I found true love at PlayNYC.


So much has been written about love, passion, and romance, from Shakespeare to Danielle Steel to Sarah Waters, all trying to find the right words to describe the most sublime feeling in the world. Describing the emotion that results in the leveling of an entire city or the intertwining of two pining souls is no easy feat, but today – like these authors before me – I will try.


PlayNYC was a whirlwind of amazing talent, incredible people, and the most positive and encouraging atmosphere I’ve ever seen at a convention. There were so many things to see and interact with and experience, that it was almost overwhelming – like an electronic fog full of possibility. While trying to find my bearings in this exciting tempest, I saw it. Cutting through the haze of the venue were the most beautiful three words I had ever witnessed, written in neon rainbow bubble font:


“find that pup!!”



I didn’t believe in love at first sight until that moment. I was drawn, like a moth to the flame, to this gorgeous and colorful game. It seemed simple enough, Pet the Pup at the Party is nearly self explanatory – you’re at a party, and you’ve gotta find and pet that pupper. This game immediately set itself apart from the pack with its catchy soundtrack, exquisite art, and relatable, fun tone. I was head over heels and I hadn’t even taken a moment to play it. As soon as I was able to demo it at it’s booth, all the strong, yet tentative, feelings I had started to completely solidify. It was meant to be. I was bounding from room to room, enraptured by this game’s simple charm, using headphones to try to listen to the soft ‘arfs’ of the pups, navigating myself through the labyrinth of rooms in this seemingly never-ending party. As soon as I pet a pup, my time increased. It was incredible. It was nothing I had ever felt before. The clock was ticking, my hands frantically clicking to lead my character every which way.

This was what love was meant to be.



Pet the Pup at the Party was created by Will Herring and is available for Mac and Windows. You can check out Will’s other games here.


what a good, good boy

Daney Rivera
Daney Rivera
Illustrator, Gamer, Lesbian.

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