Heir of the Dog, the new point-and-click adventure from Lucy Dreaming developer Tall Story Games, is a five-star comedy romp set in Victorian London. The game, which launches today, 29th October 2026, follows the plummy-voiced toff Cummerbund Bandersnatch after he drinks an experimental “good time” tonic brewed by his eccentric uncle. The potion leaves him with a hairy problem, forcing him to stalk the foggy backstreets of the capital, cure his condition and uncover why the city’s dogs are disappearing.
A cast worth its weight in Bonios
The voice acting is a highlight. Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shaun Mendum and Old Skies’ Sally Beaumont lead a cast of oddballs who remain loveable even when they are being rotten. The performances mark a real improvement over Lucy Dreaming, which the reviewer felt was let down by its voices.
The humour starts before the player clicks anything. Instead of a dull tutorial, Bandersnatch breaks the fourth wall and talks the player through the controls himself, a clever shortcut that sets the tone for the game’s cheeky style.
Clock on, clock off
The central gimmick is a pocket watch. Winding it makes the sun set, transforming the hero into a beastly alter ego, and winding it again brings back daylight. The puzzles live in that switch. Human Bandersnatch can chat to anyone, while his after-dark self cannot speak but can sniff people, picking up information mouths never reveal.
Players bounce back and forth between day and night, discovering that a dead end at noon might become a shortcut at midnight. The mechanic is described as a brilliant brain-teaser that makes every street worth a second look.
Go on, try something stupid
The game earns its five stars through its response to player failure. Doing something daft results in a punchline rather than a shrug, with bespoke dialogue waiting for lateral thinking that the player assumes nobody has spotted. This turns failing into one of the best parts of the experience.
The plot is tightly built and holds a few surprises, and the reviewer avoids spoiling it. The verdict is that Heir of the Dog is funny, generous and packed with clever ideas, and that anyone who has loved a point-and-click game should snap it up.
Score: 5/5. Price: £16.99. Platforms: PC (Steam, GOG) and App Store, with consoles on the way. Out now.
