To the Rescue!

To the Rescue! is a cute management sim in which you run a dog shelter that houses and helps dogs find their new homes. Taking care of the dogs, the building, and the finances makes for a fun and highly interactive experience.

This could have been great for younger or less seasoned gamers, but poorly-implemented controls and a lack of direction hold it back

To The Rescue! isn’t without its flaws, but like a cute yet shy dog tucked away in a shelter kennel’s corner, it’s still worthy of any dog lover’s attention. It may have had a rocky start to life, but the developers have been hard at work tackling bugs and fixing issues, so it’s safe to say that any perceived problems will soon be a thing of the past. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and find fur-ever homes for pixelated pups, To The Rescue! just might be the most doggone fun dog shelter simulator out there.

If everything works properly, To The Rescue! is an average casual management sim with really cute art and chirpy music. I appreciate the work put into this game, including settings that allow players to fine-tune various aspects of the game to get the optimal difficulty level for themselves. The game could be more fun if its Shelter Construction provides players with more creative freedom. Including more unique visitors with meaningful or educational storylines could have been impactful too. However, as it stands (v1.0.7), To The Rescue! is so buggy that the bugs have overshadowed the actual game content. But all is not lost; the developers have been hard at work squashing the bugs since release. Thus, for those who wish to check out this dog shelter management sim, especially in its intended form, I’d advise waiting a bit longer.

To The Rescue! is an adorable and heartfelt management game, that unfortunately loses its way after the first few hours.

I really enjoyed the interactions with the dogs, seeing the small animations surrounding their feelings were some of the best moments I can think of while playing the game. It, unfortunately, couldn't outweigh the frustrations from the bugs, glitches, and subpar quality of the game in other areas.

To the Rescue! is a simple but complete game. It's easy to play and great to pass the time, although it's a little repetitive and has some confusing commands. It works very well in portraying the reality of foster care work, presenting all the details of the procedures and not putting seriousness aside. It is a competent management game that will meet the expectations of those interested, in addition to having the charisma of dozens of animals in its kennel.

To the Rescue! is a great addition to the simulator genre, with a fun premise and lots to do, but added difficulty settings and more than a few bug fixes could go a long way.

To The Rescue! delivers a meaningful message about animal welfare in a family-friendly package. An inoffensive tycoon game full of cute dogs and happy moments makes running a dog shelter a cheerful task. Yet, that task becomes painstakingly frustrating with a poor interface, micromanaging dozens of pups with a limited inventory and clumsy controls. It doesn’t help that there are many, many glitches and game-breaking bugs. Little Rock Games might be biting off more than they can chew with To The Rescue!.

To The Rescue! is a rewarding and fulfilling dog shelter simulation that perfectly encapsulates the challenges, stresses and difficulties of running a dog shelter while offering an addictive and meaningful gameplay loop that never gets old.