Well, this is a different game! Haunted Paws takes two adorable puppies, or even a cat in disguise, and throws them into a spooky mystery involving a missing human, a smashed window and plenty of clues to uncover. After playing the Steam demo, this is definitely one I'll be coming back to.

An Adventure That Is Anything but Ordinary

Every so often, a game comes along that makes you stop and think, "Well, this is different." That is exactly how I felt when I started playing Haunted Paws, a charming yet mysterious adventure that manages to combine adorable animals, spooky surroundings and a surprisingly intriguing storyline.

Developed by LazyFlock, Haunted Paws is a cooperative adventure where two puppies set out to rescue the

ir human from a haunted mansion. However, if being a dog isn't quite your thing, there is also the rather brilliant option of playing as a cat wearing a dog disguise.

Yes, you read that correctly. A cat pretending to be a dog.

Before you even get into the mystery, that little detail tells you a lot about the personality of this game. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but underneath the cute appearance, there is a much darker adventure waiting to be discovered.

What starts as a seemingly innocent experience quickly becomes a mission to find out what has happened to your human. There are clues to investigate, strange environments to explore and plenty of unanswered questions.

And after spending some time with the demo, I can safely say that Haunted Paws has caught my attention.

A Smashed Window and a Missing Human

The mystery is real, and Haunted Paws wastes little time giving you a reason to start investigating.

With a smashed window and clues waiting to be discovered, you find yourself trying to piece together what happened to the person these animals care about most.

It is such a simple idea, but that simplicity works incredibly well.

Rather than playing as a detective, police officer or supernatural investigator, you're approaching the situation from the perspective of a small animal whose main concern is finding their human.

That changes the feeling of the entire adventure.

The smashed window immediately raises questions. What happened here? Who was responsible? Where has your human gone? And perhaps most importantly, what exactly are these puppies getting themselves into?

The full premise reveals that the puppies' owner has been kidnapped by evil creatures and taken to a haunted mansion. However, knowing that someone has been taken doesn't mean you know everything about the mystery surrounding their disappearance.

There is still an entire adventure between finding the first clues and bringing your human home.

I particularly enjoyed how the premise creates a sense of curiosity. You aren't simply running around collecting objects for the sake of it. You have a reason to investigate, and every new discovery feels like it could bring you closer to understanding what happened.

It is the sort of story that makes you want to keep exploring, even when you know there might be something unpleasant waiting around the next corner.

Two Dogs, or a Rather Suspicious Cat

One of the biggest selling points of Haunted Paws is undoubtedly its playable characters.

Normally, when a game lets you choose between different characters, you might expect variations in weapons, abilities or fighting styles.

Here, you're choosing your puppy.

You can customise your dog's appearance, select from different breeds, change fur colours and dress your companion in accessories. The developers have even designed the system so players can create a character resembling their own real-life pet.

That alone is a lovely addition, particularly for anyone who has ever wanted to take their dog on a virtual adventure.

But then there is the cat.

Following requests from players during an earlier playtest, LazyFlock introduced a kitten who has somehow managed to infiltrate the puppies' adventure by wearing a dog costume.

Even better, the developers say you can change the kitten's bark to a meow.

Apparently, nobody in the game questions this disguise.

I love that.

It is exactly the kind of silly little feature that gives a game character and makes it feel different from everything else available.

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about heading into a haunted mystery alongside a dog who might not actually be a dog.

And somehow, it fits perfectly.

From Investigating Clues to Daring Car Drives

What surprised me most about Haunted Paws was how much variety the adventure manages to suggest.

One moment you're investigating your surroundings and trying to work out what happened. The next, you find yourself caught up in something completely different.

From daring car drives to solving clues, the demo keeps reminding you that this isn't going to be an ordinary walk in the park.

There is a genuine sense of adventure here.

You aren't just moving through a haunted environment waiting for something scary to appear. You're actively taking part in the mystery, looking around for anything that might help and trying to understand the world from your character's perspective.

The game also makes use of actions you would expect from a puppy.

Players can dig, sniff and bark, bringing a playful animal-focused twist to the traditional adventure-game formula.

These interactions make sense for the characters you're controlling, helping the experience feel more like an actual puppy adventure rather than a normal puzzle game with a dog-shaped character.

It is a small but important distinction.

The fact that you're playing as an animal gives even ordinary situations an entirely different personality. Exploring somewhere unfamiliar feels different when you're so small, and the thought of encountering something supernatural becomes far more intimidating.

The car moments particularly stood out to me as another example of how unexpected this adventure can become.

I went into Haunted Paws expecting cute characters and a few spooky puzzles. What I found was a game that seems determined to keep things interesting.

Cute Doesn't Mean Everything Is Safe

Looking at Haunted Paws for the first time, it would be easy to assume that it is simply a cosy animal adventure.

The puppies are adorable, the customisation options are playful and the overall presentation has plenty of charm.

But don't be fooled by those innocent faces.

There is a haunted mansion waiting, and the creatures inside are not there to offer your puppies a treat.

LazyFlock describes Haunted Paws as a mixture of cosy and spooky gameplay, and that combination is one of its most interesting qualities.

Rather than relying entirely on horror, the game contrasts its darker elements with moments of warmth and humour.

The creatures standing between you and your human aren't simply obstacles, either. According to the developers, each sinister creature has a dark past, and overcoming them will reveal more about their stories.

That introduces an interesting possibility.

Perhaps this isn't just about rescuing your human. Perhaps there is something much bigger happening inside the mansion.

It is an intriguing direction for a game that could easily have focused entirely on being cute.

The horror elements also have the potential to become more effective because of the characters involved. You aren't a heavily armed hero entering a haunted building. You're a puppy.

And when you're playing as something small and vulnerable, even a strange noise or an unfamiliar room can take on an entirely different meaning.

An Adventure Built Around Teamwork

Haunted Paws is designed as a cooperative experience, allowing two players to work together as they investigate the mystery.

That means finding clues, exploring unfamiliar areas and overcoming obstacles isn't necessarily something you have to do alone.

You can bring a friend along for the adventure, and the game supports both online and local cooperative play.

The developers have also included a Friend's Pass, allowing someone to join the experience without both players needing to purchase the full game.

This is a particularly welcome feature for a game that places teamwork at the centre of its design.

After all, a mystery involving two puppies trying to save their human feels like the perfect excuse to bring someone else along.

There is something entertaining about imagining two players trying to communicate their way through puzzles while controlling animals that would probably be more interested in chasing a ball under normal circumstances.

Of course, the experience will ultimately depend on how well those cooperative mechanics hold up throughout the complete adventure.

The demo provides an introduction to the concept, but there is still plenty left to discover.

What I like is that working together feels like a natural part of the game's identity rather than something added afterwards.

These aren't two unrelated characters who happen to be standing in the same place. They're companions trying to bring someone important back home.

That gives the cooperative adventure a little more heart.

A Small Demo with a Bigger Mystery

One of the most frustrating things about a good demo is reaching the point where you realise you want to keep playing.

Haunted Paws has exactly that problem.

Not because the experience feels uninteresting, but because its central mystery makes you want answers.

What exactly happened to your human? What else is waiting inside the mansion? How are the supernatural creatures connected to everything? And just how strange is this adventure going to become?

There is so much potential in the concept.

A haunted setting, cooperative puzzle-solving, animal customisation and a mysterious disappearance might sound like an unusual combination, but that is part of the appeal.

The game doesn't appear interested in following the usual formula.

It wants to give players something cute, mysterious, emotional and occasionally frightening, all within the same adventure.

That ambition is something I appreciate, especially when looking through the enormous number of games available on Steam.

Standing out isn't always easy, but Haunted Paws has already managed to do that for me.

Whether the full release can maintain that same sense of curiosity remains to be seen.

For now, though, the demo has done what a good demo should do: it has left me wanting more.

Haunted Paws Is Already Finding Its Audience

I'm clearly not the only person interested in seeing where this adventure goes.

The Haunted Paws demo officially launched on Steam on 8 October 2026, giving players the opportunity to experience the spooky cooperative adventure ahead of the full release.

On 19 October, LazyFlock announced that the game had reached one million Steam wishlists, an impressive milestone for the project.

To celebrate, the developers released a demo update introducing seven additional dog breeds, nine new hats and accessories, and extra customisation options, including the ability to change the disguised kitten's fur.

The additions show that character customisation is more than a minor feature for Haunted Paws.

Players clearly enjoy putting their own personality into their animal companions, and the developers appear keen to expand those options.

The full game is currently listed on Steam without a confirmed release date, so there is still some uncertainty about when players will get to experience the complete story.

However, the free demo is available now for anyone wanting to investigate the mystery for themselves.

Will Haunted Paws Be Worth Coming Back To?

There are plenty of games that look interesting in a trailer but struggle to make the same impression once you're actually playing.

Haunted Paws has managed to leave me feeling the opposite.

I went in curious about the idea of playing as two dogs, or a cat in disguise, and came away much more interested in what happened to their human.

The smashed window, the clues, the unexpected car drives and the darker mystery all combine to create something that feels genuinely different.

It isn't simply a cute puppy simulator, although there is certainly plenty of cuteness involved.

It is an adventure built around curiosity, friendship and the determination of two small animals to find someone they love.

There is also something quite refreshing about a game that can make you smile at the ridiculousness of a cat pretending to be a dog while still giving you a mystery worth taking seriously.

Of course, this is only a demo. There are still questions about how the full adventure will develop, how varied the puzzles will become and whether the story can deliver a satisfying conclusion.

Those are questions that can only really be answered when the complete game arrives.

But based on what I've seen so far, I'm interested.

Actually, I'm more than interested.

I want to know what happens next.

Final Thoughts: The Mystery Is Real

Well, this is definitely a different game, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Haunted Paws takes an unusual idea and turns it into a promising cooperative adventure with plenty of personality.

Playing as two puppies, or a very convincing cat in disguise, you find yourself investigating what happened to your human while navigating clues, strange environments and unexpected moments along the way.

The mystery is real.

From daring car drives to solving clues, there is enough in this demo to make me wonder just what will come from the full game.

Will we uncover everything that happened? What other secrets are hiding inside the mansion? And will our little companions make it back to their human?

Only time will tell.

One thing is certain: this demo is definitely one I'll be coming back to.

Haunted Paws is being developed and published by LazyFlock. The free demo is available on Steam, while the full game's release date has yet to be announced.

Play the demo or wishlist the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2861080/Haunted_Paws/