A Dog’s Life (2001) Board Game

A Dog’s Life board game was released in 2001 by Descartes Editeur. The game was designed by Christophe Boelinger and features artwork by David Cohen. It is a simulation game that allows players to experience life from a dog’s perspective, navigating through the city streets in search of food, shelter, and fun.

Game Components of A Dog’s Life

Player Boards: Each dog has its own board.

Dog Miniatures: Small, uniquely painted dog figures (Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Poodle, Whippet, Boxer, Labrador, and Fox Terrier).

Action Cards: A deck of cards for each dog to determine the outcomes of actions.

Bones and Newspapers: Tokens for bones and newspapers.

Food and Pee Markers: Trackers for hunger and bladder levels.

Dog Catcher Token: A token that moves around the board to capture dogs.

Dice: Used for determining the Dog Catcher’s movement.

Den Cards: Random starting locations for each dog.

How To Setup A Dog’s Life

To set up the game, each player chooses a dog and its corresponding board. A den card is randomly drawn to determine the starting location. The food marker is placed on the #4 square of the Hunger track, and one pee counter is placed in the dog’s bladder. Each dog’s action deck is shuffled and placed next to the board. The Dog Catcher token is positioned according to the game’s starting rules.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Game Objective: The first player to find and safely bury three bones in their den wins the game.

Hunger Mechanic: The hunger counter moves to the left at the start of each turn; if it reaches zero, the dog falls asleep and is sent to the dog shelter.

Action Points: Each turn, players have 7 to 9 action points depending on the dog, which can be used for actions like moving, begging for food, marking territory, delivering newspapers, and burying bones.

Dog Catcher: After the player’s turn, the Dog Catcher moves based on a dice roll, capturing dogs and sending them to the shelter if caught.

Shelter Mechanic: Dogs in the shelter flip action cards to try and escape.

Player Experience

In **A Dog’s Life**, players take on the roles of stray dogs navigating through various locations like playgrounds, circus tents, and golf courses. The game combines elements of strategy and luck as players manage their dogs’ hunger, bladder levels, and actions to find and bury bones while avoiding the Dog Catcher. Each dog has unique characteristics and success rates for different actions, adding a layer of depth to the game.

Pros

Innovative Mechanics: The game features a unique blend of action management and luck.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for players aged 8 and above.

Variety of Dogs: Each dog has distinct abilities and success rates.

Engaging Theme: The theme of stray dogs on an adventure is both fun and relatable.

Cons

Luck-Dependent: Outcomes are heavily dependent on card draws and dice rolls.

Complex Setup: Setting up the game can be somewhat time-consuming due to the individual decks and markers for each dog.

Short Playtime: Games are relatively short, lasting about 40 minutes.

Personal Thoughts on A Dog’s Life

**A Dog’s Life** is ideal for families and casual gamers looking for a light-hearted, strategic game. The unique theme and mechanics make it an enjoyable experience, especially for those who appreciate the dynamic of managing resources (like hunger and bladder levels) while navigating through a fun and chaotic world. It is not suited for hardcore gamers seeking complex, deep strategies but is perfect for a fun evening with family or friends.

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