can be interacted with as they will grow slightly bigger when you pass them. We didn’t encounter any issues during our two playthroughs of the game, but some players have reported issues with bugs that cause the game not to register specific interactions. Luckily, even though the game is extremely short, it has a save option to save your progress anytime.

Don’t Disturb has no speech, but the background music is rather fitting and quite mellow. The sound effects are a bit sparse, but once again, this fits the game’s minimalist style. You can interact with some of the underworld’s denizens, but since the dog cannot talk, these interactions are restricted to reading the text boxes of whoever has something to say. The English translation of these texts is a little awkward, but it is not too hard to figure out what they are trying to say. Don’t Disturb doesn’t feature any Steam Achievements, but it does have trading cards, which means you’ll have to idle the game to get all of them, as you’ll have completed the game long before all of them have dropped.

Despite the short length of the game and the technical issues, we still recommend Don’t Disturb, especially to pet owners. The game is reasonably priced and can be grabbed for next to nothing during sales. While we are not sure how much insight it really offers in terms of the afterlife and underworld, it certainly piqued our curiosity about the topic and caused us to do a little research after completing the game to learn more. Pet owners will get the most out of Don’t Disturb, but it is also great for players who want something unique and relaxing that can be completed in one sitting.